Armchair Devotional

By Curt Dodd

Armchair Devotional is a men's devotional book for men who enjoy sports and the outdoors. 30 days and 30 devotionals will help the man of God to become more than a 'watcher'!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Curt Dodd
• Release date: Apr 2, 2012
• ISBN: 9780985244309

Curt Dodd

Curt has served churches in Texas, Colorado and Florida before becoming the Senior Pastor of Westside Church, Omaha, Nebraska (www.wchurch.tv). Committed to the local church, he has written And One to Grow On, Hearts on Fire: The Keys to Dynamic Church Growth and Running on Empty in the Fast Lane. He also is the Co-founder and President of Shepherds Group (www.shepherdsgroup.com), a pastoral ministry team guiding churches and Christian non-profits in their capital campaign ventures. With a heart for the outdoors, he enjoys hunting, fishing and golf....but they all pale in comparison to his family. He and his wife, Ginger, have two married sons involved in ministry, a daughter who is a professional photographer and an ever-growing quiver of grandchildren.

Book preview

FOREWORD

In case you just dropped in on our planet and haven’t had the opportunity for genuine observation, men and women are different. And even if you did just drop in on us, perhaps you have already heard that men are from Mars and women are from Venus.

Men and women are wired differently and those differences go much deeper than physical or emotional. Men think differently than women (although some women don’t believe men think at all). Women always know what to do when someone begins to cry. Men panic, grab the nearest woman to help, then run away. A woman will put a pile of folded clothes at the bottom of the stairs so she remembers to take them up to the bedroom. A man will step over this pile on his way up the stairs. Women can take up to 10 minutes to decide what to order at a fast-food restaurant; men decide in 10 seconds. And when the food arrives, the woman picks away at the man’s food anyway.

Since men and women approach life differently, it is likely they approach their spiritual lives differently as well. The pathway to the heart of God for a woman may run through quiet moments of reflection with a cup of tea. The pathway for a man often runs through the trinity of sports, the armchair and the TV remote.

The Armchair Devotional is for men. With humor and insight, my pastor, Dr. Curt Dodd, uses sports analogies and stories to speak to men, to stir male hearts and minds toward vibrancy for God. These are guy devotionals, the kinds of conversations you might expect Jesus’ disciples to have if Peter was a Yankees fan and James loved the Red Sox. But more than devotional insights, The Armchair Devotional reflects a man of God straight-talking to men of God–the shepherd nudging the ram, the sports fanatic motivating other sports fanatics toward a life of meaning and integrity.

Every man and woman who desires to be like Christ needs nudging in that direction. This devotional focuses on men because statistics indicate that many men need more than a nudge; they need a good ole football pancake. Godly men need to put down the remote and get in the game of the abundant life, not just watch it from their favorite armchair. And by the way, men, that TV remote—women believe it should stay on top of the television.

Woodrow Kroll

Lincoln, Nebraska

INTRODUCTION

Most men don’t enjoy reading. That’s just the way it is. But, oh, can we watch! When it comes to handling a remote control, we have a black belt! We have learned from our early years how within thirty minutes, most problems can be solved. Well, at least it happens like that on television! If only the issues in our lives could be resolved as organized and as quickly for us. That’s not real life!

But still we watch. Especially if the program entails football, birdies, baseball or bullets! If it has to do with the outdoors…if there is action, we are so there! But there is another side to it–others are watching us. How we navigate our moments is being observed by those who love us; a wife, a son, a daughter watch us to take their cues from what they see. For those who desire to be more than watchers…disengaged from their families, only connected by a family room and a remote…this book is for you!

Thirty days of devotional thoughts are here before you. Now is the time to drop the remote and embark upon a journey toward being the man you have always wanted to be. Walk with me through the uprights, in the cup, over the plate and in the bullseye. Watch how God changes you in these next days from the inside out!

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

Romans 8:28

This verse of scripture has often been a source of reassurance during times of adversity, sorrow, or extreme pressure. Even though we may not achieve the outcome we desire, we can be assured that if we are operating in His service and according to what He would have us be, the final outcome will be positive.

Tom Osborne

Former Head Coach, University of Nebraska 1973-1997

Member of Congress 2001-2007

Athletic Director

University of Nebraska

~ DAY 1 ~

THE DOUBLE REVERSE

"Surely not, Lord!" Peter replied,

I have never eaten anything impure or unclean.

Acts 10:14

Nothing is more exciting to watch unfold than a double reverse in football. The trickery in the offensive backfield, if done correctly, is like a magician’s slight of hand. If you’re playing defense, you have to be able to handle change.

Do you enjoy variety? A change of pace or place? When you think about having to change, does it excite you, or simply make you anxious? Do the people around you think you are a stick-in-the-mud because of your personal rituals, or are you known for innovation and fun? The ability to cope with change is a learned skill. Personally, I do not believe it comes naturally. Sometimes, like Simon Peter, we need a change conversation with God. He knows just how to talk to us and what we will need to move us forward.

When I think about my handling-change history, I think about going to buy blue jeans in the late 60s. Still in high school, I had decided it was time to turn my back on the surfing crowd and go