I played rugby during my high school years though not so many people believe it when I tell them this. I used to be a second center and I believed I was one of the best players there were. Every time I tell my girlfriend this story, wife to be, she laughs and goes like. ‘I also used to be the tallest girl in high school’. If you see me you will definitely understand what she means. She is slightly shorter than me and I hardly see Pasi Gibo’s shirt from where I sit during the service.

Back to rugby or let’s think of any activity in general. Have you ever looked at another person doing something and you wish you were the one doing it as you fell that you will definitely do it so much better than them even though you are not trained in that field?

When you look at other people doing something it looks so simple and easy up until when you decide to do it yourself. What we fail to remember is that those people doing this usually put in a lot of effort and time into these fields. They train, practice, appoint coaches, pay for training grounds, etc. you get it.

To be a professional in any field you have to sacrifice a lot and most of all endure tremendous amounts of painful moments as you learn. Most of us are last minute persons who just look at the project at the last moment and hope that it will work out.

Discipline is something that most athletes have learnt to posses. They have to discipline their thoughts, their diets, and their bodies just to mention but a few. And another thing that they have to accept in their lives is a person or a group of people who will be honest and straight with them. People who will be telling them how they are performing without biasness. People who will be straight and open with them.

1^st Corinthians 9:24-27(KJV)

1co 9:24	Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain.
1co 9:25	And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.
1co 9:26	I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air:
1co 9:27	But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.

This form of discipline in a Christian context will be instilled in us through/ by other believers. But in the case of you and me in Frontrunners our pals and members of a care group will be an advantage. They will tell you how to handle some issues as they are going through the same situations in their lives. You will not have to make some of the mistakes that they have made as they will inform you on how to handle some of these issues.

This was illustrated by Omosh and Kevo in the service.

These two individuals are going / have gone through a number of issues that is representative of all of us.

Omosh had a rough past before he decided to come to church. He was struggling with some sexual issues and mainly Marijuana. When he was introduced to the sound team he made a transformation as he got into friendship with members of the team and as the team meet after the service to pray he was prayed for. This did not just happen once but more often. He grew in knowledge and confidence. He has gone for Masters Commission and numerous other missions. Every time he stands up there to MC you can definitely see the joy in his life. It is the people he is around that have shaped him up to this point. People in his CG, Sound Team, Masters Commission and others.

Kevo is another case. How many of us have girlfriends/ dates? All those who have can definitely admit that keeping thy hands to thy self is a hard task that borders torture. We all want to hold each other, talk sweet nothings , kiss here and there. How many have the guts to stop before you start the flame? Where is this point of no return? Kevo has a chick and there are many temptations that they have gone through but there is a group by the name, REGs (Relationship Enrichment Groups). This is where couples talk of their issues and try sort and help each other giving each other remedies to the ‘hard’ staff of relationships as they become friends.

 A small group is an essential part of one’s growing as a person in the society or as an individual. You will get a lot from a group of friends than from a movie named ‘how to say I love you’.

Join a small group or form one.

God bless you.

By Eric Munyoki

“Oh my God it’s a Kenya 1, 2, 3. This is totally awesome. Yet again the Kenyans scoop the gold, silver and bronze in one race, the 3000 meters steeplechase. How awesome it is to be Kenyan at this moment.”

We might have heard of such commentary or something much better, (wasn’t borne a commentator), over the numerous Olympics championships and the common wealth games. We have always celebrated the win of any Kenyan in these tournaments.

Most of us who have been out of the country have been asked this question.

“are you a runner?” or for others “teach me how to run”

Paul was a person who had gone through numerous events in his life. He had been trained by a very great man, Gamaliel (Acts 5:34 Then stood there up one in the council, a Pharisee, named Gamaliel, a doctor of the law, had in reputation among all the people……), and had grown to be a high ranking official in the government at that time. He was very senior and his duty included going after Christians and persecuting them. 

If he was to die at that time, he would so have been given a heroes burial. Things changed drastically when he happened to have met Jesus Christ while he was on his way to persecute Christians. The encounter was so power filled that he lost his sight. One thing very good came out of his blindness, a spirit of change.

He changed his ways. He moved from being a persecutor of Christians to being the persecuted for Christ. As he was in prison he wrote letters to his followers and followers of Christ in the regions that he had preached the word. He knew his purpose of living and as he wrote 2^nd Timothy during his last days in prison before his execution, he says,

2 Timothy 4:6-8

2ti 4:6	For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand.
4:7	I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:
4:8	Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.

This is a man who persecuted Christians saying that he is going to be given a crown of righteousness. In other versions of the bible they call the course a race.

There is one thing that is notable from this presage. There is no mention of the position that he is in the race but there is a mention of the fact that he completed the race. Are going to be crowned at the end of race? We all want to be.

But a crucial question to ask yourself is, are you in the race?

Imagine you are a dude and one of your dude pals decides to call you and you have a conversation that goes like this:

“Hey dude? How are you?” he says

“I’m kul brother, what’s up?” you say

“Just wanted to tell you that I’m feeling you man. Mind if we got hooked up?” He says

“(What do you say?)”

This is a reality in the society at the moment. We as Christians may try to block our brains to the existence of the vices in our society but that does not extinguish them in reality. Are we the ones to blame for the collapse in the morality of the society? Are we doing enough to bring back sanity to the society?

We are to be the salt and light of the world. We are to guide the rest in the walk of faith but how can we achieve this if what we do is cling to our old ways? We have failed in where we put our emphasis to life, our values. We value big houses, a luxurious car and all those materialistic things that are of the world. These things tie us to the places that we are at.

Mathew 4:18- 20 (KJV)

Mt 4:18	And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers.
Mt 4:19	And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.
Mt 4:20	And they straightway left their nets, and followed him.

Can any of us as Christians attest to doing anything as such in our lives ( leaving all our priced possessions and taking to the road) most will use the excuse that they are waiting to hear more from the Lord before they actually leave what is holding them back from the service of Christ.

Mathew 9:9 (KJV)

Mt 9:9	And as Jesus passed forth from thence, he saw a man, named Matthew, sitting at the receipt of custom: and he saith unto him, Follow me. And he arose, and followed him.
Mt 9:10	And it came to pass, as Jesus sat at meat in the house, behold, many publicans and sinners came and sat down with him and his disciples.
Mt 9:11	And when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto his disciples, Why eateth your Master with publicans and sinners?
Mt 9:12	But when Jesus heard that, he said unto them, They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick.
Mt 9:13	But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

Have we ever sacrificed our pride in the society for the sake of a fallen brother or sister or friend? We all have the opportunity to impact someone’s life positively but how often do we take up that opportunity?

We concentrate on the thought of what will they think of me afterwards, how will they relate to me after they know I am a ‘savedi’. We have to put this miniature prides to rest and focus entirely on spreading the word of God. We should focus on being the people who drive others toward Christ.

Let not the fear of losing your friend keep you from telling them that you are saved and sharing with them the good news. But most of all let your actions speak louder than your words.