Awesome, inspirational, and uplifting! "I could not put this book down!" "Inspired me to write my own book!" Are you ready to get off the sidelines of life, then pick up a copy of "Touchdown Love" today! |
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| Get TouchDown Love Today! "God loved you so much, that He sent His only son to die on a cross for everything that you have done wrong, and if you believe in Him you will not perish, but you will live forever. " John 3:16 " ---------------------------------- Contact : Walter Taylor 4611 Hardscrabble Rd PMB 319 Columbia, SC 29229 888.224.6160 walterspeaks@gmail.com |
Introduction
"They've got touchdown love," was the word spoken over my wife and I by our pastor, Billy Burke,
on March 29, 1998, as our morning church service came to a close.
Our pastor had the whole congregation shout out loud, "They've got touchdown love!" According
to Romans 5:5, "And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our
hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us (KJV)."
Ever since that moment, God compelled my heart to write about those two words: touchdown love.
Why? Because of the love that He shed for us; that's right, the love He shed for us. God loves each
and every one of us the same; He wants the best for our lives on this earth. God also wants each
of us to give our best to Him, others, and ourselves.
Too many people doing for others is a chore. Everyone else is secondary to himself or herself. But
today I want to challenge you to do something unselfish for someone else. Step outside of your
thinking box by doing something beyond the normal routine of your life.
Football, one of America's favorite pastimes, is full of life examples. Just as the receiver's goal is to
fulfill his purpose to catch passes, you must live out your purpose. The ultimate goal of any football
team is score touchdowns. It's what determines the winner and loser. In a similar way, you should
desire to score touchdowns for God. Scoring a touchdown can mean making plays until you
achieve the desired result. Not every touchdown is like the "the Catch" in the 1982 NFC
Championship game.
What are you willing to do to score a touchdown? What are you willing to do to finish your plans,
goals, purposes, and pursuits? God has planted a godly dream in your hearts with the intention
that you pursue it. He won't let you down. He will always provide whatever you need to fulfill His
plan. Many wonder why they cannot seem to get over the victory line. One of the reasons could be
that you are playing for the wrong team. If God is your owner, manager, and leader, then your
actions should reflect that. So who are you taking direction from? If it's not God, then there's only
one other alternative.
The other reason is that you are playing with the wrong motive. When you are on the right team,
there is chemistry and order that makes the work easy and enjoyable. On the other hand, if you
are on the right team but have wrong motives, you will not go far. Your heart must be in the right
place to make successful plays.
As long as you cling to a faith-filled voice, God-centered attitude, and determined action, you will
outlast the temporary situation. It makes perfect sense: if you want different results, do something
different!
Many start with God, but finish with something else that kills the purpose and plans that God has.
The number one thing in your life should be your relationship with God. If you do not have a
relationship with God, you have a relationship with something else. That something could be your
job, money, agenda, family, friends, or yourself. Your god does not have to be a religious thing; it
could be anything that you hold too close.
If you think that it is all about you and what you want, then you are putting yourself where only God
should be. A common feeling is this: "I've done good works in the name of the Lord, such as casting
out evil, healing the sick, even sacrificing for someone." Does that entitle you to God's favor? All of
those things are good, but with the wrong motive they are worthless.
Ask God to open your spiritual eyes so that you may receive understanding.
Do any of these scenarios sound like you? You've made an impact on many lives but are not at
peace with who you are. You've served well at your job but hate it. You contribute to your
community but lack time for your family. What does it profit you to help thousands but lose your own
family through neglect? With all the distractions, all the emptiness, all the trials, how do you find
peace with God?
There are specific things you must do to be at peace with God. First, believe in Him whom God
sent: Jesus Christ. Many try to help people get sold out for God, yet they are not even saved! I'm
sure you heard the saying "catch the fish and then clean them." Well, people try to do the cleaning
before the catch is made. One plants, another waters, but it is God that gives the increase.
If you want peace there's one place to find it: in the Bible. A central theme of how to live is love. It's
what Jesus felt for us, after all. Is love dead? God, who is love, is yet alive! This country is not
going to hell in a hand basket. God always has a way out of any situation. (See Genesis 22:13;
KJV.) When you accept Jesus Christ into your heart, you become part of God's body on the earth;
hands outstretched to help those in need of a savior.
Though there are stumbling blocks that are doomed to get in the way. Perhaps your life hasn't quite
gone the way that you expected it to. Does that sound like you? In fact, I have been in a place
that I never dreamed possible. Well, it's possible that the place you hate could be where God
molds you into the star player that He created you to be.
Part of being a star player for God involves sacrifice. When you put the overall team above pride it
makes your priorities seem so minimal. Life isn't about you; it's about Christ's love spread to the
ends of the earth.
There are bleachers, stands, arenas, and stadiums filled with people at high school, college, and
professional games. These people, perhaps you, scream for their team whether they win or lose. I
have seen men, women, and children with painted faces and colored hair representing their team,
while yelling at the top of their lungs. They would just as soon go hoarse for what? A game!
Maybe you are critical of anyone that is radical in their appreciation of what God has done for
them. You might say, "What has God done for me? I don't see where I need to thank God for
anything." You may say, "It doesn't take all of that clapping, dancing, or shouting to glorify God." I
beg to differ with you. Follow me in a story of the Bible from Mark 10:46-52…
When blind Bartimaeus knew that Jesus was passing by, he yelled and screamed for attention. He
said, "Jesus thou Son of David, have mercy upon me." The crowd told him to be quiet. He cried
out a great deal more for Jesus.
