Clint Rutledge's 1000 Lives

08/16/2024

Do I Have Enough?

This morning, I was reading Chapter 6 in the gospel of John. It is the chapter where Jesus feeds the 5,000. I had a verse circled in the chapter and a note written to the side of the verse. The verse says, "Then Andrew, Simon Peter's brother spoke up, "There's a young boy here with five barley loaves and two fish, but what good is that with this huge crowd?" The handwritten note next to the verse simply said,

Just bring what you have and let Jesus go to work...

That seemed relevant to me. In today's world, it is easy to feel overwhelmed and feel like we don't have "enough." For the disciples on that day enough meant enough food, for us it may mean we don't have enough strength, enough answers, enough money, enough hope, enough business, enough (you fill in the blank). Whatever your enough may be, try this today:

Just bring what you have and let Jesus go to work....

06/11/2024

I thought I would pass along a bit of encouragement today in case some of you are feeling a little beat down. For all the former players out there, you might enjoy hearing "the bulldog story" again...

This is part of a new program I am doing with businesses now that we sold D-BAT and I can focus on this full time.

The persistence of a bulldog

03/14/2024

Last week, I had a new experience as a speaker. I had a chance to share the stage with our daughter Raylee who is now a Junior at Baylor. We did 4 sessions at New Braunfels Christian Academy's High School Retreat.

I was so proud of her! She was calm, poised, and offered some great insight to the kids in attendance. We talked about what it means to be a follower of Christ rather than a fan. In all my years of speaking, that was one of the best moments I have experienced! A big thank you to NBCA for the opportunity!

02/09/2024

What Is Stealing Your Joy?

A few days ago, I spent several hours doing something I really do not enjoy doing. I cut down some thorn bushes outside of our fence that had grown rather large. It was a mess to deal with! As I would lean down to cut the branches at their base, they would fall on me and get caught on my sleeves or cut the back of my neck. Then once they were cut, there was no easy way to grab the branches and haul them off because the thorns were everywhere. It was not fun. The whole time I kept asking myself why I let these thorn bushes grow so big? Why didn’t I address them when they were smaller and more manageable? Instead, I avoided the work that needed to be done. In doing so, I created an even bigger problem for myself.

As I worked, I couldn’t help but think of the parable that Jesus told about the seeds that were scattered and the different hearts that are represented. The hard-hearted person and the road, the shallow person and the rocky soil, the good hearted person and the thorns. In Jesus’ story the thorns represent the cares of this world that choke out the good things God has put in front of us. I started to ask myself what thorns was I allowing to choke out the good things God has put in front of me? What worries and fears have I been allowing to steal my joy? More importantly, what did I need to address before I let it grow too big?

What about you? What thorn bushes are stealing your joy today? What issues have you been avoiding that will only grow out of control if you don’t address them now?

As I worked through scratches and pricks on that unusually warm February day, I resolved to make sure I no longer let the thorns in my life get out of control like the bushes in front of me. God has given all of us way too many blessings to let the cares of this world choke out the blessings he has put in front of us. So, I challenge you today to become like the fourth heart represented in the story. Become the good-hearted person who has addressed the thorns and is now able to grow, enjoy God’s blessings, and make a difference in the world around you.