My son had the privilege of playing football for one of the best coaches in our state. Now, he had six years of championship football behind him when he took over our team. And they managed to win a conference championship every season, or in some cases, they won the state championship. One of the reasons is that he was a genius at knowing what position a boy would play best. Of course the player didn't always agree with that.

I was there in the locker room on some of the days when that coach announced that he was changing a certain player's assignment. And man, there were not happy campers in the locker room. There were cries of, "Hey, I'm a tackle! Coach, I'm an end. I'm a linebacker! What's he putting me in that position for?" Well, they weren't grumbling by the end of the season. By that time they were on a championship team and very often they received honors for playing the position he had assigned them to. But at the time the change was made, it didn't feel very right.

I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "When the Coach Changes Your Assignment."

Paul's coach changed his assignment. Our word for today from the Word of God talks about it. It's Philippians 1:7 - Paul is writing from prison. Here he had been out preaching, building churches, and the coach said, "I've got a new assignment for you." I don't know how the player felt, but I can see how he is handling it. Because he says three different things - first in verse 7: "Whether I'm in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God's grace with me." First, God's grace is carrying him through his change of assignment.

Secondly in chapter 1, verse 12, he says, "I just want you to know that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel." So secondly he says, "Look, the kingdom's being advanced whether I'm doing it or not." Then in chapter 1, verse 20, he's got a third source of encouragement. He said, "I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always, Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death." Even here, even under these circumstances, whether by life or death.

He's saying, "Hey, look! I've got a new platform - this prison cell is a new platform, and the people here are watching me. You're watching me here. How am I handling it? It's a new platform from which I can honor my Jesus.

Maybe the coach is changing your assignment right now! It's the coach's right to do that. Players don't assign themselves. Maybe he's assigning you to a new job, or maybe he's pushing you to take on a larger responsibility than you feel ready for. Maybe, on the other hand, he's asking you to play a background, supporting role when actually you'd like something bigger where people will see you more.

Maybe he's assigned you to a hospital bed, or a nursing home, or to some physical restrictions; to singleness. Paul handled the changes in his life with three encouragements: number one, grace enough no matter where the assignment is. The grace always equals the assignment. Paul had decided "God, it's Your kingdom come, not my kingdom come." And he knew that God's Kingdom would be advanced by him being where God assigned him, not where he assigned himself.

Then thirdly, that God can give you a platform anywhere from which you can glorify Christ. And so Paul is able to say in chapter 4, "I have learned wherever I am to be content, because I can do everything through Him who gives me strength." Don't be afraid of the coach's assignment. He knows His players; He knows just the right spot for you. So trust the coach. He's never been wrong about anyone who plays on His team."

There are few words that strike more fear into hearts in Middle America than the word "tornado." I grew up there. I mean, twisters can hit so suddenly and they do horrific damage. That was proven again when some deadly tornadoes tore through Oklahoma back in 1999. In fact, one of those was so strong it was almost classified as an F6, which would have created a whole new category of tornado. The story I saw on the evening news was pretty amazing. After hearing one of those tornado warnings for the tornadoes in Oklahoma that day, a mother and her adult daughter went into a room in their house for safety. It's called a safe room or a strong room, and it's built with concrete that's reinforced with metal. And it's built to withstand even a hit by a tornado. Well, sure enough, the tornado hit that house and there was basically nothing left except for one room - the safe room. And when it was all clear, the mother and daughter walked out unscathed in a neighborhood where virtually everything else had been blown away.

I'm Ron Hutchcraft, and I want to have A Word With You today about "Your Safe Room for the Storm."

There are moments for all of us when we get hit head-on with the emotional equivalent of an F5 tornado. There are some of life's hits that threaten to blow away everything we've depended on. A divorce can do that, a disease can do that, a disappointment, boy...the death of someone you love - an anchor person. That sends everything spinning. We know that most of what matters to us is something we can lose, right? And if and when we do, there is sometimes not much left but the pieces.

We need a safe room. We need some place in our life that can withstand any blow that will still be there when the storm has moved out. In fact, we can never really be secure unless we know we have something we can't lose. Well, actually, someone. We've already lost enough in our life to know that our heart is hungry for one relationship that we'll never lose - that no storm can take away from us. A relationship like the one that's described in our word for today from the Word of God in Romans 8:39.