Jesus stood still and said, "Bring him to me." When the blind man was brought to Him, Jesus asked,
"What do you need?" Could you imagine? Jesus knew the man was blind, and yet still asked him
what he needed.
You may try to play a part on the team that says you have it all together. You think you're a champ.
All your t's are crossed and i's dotted, but you have bitterness in your heart and Jesus knows it.
You are clothed with money, power, and influence, but you are suicidal. You appear happy and
content, but you are out of control. Everything about your life proclaims success, but your heart
says, "I'm alone, hurt, and wounded." However, Jesus can see right through the outward
appearance and into the emptiness within.
Let me get back to the story. So when the blind man came to Jesus and was asked what he
needed, he said, "I want my sight." The blind man had to tell God what he wanted, even though it
was an obvious request. God knows that you need healing from the abusive relationship, abortion,
child abuse, anger, hate, envy, and strife and yet, you keep telling God you need a financial
breakthrough. A financial breakthrough isn't what you need. The real need is deep inside where
you've buried and hidden it from view.
The reason that you are in this position is due to lack of self-control. You probably think I don't
know what I'm talking about. But if you are in the same financial place you were in last year, then
maybe you should listen.
Are you still living paycheck to paycheck? Do you splurge every payday or every time you get a
little extra money? This is a lack of self-discipline. It's something that many struggle with. But if you
cannot take care of the big things, you splurge everything on the little things, how do you expect to
get ahead? What's the result of self-indulgence? It makes the big things worse and you still have
the little things to deal with also. And all those little things grow up into big things if you're not
careful.
Every dream accomplished started out as a vision, which was fed in the mind as a thought, then
turned into ideas, and was finally manifested into reality. Are you getting the point now? All things
tangible start out as something intangible. Is worry and anxiety pressing you? Well, the solution is
to fight back!
Press back those things that press against you. When a problem arises, do you worry about
getting through it or do you see yourself overcoming the situation? Why worry when you can
pray? Why doubt when you can have faith? Faith works through love. < B>
We cannot allow fear to intimidate us because we walk in the love of God, which casts out all fear.
The crowd may tell you that you can't do this or you can't do that. This same crowd will later say, "I
knew that you could do it," or "I always knew you could make it." We must all make it to the end to
hear, "Well done, good and faithful servant."
God let His son Jesus Christ take punishment that should have been inflicted upon us. Jesus
endured judgment that should have been dealt to us in order that we might have an abundant life
now, according to John chapter ten verse ten.
Because of what Jesus did we win—not just sometimes, but all of the time, even when we think we
are losing. This once and final touchdown deserves our highest praise and thanks. When we think
that we are at our weakest point, we really are at our strongest point and position.
Please read on for the strengthening of your game and know that the victory is yours in Christ.
1
Trust
If we were to have this conversation, would this sound like you? "I want to do well, but it seems that I
keep finding myself in the same situation time after time." Are you depressed? "Maybe…I don't
know." Do you like your job? "Not really." Well, why are you still there? Do you like yourself?
"Sometimes. Yes, most of the time." Are you mad at yourself because you know that you should
be further along in life, but you keep procrastinating day after day? "Yes—what is wrong with me?"
That's an excellent question: what is wrong with me? I've asked that same question and it is high
time that we put up or shut up. Put your action where your mouth is. If you say that you are ready
for change, then it is time for change!
The time is now and you are the person—that's right, you are the person to bring the change that
has been in your heart for all these years. You have been waiting on someone else to do it, but
God put the desire in your heart for this thing. You know who I'm talking to! If it is you, then let's
start moving in the right direction. Our time is running out and you are not getting any younger.
By the time you finish reading this book you should have made some decisions about your life. You
are going to score touchdowns this year and next year and the year after that. You've heard the
saying that good things come to those who wait. This may be true in some cases, but good things
come faster to those who hustle while they wait.
Do you have an addiction to drugs, alcohol or sex? "Yes and no. I am not addicted to anything, I
just like it." Is your habit consuming you? Do you find more pleasure in your hobbies than you find
in your pursuit of God? Compare how much time you spend watching sports to how much time you
read your Bible. While your eyes are fixed on your television your vision is dying. But it does not
have to be that way. There are many things that can consume your time. I will not go through the
list, but you must ask yourself this question—is God getting glory out of your pursuits?
You might not be addicted to drugs, alcohol, or sex. There are other vices just as deadly.
Overeating, complaining, or just sitting around watching hours of television daily is a common
theme in households today. What can I say about that one? It used to be me sitting around
watching hours of television daily. God has an answer, but you have to listen to His voice. There
are lots of voices out there telling you how to live. I want to touch on one point about listening to the
wrong voices. Music has a voice. Television has a voice. Your peers have a voice. Your daily
newspaper has a voice. Even your body has a voice. Have you ever heard someone complain
about his or her sinuses acting up, a migraine, or arthritis? You would think that the ailment is a
close friend. If your body is speaking pain and you know you should be in prosperity, then the
voice of a prosperous body should emanate from your soul and exit through your mouth continually
so that faith is developed.
My point is that whatever or whoever is getting the most conversation from you will be the most
dominant. You may say that you are not listening to the words of a song or video, but only the
beat. You only listen to the news every night for information. You only read the newspaper to keep
up with world events.
The truth is that you become what your dominant thoughts are. If you constantly think about your
fears, don't be surprised when they come upon you. What you focus on the most will grow. If you
don't want something to grow, stop feeding it. That's not rocket science, just Common Sense 101.
