The Majors

There are four major championships on the PGA Tour: The Masters (April), The US Open (June), the British Open (July), and the PGA Championship (August). The PGA is the last "major" of the year and is being played beginning today at Southern Hills Country Club in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Three first time major winners have taken home the title of major champion this year. It is up in the air about who will take home the title, the trophy and the check in Tulsa. Some of the favorites are doing rather well on this first day and some are not fairing so well in the sweltering heat of Oklahoma. But whomever wins this weekend, their life will never be the same.

As I was thinking about that my mind drifted back to the moment my life was radically changed forever. You may think that I am referring to the day I graduated high school, college or seminary, but you would be wrong. You may think I am referring to the day I was married, but you would be wrong, although my life did change drastically that day. You may assume I am thinking about the day my precious little girl was born two years ago, but again you would be wrong. It is not the day I submitted my life to God's plan for me and I went into full time vocational ministry, but that's not the day either.

The day I won the "Major" was the day I came into a personal, intimate relationship with the Creator God who died in my place and forgave me of all my sins: past, present and future. On that day when I was five years old I won the major and my life has never been the same.

The Bible says that this major victory is available for anyone and everyone who is willing to come to God on HIS terms. There are many people who say there are many different roads that lead to God. But I challenge you to take just any road today and see if it takes you home. You can't just take any road to get home, it just doesn't work that way. God has provided the only way to Himself, and that way is through His son Jesus. It takes a person being willing to put their complete trust in Christ and resting in Him. Trusting Him to meet all your needs, even the most simple things.

There are people who need to win this major and God has given us the privilege of teaching them how to "get the ball in the hole." That is the goal of all those professional golfers in Oklahoma, and that is our goal too. We want to win, and the only way to do that is in and through Christ. May you know the "thrill of victory" rather than the "agony of defeat."

Serving Him,
Pastor Mike