God Himself, the Creator of you, promises unequivocally that "nothing in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." In fact, just before this promise, God enumerates some of the most violent tornadoes that life can hit us with - and then He says that none of those, "nothing else in all creation," can take away this one anchor love, this unloseable relationship.

It turns out that this is the relationship the Bible says we were created for, the one with our Creator God. But it's also the relationship the Bible says we've all missed because we've done our life our way instead of God's way. We haven't lived for Him, we've lived for ourselves. So we're locked out of the safe room of belonging to God forever. That's why no love has ever been enough love - why your heart's never really been at peace. But notice, God says the love of God is "in Christ Jesus our Lord."

See, that's because Jesus opened the way to belong to God. He tore the lock off the safe room door by dying on the cross to pay the death penalty that you and I deserve. He really loves you. And He's waiting to welcome you into the safe room of this awesome love relationship with God, if you will grab Him as your Savior with all your heart.

Don't you want to live in this love, experience this love forever - God's unloseable love? Then tell Him, "Jesus, I'm yours." And let me invite you...urge you, really, to go to our website - ANewStory.com. Your new story can begin with the information that's there.

Ask anyone who has faced a major life storm with Jesus in their heart. They will tell you that He was still there when everything else was blown away. The safe room door is open for you, and Jesus is waiting to welcome you into the one love that you will never, never lose.

Not many parents can sleep real soundly until they know their children are in for the night. At our house, we asked our kids - big teenage guys to stop by our room no matter how late it was and just say, "Hey, we're here." Sometimes they get delayed, or sometimes they're in a situation where they couldn't call. And it's natural, I think, for a mom or a dad to be anxious until they can get a fix on where their kids are, and the great time of relief is when they come in the door and we know everything's okay. Right? I guess some of the most beautiful words in the English language are, "Mom, Dad, I'm home." Maybe you know a child who's way overdue.

I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Mom, Dad, I'm Home."

Our word for today from the Word of God comes from Luke 7, and I'm going to begin reading at verse 12. "As Jesus approached the town gate, a dead person was being carried out; the only son of his mother, and she was a widow. Now, a large crowd from the town was with her. When the Lord saw her, His heart went out to her and He said, 'Don't cry.' Then He went up and touched the coffin, and those carrying stood still." This is truly a dramatic moment here. "He said, "Young man, I say to you, 'Get up!'" The dead man sat up and began to talk. And Jesus gave him back to his Mother. They were all filled with awe and praised God."

That's a powerful story! And the most touching words of all for me are these, "And Jesus gave him back to his Mother." You know, Jesus is still in the business of giving children back to their parents, even when it appears hopeless they'll ever come back. Maybe you or someone you know has a son or a daughter who's away right now; spiritually, emotionally, physically. My word of encouragement is this simple word from the Lord. He's still in the business of giving children back to their parents.

I don't know, for some reason, I just thought that this day should be the time when we should talk about this for someone who needs that little word of encouragement.

Maybe you know better than I do why we're talking about this today. Sometimes maybe it seems like your prayers just are not being answered for the one you love. But remember, much of God's work is invisible. Like plants getting ready to sprout and come out, and flowers blooming in the spring. We don't see anything going on all winter, looks like nothing is going on under the ground. But God is at work all the time. Much that God is doing to bring that child home, you can't see. But you'd better believe it's going on under the ground where you can't see it.

Secondly, the hound of heaven - the Holy Spirit - pursues that child wherever he goes. They can get away from you; they can't get away from Him. Thirdly, open arms do more than open mouths to bring kids home. Sometimes we can talk too much and push them so hard we actually push them away from the Lord. The Father of the prodigal son didn't chase the son. He just kept his arms open for him to come home.

And then fourthly, remember God does answer prayer. Release that child again to the Lord. Don't try to do God's job of changing that child's heart. I understand that John Newton, the writer of Amazing Grace said his conversion came in a storm at sea with a mast crashing down on him as he cried, "My Mother's God save me!" And her prayers were answered.

Continue to claim that child for Jesus Christ. Do not give up! "Be not weary in well doing, for in due season you will reap if you do not give up!" Jesus is still in the business of bringing kids home to their parents and home to Him. Because of His love, I believe one day you will hear, "Mom... Dad... I'm home."