Don't fool yourself.
Do you want to be like the person you are mesmerized by? Does the music you listen to bring
balance to your life? I am not saying that I am all right either. No one is perfect, but it's our
responsibility to follow the prodding of our hearts to bring change. Just because it sells, doesn't
make it welcome. If we are not growing mature in our walk with God, what we achieve victory over
can creep up and overtake us again. If you continue to listen to the same voices that lead you to a
dead end, you will end up there again.
I speak from experience. I remember in my early walk with God that I still listened to the same music
that I listened to before I gave my heart to God. There was a struggle and I did not understand it.
My faith was weak and my walk with God was weak as well. My friends said, "Man, we know you are
a believer, but you can still hang out with us and have a drink and party…we understand and we
won't let you drink too much." How does that sound? Do you think that the people that you run with
will look out for the group or the standout?
Of course the group will look out for the group. The clique will look out for the clique. The fraternity
will look out for the fraternity. Who's going to look out for you?
I was in pursuit of God, but was still listening to the voices of sin and rebellion. No one told me to
quit listening to the voices that fed my emotions and flesh. I cannot be a "me pleaser" and a "God
pleaser" at the same time. My will and God's will have to line up with each other. Listening to the
voices of the past feeds your emotions and your flesh. How can you get to your best future when
you keep listening to your failed past?
What you consume is what influences you. You think that you are listening to the beat of a song,
but there is a subliminal message within the song that captivates your soul. Before you know it you
are doing what you used to do, going where you used to go, and hanging around those who you
used to hang around going nowhere!
The question to ask yourself is: where am I going? Is what I am listening to benefiting my soul and
spirit? If all you do is feed your body, then your spirit is starving for food. It is good to feed your
soul, as long as you give it proper nourishment. Your soul can be prosperous, but only when
properly fed, just like everything else.
A common ailment is thinking you don't need help; that your soul is just fine. You think this message
is for someone else. Do you have an anger problem that you cannot control? "Well, now that you
mention it, I did blow up at the person in traffic when they cut me off." I know that has never
happened to anybody but me, right? Some of my biggest breakthroughs came when I did
something that I thought I was delivered from, such as think a bunch of wrong thoughts after
someone has done me wrong. It's in the times when you want to do the wrong thing, say the wrong
thing, or hurt others that you must cast evil thoughts down and bring good thoughts into your mind
so that you can fulfill the will of God.
Do you know that doing good is revenge on evil? Read 2 Corinthians 10:5. Good is revenge on evil
only when the good deed is carried out and executed. Let us be executioners! Let us be
executioners of good toward one another. Let us do good to those that hurt us.
Pray for those that use us. Bless instead of curse. Speak life instead of death. Lift up instead of
tearing down. When you see someone sin, do not talk about it to friends and family, but become an
intercessor for that person. Become the bridge to bring them back to God. Galatians 6:1 states,
1Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an
one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.
2Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.
3For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth
himself.
4But let every man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself
alone, and not in another.
5For every man shall bear his own burden. (KJV)
In my own words, if you cannot be a bridge over trouble for your friend, lead them to someone who
can pray them through. Otherwise, keep your mouth closed. If you cannot say something good, do
not say anything at all. There is enough garbage around the world without more coming out of your
mouth.
Do good, especially to those of the family of God, the body of Christ. When I refer to making
touchdowns for God, it includes nine spiritual aspects. Each letter represents an area that you
should check against yourself. The first letter "T" stands for trust. Trust is believing when you do
not see. Trust is believing based on your relationship. It is hard to trust someone that you do not
know. Trust comes with building a relationship with God or anyone else. In sports, when you have
developed a solid relationship with a teammate, you know that he or she has the team's best
interest at heart.
If I am the quarterback and I drop back to pass the ball, do you think I am going to get the ball to
the person that doesn't show up for practice unless he feels like it or the person that shows up
early and works extra hard to learn the plays?
I want the ball in the hands of the person that has a winner's heart and cares what is best for the
team, not just themselves. When you have strong relationships, you do what is necessary to win
and go the extra mile because of your relationship.
Because I am in relationship with you, I work harder and I care what you think about my work ethics
and me as a person. It is not that I am trying to impress you, but that I want our relationship to have
victories, not defeats. Life may bring some defeats, but our victories will be more abundant than our
defeats.
If I say that I love God, then I must love people. Am I striking anything in your heart about your
relationships? Consider those you associate with. Ask yourself: Is this person supposed to be on
my team? Is this person supposed to be in my life? Is this person adding to my life or subtracting
from my life?
Positives and negatives surround every situation, but at some point you must analyze your
relationships and recognize who is a curse and who is a blessing to you. All right, I am through with
this for now.
Let's get to the meat of the subject. Everyone has a dream. For some it's to be a professional
athlete. Others want that VP position in their company. Still others yearn for retirement. Do you
want to make your dreams come true? Everyone says yes, of course, but are you willing to invest
the time necessary to accomplish this? Will you? When? Why? If you answer the "why" and it is
motivating enough, the "how" and "when" will come.
If your "why" for wanting to achieve a dream is big enough in your heart, no person, reason, or
anything can stop you from making it a reality!
Am I an expert? Are you? This message is intended to help you to realize that the only thing
stopping you from going forward is you. So what are you waiting for?
Now let's get up close and personal. Do you have hatred in your heart for people of the opposite
race? "Well, it is not hate—let's just say I want to be separated." Is there a problem with wanting to
be separated from other people? How can you be an effective part of God's work if you isolate
yourself? There will always be people around you that are different from you. None of us were
created exactly the same.
I thank God that I served in the military for four years, because it helped me learn to work with all
kinds of people to accomplish team goals. I have heard it said that teamwork makes the dream
work. The game of life calls for us to work as a team with those that God places around us. It is up
to us to figure out who our team members are. Not everyone can be on your team. Not all of your
family members can be on your team, even your closest family members. You may have to drop
some friendships.
When God wanted to bless Abraham, He told him to separate himself from his kinfolk. Many of life's
situations could have been avoided if I had followed the advice of my old friend Experience.
One of my good friends, who I used to compliment a lot on his knowledge, always replied that he
was just experienced. Some of us never tap into the knowledge of Experience or ask Wisdom for his
counsel.
Through experience we gain knowledge and through knowledge we gain trust. God wants our
absolute and total trust in Him so that He can show up and show out in our lives. Through our
painful past and present experiences, God wants our trust in Him.
If we could fix the problems in our lives, we would. What we have been trying has not worked and
will not work, unless mixed with two primary ingredients: faith and trust. Faith is walking it out. Faith
is action. Faith is carrying out what you have been talking.
I know that just about everyone reading this has heard someone say, "Talk is cheap." Talk itself is
nothing if not backed by corresponding action. You may say that one day you want to run your own
business, but what are you doing in the meantime?
Are you waiting on Jesus? Well, God will bless and prosper you, but what are you giving God to
bless and prosper? Are you waiting on that rich relative to pass away and leave you an
inheritance? Are you waiting on the lottery results every week to see if you won?
The point is, no matter where you are in life, it is not too late to start planning for a successful
future. It is not too late to score touchdowns, even if you did not play football. Some of you reading
this book may have desired to play football, but could not play or you were not given the
opportunity to play for whatever reason. Well, I have some good news for you; The good news is
God loves you! The good news is God sent Jesus to demonstrate that you don't have to be poor,
sick, and miserable. You have access to all that heaven and earth has to offer.
The real challenge is whether or not you will use your God-given abilities to create the future that
you desire. You can have the good things that God placed on earth. Notice the word "good" has
God in it. God also has the word "go," so God and go are hand in hand making good things
happen for those who have learned to flow with Him.
If you are sitting at home watching television everyday or reading the newspaper everyday and not
doing anything to even plant a seed for a business to grow, you will never have a business. It will
be a miracle for you to have a business if you don't design a playbook for business ownership.
< B>
I'm not trying to be discouraging, but just like you are reading this book that God gave me to write, I
had to plant some seeds before this became what it is.
I literally had to think it, say it, meditate on it, write about it, talk about it, and finally words formed in
my mind to write.
If you want to build trust in a relationship, you have to get to know the other party involved. It is the
same way with God; you have to get to know Him by reading His will, the Bible.
Read the below Scripture references and allow them room to sink into your heart and take root
where they can grow. Open yourself up to receive God's wisdom by faith. Trust Him to be your
offensive line when you're under pressure. Trust Him to throw the ball directly into your hands when
you run the correct route. Trust Him to call the best play. It's all about trust. This is what the
dictionary has to say about trust. Trust: to depend on; to put one's confidence in (Proverbs 3:5; 2
Corinthians 1:9); a confident hope (2 Corinthians 1:10); belief (1 Thessalonians 2:4); faith (Mark 11:
22; Ephesians 2:8-10).
If you are really looking for help, and desperate for positive change in your life, you will follow the
advice of someone who has victory in the area of life that you are challenged in.
I do not claim to be an expert in human relations, but I have been married to my wife, Twanda, for
over fifteen years and we have overcome some serious challenges in our marriage. When you
make a decision to marry, it is supposed to be a lifelong decision built on trust. It's not intended to
be a temporary decision based on how you may feel a year or two down the road.
Godly marriage is between male and female, contrary to other beliefs. If there is a problem with this
statement, you do not have a problem with me, you have a problem with God's Word. Read
Genesis 2:19-24. After God brought all of the animals to Adam to name them, there was no
suitable companion for Adam found. Then God caused a deep sleep to come upon Adam and from
a rib of Adam God formed woman.
No matter how you try to fix it up, godly marriage is when a man and woman become one flesh. The
man and woman have to leave their respective homes and cling together. Such a unity requires
absolute and total trust in God.
It is easy to say that you trust God, but the true test comes when a trial shows up in your life. You
lose a loved one, sickness attacks, you lose your job, your child rebels against your authority,
divorce hits, infidelity…the list goes on and on.
In order to beat the devil, you have to use the Word of God just like Jesus did. Trust its message. In
order to be successful, you cannot simply say, "I wonder what Jesus would do." You are in trouble if
you have to ask yourself, what would Jesus do? Do what Jesus did! He loves you and wants to
guide your life—let Him.
Use your Bible concordance, index, dictionary, or whatever references you have to look up the
word that you need help with. Do you need help with trust? How about obedience? I think
obedience is a big one for many, but let's not go there right now. How about loneliness? God wants
His children to dig, search, and apply Scripture to every need. You never know when you'll find a
verse that scores for you.
After finding a Scripture reference, I encourage you to pick your favorite trust Scripture and write it
on a piece of paper so that you can commit it to memory. In doing so you'll be writing in on your
heart so that you can use it when you need Him most. My favorite Scripture on trust is Proverbs 3:5-
6, which reads:
5Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
6In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. KJV
When you involve God in your daily life, He will direct your daily walk.
You may read more of Touchdown Love at I want to read more Touchdown Love
Thank you for your support!
Walter Taylor, Jr. Copyright 2007
"They've got touchdown love," was the word spoken over my wife and I by our pastor, Billy Burke,
on March 29, 1998, as our morning church service came to a close.
Our pastor had the whole congregation shout out loud, "They've got touchdown love!" According
to Romans 5:5, "And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our
hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us (KJV)."
Ever since that moment, God compelled my heart to write about those two words: touchdown love.
Why? Because of the love that He shed for us; that's right, the love He shed for us. God loves each
and every one of us the same; He wants the best for our lives on this earth. God also wants each
of us to give our best to Him, others, and ourselves.
Too many people doing for others is a chore. Everyone else is secondary to himself or herself. But
today I want to challenge you to do something unselfish for someone else. Step outside of your
thinking box by doing something beyond the normal routine of your life.
Football, one of America's favorite pastimes, is full of life examples. Just as the receiver's goal is to
fulfill his purpose to catch passes, you must live out your purpose. The ultimate goal of any football
team is score touchdowns. It's what determines the winner and loser. In a similar way, you should
desire to score touchdowns for God. Scoring a touchdown can mean making plays until you
achieve the desired result. Not every touchdown is like the "the Catch" in the 1982 NFC
Championship game.
What are you willing to do to score a touchdown? What are you willing to do to finish your plans,
goals, purposes, and pursuits? God has planted a godly dream in your hearts with the intention
that you pursue it. He won't let you down. He will always provide whatever you need to fulfill His
plan. Many wonder why they cannot seem to get over the victory line. One of the reasons could be
that you are playing for the wrong team. If God is your owner, manager, and leader, then your
actions should reflect that. So who are you taking direction from? If it's not God, then there's only
one other alternative.
The other reason is that you are playing with the wrong motive. When you are on the right team,
there is chemistry and order that makes the work easy and enjoyable. On the other hand, if you
are on the right team but have wrong motives, you will not go far. Your heart must be in the right
place to make successful plays.
As long as you cling to a faith-filled voice, God-centered attitude, and determined action, you will
outlast the temporary situation. It makes perfect sense: if you want different results, do something
different!
Many start with God, but finish with something else that kills the purpose and plans that God has.
The number one thing in your life should be your relationship with God. If you do not have a
relationship with God, you have a relationship with something else. That something could be your
job, money, agenda, family, friends, or yourself. Your god does not have to be a religious thing; it
could be anything that you hold too close.
If you think that it is all about you and what you want, then you are putting yourself where only God
should be. A common feeling is this: "I've done good works in the name of the Lord, such as casting
out evil, healing the sick, even sacrificing for someone." Does that entitle you to God's favor? All of
those things are good, but with the wrong motive they are worthless.
Ask God to open your spiritual eyes so that you may receive understanding.
Do any of these scenarios sound like you? You've made an impact on many lives but are not at
peace with who you are. You've served well at your job but hate it. You contribute to your
community but lack time for your family. What does it profit you to help thousands but lose your own
family through neglect? With all the distractions, all the emptiness, all the trials, how do you find
peace with God?
There are specific things you must do to be at peace with God. First, believe in Him whom God
sent: Jesus Christ. Many try to help people get sold out for God, yet they are not even saved! I'm
sure you heard the saying "catch the fish and then clean them." Well, people try to do the cleaning
before the catch is made. One plants, another waters, but it is God that gives the increase.
If you want peace there's one place to find it: in the Bible. A central theme of how to live is love. It's
what Jesus felt for us, after all. Is love dead? God, who is love, is yet alive! This country is not
going to hell in a hand basket. God always has a way out of any situation. (See Genesis 22:13;
KJV.) When you accept Jesus Christ into your heart, you become part of God's body on the earth;
hands outstretched to help those in need of a savior.
Though there are stumbling blocks that are doomed to get in the way. Perhaps your life hasn't quite
gone the way that you expected it to. Does that sound like you? In fact, I have been in a place
that I never dreamed possible. Well, it's possible that the place you hate could be where God
molds you into the star player that He created you to be.
Part of being a star player for God involves sacrifice. When you put the overall team above pride it
makes your priorities seem so minimal. Life isn't about you; it's about Christ's love spread to the
ends of the earth.
There are bleachers, stands, arenas, and stadiums filled with people at high school, college, and
professional games. These people, perhaps you, scream for their team whether they win or lose. I
have seen men, women, and children with painted faces and colored hair representing their team,
while yelling at the top of their lungs. They would just as soon go hoarse for what? A game!
Maybe you are critical of anyone that is radical in their appreciation of what God has done for
them. You might say, "What has God done for me? I don't see where I need to thank God for
anything." You may say, "It doesn't take all of that clapping, dancing, or shouting to glorify God." I
beg to differ with you. Follow me in a story of the Bible from Mark 10:46-52…
When blind Bartimaeus knew that Jesus was passing by, he yelled and screamed for attention. He
said, "Jesus thou Son of David, have mercy upon me." The crowd told him to be quiet. He cried
out a great deal more for Jesus.
Jesus stood still and said, "Bring him to me." When the blind man was brought to Him, Jesus asked,
"What do you need?" Could you imagine? Jesus knew the man was blind, and yet still asked him
what he needed.
You may try to play a part on the team that says you have it all together. You think you're a champ.
All your t's are crossed and i's dotted, but you have bitterness in your heart and Jesus knows it.
You are clothed with money, power, and influence, but you are suicidal. You appear happy and
content, but you are out of control. Everything about your life proclaims success, but your heart
says, "I'm alone, hurt, and wounded." However, Jesus can see right through the outward
appearance and into the emptiness within.
Let me get back to the story. So when the blind man came to Jesus and was asked what he
needed, he said, "I want my sight." The blind man had to tell God what he wanted, even though it
was an obvious request. God knows that you need healing from the abusive relationship, abortion,
child abuse, anger, hate, envy, and strife and yet, you keep telling God you need a financial
breakthrough. A financial breakthrough isn't what you need. The real need is deep inside where
you've buried and hidden it from view.
The reason that you are in this position is due to lack of self-control. You probably think I don't
know what I'm talking about. But if you are in the same financial place you were in last year, then
maybe you should listen.
Are you still living paycheck to paycheck? Do you splurge every payday or every time you get a
little extra money? This is a lack of self-discipline. It's something that many struggle with. But if you
cannot take care of the big things, you splurge everything on the little things, how do you expect to
get ahead? What's the result of self-indulgence? It makes the big things worse and you still have
the little things to deal with also. And all those little things grow up into big things if you're not
careful.
Every dream accomplished started out as a vision, which was fed in the mind as a thought, then
turned into ideas, and was finally manifested into reality. Are you getting the point now? All things
tangible start out as something intangible. Is worry and anxiety pressing you? Well, the solution is
to fight back!
Press back those things that press against you. When a problem arises, do you worry about
getting through it or do you see yourself overcoming the situation? Why worry when you can
pray? Why doubt when you can have faith? Faith works through love. < B>
We cannot allow fear to intimidate us because we walk in the love of God, which casts out all fear.
The crowd may tell you that you can't do this or you can't do that. This same crowd will later say, "I
knew that you could do it," or "I always knew you could make it." We must all make it to the end to
hear, "Well done, good and faithful servant."
God let His son Jesus Christ take punishment that should have been inflicted upon us. Jesus
endured judgment that should have been dealt to us in order that we might have an abundant life
now, according to John chapter ten verse ten.
Because of what Jesus did we win—not just sometimes, but all of the time, even when we think we
are losing. This once and final touchdown deserves our highest praise and thanks. When we think
that we are at our weakest point, we really are at our strongest point and position.
Please read on for the strengthening of your game and know that the victory is yours in Christ.
1
Trust
If we were to have this conversation, would this sound like you? "I want to do well, but it seems that I
keep finding myself in the same situation time after time." Are you depressed? "Maybe…I don't
know." Do you like your job? "Not really." Well, why are you still there? Do you like yourself?
"Sometimes. Yes, most of the time." Are you mad at yourself because you know that you should
be further along in life, but you keep procrastinating day after day? "Yes—what is wrong with me?"
That's an excellent question: what is wrong with me? I've asked that same question and it is high
time that we put up or shut up. Put your action where your mouth is. If you say that you are ready
for change, then it is time for change!
The time is now and you are the person—that's right, you are the person to bring the change that
has been in your heart for all these years. You have been waiting on someone else to do it, but
God put the desire in your heart for this thing. You know who I'm talking to! If it is you, then let's
start moving in the right direction. Our time is running out and you are not getting any younger.
By the time you finish reading this book you should have made some decisions about your life. You
are going to score touchdowns this year and next year and the year after that. You've heard the
saying that good things come to those who wait. This may be true in some cases, but good things
come faster to those who hustle while they wait.
Do you have an addiction to drugs, alcohol or sex? "Yes and no. I am not addicted to anything, I
just like it." Is your habit consuming you? Do you find more pleasure in your hobbies than you find
in your pursuit of God? Compare how much time you spend watching sports to how much time you
read your Bible. While your eyes are fixed on your television your vision is dying. But it does not
have to be that way. There are many things that can consume your time. I will not go through the
list, but you must ask yourself this question—is God getting glory out of your pursuits?
You might not be addicted to drugs, alcohol, or sex. There are other vices just as deadly.
Overeating, complaining, or just sitting around watching hours of television daily is a common
theme in households today. What can I say about that one? It used to be me sitting around
watching hours of television daily. God has an answer, but you have to listen to His voice. There
are lots of voices out there telling you how to live. I want to touch on one point about listening to the
wrong voices. Music has a voice. Television has a voice. Your peers have a voice. Your daily
newspaper has a voice. Even your body has a voice. Have you ever heard someone complain
about his or her sinuses acting up, a migraine, or arthritis? You would think that the ailment is a
close friend. If your body is speaking pain and you know you should be in prosperity, then the
voice of a prosperous body should emanate from your soul and exit through your mouth continually
so that faith is developed.
My point is that whatever or whoever is getting the most conversation from you will be the most
dominant. You may say that you are not listening to the words of a song or video, but only the
beat. You only listen to the news every night for information. You only read the newspaper to keep
up with world events.
The truth is that you become what your dominant thoughts are. If you constantly think about your
fears, don't be surprised when they come upon you. What you focus on the most will grow. If you
don't want something to grow, stop feeding it. That's not rocket science, just Common Sense 101.
Don't fool yourself.
Do you want to be like the person you are mesmerized by? Does the music you listen to bring
balance to your life? I am not saying that I am all right either. No one is perfect, but it's our
responsibility to follow the prodding of our hearts to bring change. Just because it sells, doesn't
make it welcome. If we are not growing mature in our walk with God, what we achieve victory over
can creep up and overtake us again. If you continue to listen to the same voices that lead you to a
dead end, you will end up there again.
I speak from experience. I remember in my early walk with God that I still listened to the same music
that I listened to before I gave my heart to God. There was a struggle and I did not understand it.
My faith was weak and my walk with God was weak as well. My friends said, "Man, we know you are
a believer, but you can still hang out with us and have a drink and party…we understand and we
won't let you drink too much." How does that sound? Do you think that the people that you run with
will look out for the group or the standout?
Of course the group will look out for the group. The clique will look out for the clique. The fraternity
will look out for the fraternity. Who's going to look out for you?
I was in pursuit of God, but was still listening to the voices of sin and rebellion. No one told me to
quit listening to the voices that fed my emotions and flesh. I cannot be a "me pleaser" and a "God
pleaser" at the same time. My will and God's will have to line up with each other. Listening to the
voices of the past feeds your emotions and your flesh. How can you get to your best future when
you keep listening to your failed past?
What you consume is what influences you. You think that you are listening to the beat of a song,
but there is a subliminal message within the song that captivates your soul. Before you know it you
are doing what you used to do, going where you used to go, and hanging around those who you
used to hang around going nowhere!
The question to ask yourself is: where am I going? Is what I am listening to benefiting my soul and
spirit? If all you do is feed your body, then your spirit is starving for food. It is good to feed your
soul, as long as you give it proper nourishment. Your soul can be prosperous, but only when
properly fed, just like everything else.
A common ailment is thinking you don't need help; that your soul is just fine. You think this message
is for someone else. Do you have an anger problem that you cannot control? "Well, now that you
mention it, I did blow up at the person in traffic when they cut me off." I know that has never
happened to anybody but me, right? Some of my biggest breakthroughs came when I did
something that I thought I was delivered from, such as think a bunch of wrong thoughts after
someone has done me wrong. It's in the times when you want to do the wrong thing, say the wrong
thing, or hurt others that you must cast evil thoughts down and bring good thoughts into your mind
so that you can fulfill the will of God.
Do you know that doing good is revenge on evil? Read 2 Corinthians 10:5. Good is revenge on evil
only when the good deed is carried out and executed. Let us be executioners! Let us be
executioners of good toward one another. Let us do good to those that hurt us.
Pray for those that use us. Bless instead of curse. Speak life instead of death. Lift up instead of
tearing down. When you see someone sin, do not talk about it to friends and family, but become an
intercessor for that person. Become the bridge to bring them back to God. Galatians 6:1 states,
1Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an
one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.
2Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.
3For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth
himself.
4But let every man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself
alone, and not in another.
5For every man shall bear his own burden. (KJV)
In my own words, if you cannot be a bridge over trouble for your friend, lead them to someone who
can pray them through. Otherwise, keep your mouth closed. If you cannot say something good, do
not say anything at all. There is enough garbage around the world without more coming out of your
mouth.
Do good, especially to those of the family of God, the body of Christ. When I refer to making
touchdowns for God, it includes nine spiritual aspects. Each letter represents an area that you
should check against yourself. The first letter "T" stands for trust. Trust is believing when you do
not see. Trust is believing based on your relationship. It is hard to trust someone that you do not
know. Trust comes with building a relationship with God or anyone else. In sports, when you have
developed a solid relationship with a teammate, you know that he or she has the team's best
interest at heart.
If I am the quarterback and I drop back to pass the ball, do you think I am going to get the ball to
the person that doesn't show up for practice unless he feels like it or the person that shows up
early and works extra hard to learn the plays?
I want the ball in the hands of the person that has a winner's heart and cares what is best for the
team, not just themselves. When you have strong relationships, you do what is necessary to win
and go the extra mile because of your relationship.
Because I am in relationship with you, I work harder and I care what you think about my work ethics
and me as a person. It is not that I am trying to impress you, but that I want our relationship to have
victories, not defeats. Life may bring some defeats, but our victories will be more abundant than our
defeats.
If I say that I love God, then I must love people. Am I striking anything in your heart about your
relationships? Consider those you associate with. Ask yourself: Is this person supposed to be on
my team? Is this person supposed to be in my life? Is this person adding to my life or subtracting
from my life?
Positives and negatives surround every situation, but at some point you must analyze your
relationships and recognize who is a curse and who is a blessing to you. All right, I am through with
this for now.
Let's get to the meat of the subject. Everyone has a dream. For some it's to be a professional
athlete. Others want that VP position in their company. Still others yearn for retirement. Do you
want to make your dreams come true? Everyone says yes, of course, but are you willing to invest
the time necessary to accomplish this? Will you? When? Why? If you answer the "why" and it is
motivating enough, the "how" and "when" will come.
If your "why" for wanting to achieve a dream is big enough in your heart, no person, reason, or
anything can stop you from making it a reality!
Am I an expert? Are you? This message is intended to help you to realize that the only thing
stopping you from going forward is you. So what are you waiting for?
Now let's get up close and personal. Do you have hatred in your heart for people of the opposite
race? "Well, it is not hate—let's just say I want to be separated." Is there a problem with wanting to
be separated from other people? How can you be an effective part of God's work if you isolate
yourself? There will always be people around you that are different from you. None of us were
created exactly the same.
I thank God that I served in the military for four years, because it helped me learn to work with all
kinds of people to accomplish team goals. I have heard it said that teamwork makes the dream
work. The game of life calls for us to work as a team with those that God places around us. It is up
to us to figure out who our team members are. Not everyone can be on your team. Not all of your
family members can be on your team, even your closest family members. You may have to drop
some friendships.
When God wanted to bless Abraham, He told him to separate himself from his kinfolk. Many of life's
situations could have been avoided if I had followed the advice of my old friend Experience.
One of my good friends, who I used to compliment a lot on his knowledge, always replied that he
was just experienced. Some of us never tap into the knowledge of Experience or ask Wisdom for his
counsel.
Through experience we gain knowledge and through knowledge we gain trust. God wants our
absolute and total trust in Him so that He can show up and show out in our lives. Through our
painful past and present experiences, God wants our trust in Him.
If we could fix the problems in our lives, we would. What we have been trying has not worked and
will not work, unless mixed with two primary ingredients: faith and trust. Faith is walking it out. Faith
is action. Faith is carrying out what you have been talking.
I know that just about everyone reading this has heard someone say, "Talk is cheap." Talk itself is
nothing if not backed by corresponding action. You may say that one day you want to run your own
business, but what are you doing in the meantime?
Are you waiting on Jesus? Well, God will bless and prosper you, but what are you giving God to
bless and prosper? Are you waiting on that rich relative to pass away and leave you an
inheritance? Are you waiting on the lottery results every week to see if you won?
The point is, no matter where you are in life, it is not too late to start planning for a successful
future. It is not too late to score touchdowns, even if you did not play football. Some of you reading
this book may have desired to play football, but could not play or you were not given the
opportunity to play for whatever reason. Well, I have some good news for you; The good news is
God loves you! The good news is God sent Jesus to demonstrate that you don't have to be poor,
sick, and miserable. You have access to all that heaven and earth has to offer.
The real challenge is whether or not you will use your God-given abilities to create the future that
you desire. You can have the good things that God placed on earth. Notice the word "good" has
God in it. God also has the word "go," so God and go are hand in hand making good things
happen for those who have learned to flow with Him.
If you are sitting at home watching television everyday or reading the newspaper everyday and not
doing anything to even plant a seed for a business to grow, you will never have a business. It will
be a miracle for you to have a business if you don't design a playbook for business ownership.
< B>
I'm not trying to be discouraging, but just like you are reading this book that God gave me to write, I
had to plant some seeds before this became what it is.
I literally had to think it, say it, meditate on it, write about it, talk about it, and finally words formed in
my mind to write.
If you want to build trust in a relationship, you have to get to know the other party involved. It is the
same way with God; you have to get to know Him by reading His will, the Bible.
Read the below Scripture references and allow them room to sink into your heart and take root
where they can grow. Open yourself up to receive God's wisdom by faith. Trust Him to be your
offensive line when you're under pressure. Trust Him to throw the ball directly into your hands when
you run the correct route. Trust Him to call the best play. It's all about trust. This is what the
dictionary has to say about trust. Trust: to depend on; to put one's confidence in (Proverbs 3:5; 2
Corinthians 1:9); a confident hope (2 Corinthians 1:10); belief (1 Thessalonians 2:4); faith (Mark 11:
22; Ephesians 2:8-10).
If you are really looking for help, and desperate for positive change in your life, you will follow the
advice of someone who has victory in the area of life that you are challenged in.
I do not claim to be an expert in human relations, but I have been married to my wife, Twanda, for
over fifteen years and we have overcome some serious challenges in our marriage. When you
make a decision to marry, it is supposed to be a lifelong decision built on trust. It's not intended to
be a temporary decision based on how you may feel a year or two down the road.
Godly marriage is between male and female, contrary to other beliefs. If there is a problem with this
statement, you do not have a problem with me, you have a problem with God's Word. Read
Genesis 2:19-24. After God brought all of the animals to Adam to name them, there was no
suitable companion for Adam found. Then God caused a deep sleep to come upon Adam and from
a rib of Adam God formed woman.
No matter how you try to fix it up, godly marriage is when a man and woman become one flesh. The
man and woman have to leave their respective homes and cling together. Such a unity requires
absolute and total trust in God.
It is easy to say that you trust God, but the true test comes when a trial shows up in your life. You
lose a loved one, sickness attacks, you lose your job, your child rebels against your authority,
divorce hits, infidelity…the list goes on and on.
In order to beat the devil, you have to use the Word of God just like Jesus did. Trust its message. In
order to be successful, you cannot simply say, "I wonder what Jesus would do." You are in trouble if
you have to ask yourself, what would Jesus do? Do what Jesus did! He loves you and wants to
guide your life—let Him.
Use your Bible concordance, index, dictionary, or whatever references you have to look up the
word that you need help with. Do you need help with trust? How about obedience? I think
obedience is a big one for many, but let's not go there right now. How about loneliness? God wants
His children to dig, search, and apply Scripture to every need. You never know when you'll find a
verse that scores for you.
After finding a Scripture reference, I encourage you to pick your favorite trust Scripture and write it
on a piece of paper so that you can commit it to memory. In doing so you'll be writing in on your
heart so that you can use it when you need Him most. My favorite Scripture on trust is Proverbs 3:5-
6, which reads:
5Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
6In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. KJV
When you involve God in your daily life, He will direct your daily walk.
You may read more of Touchdown Love at I want to read more Touchdown Love
Thank you for your support!
Walter Taylor, Jr. Copyright 2007
