I've called 5 upsets this week. Don't know how that will work out for me but I'm going with my gut. Most of them are knuckle ball games to me. Tough to call either way but since Sheridan gives me odds on them I put them in the upset category.
Safe Bets – If there is a such a thing in this league of parity…
BUF – BAL – The winless Buffalo Bills will not fare well this week.
CLE – NO – Superbowl champs versus the rebuilding Browns? ‘Nuff said.
JAC – KC – I like Kansas City and their offensive weapons.
Close Calls – I’ve got a feeling…
PIT – MIA – The Dolphins are good but the Pittsburgh Steelers are the best team in the NFL right now.
ARI – SEA – Marshawn Lynch was an excellent addition.
CIN – ATL – Can Cincy pull it together out of the bye? I think not. Atlanta is the better team and they will bounce back after a tough road loss in Philly.
Knuckle Balls – Who knows…
SF – CAR – Frank Gore is a warrior. This will be a battle on the ground all day. Carolina will remain winless.
OAK – DEN – A couple of 2-4 teams. Denver is better than their record.
Upsets – Embrace the underdog…
PHI – TEN – Andy Reid has the very good problem of two excellent QBs. Eagles looked good in win over Atlanta.
WAS – CHI – McNabb couldn’t beat Manning but I’ll bet he can beat Cutler.
STL – TB – Both teams are surprisingly good this year. I like St. Louis in a close one.
MIN – GB – Green Bay has just been battered with injuries. Brett is gonna pull it together for the Vikings.
NYG – DAL – Another must win for Dallas but the Big Blue Machine is riding a 3 soon to be 4 game win streak.
Danny Sheridan’s Line from USA Today:
Pittsburgh 3 MIAMI 40½
ATLANTA 3½ Cincinnati 42½
KANSAS CITY 9 Jacksonville 37½
TENNESSEE 3 Philadelphia 42½
CHICAGO 3 Washington 40
NEW ORLEANS 13½ Cleveland 43½
BALTIMORE 13 Buffalo 40
San Francisco 3 CAROLINA 35½
TAMPA BAY 3 ST Louis 38
SEATTLE 6 Arizona 40
SAN DIEGO 2½ New England 47
DENVER 8½ Oakland 41½
GREEN BAY 2½ Minnesota 44
DALLAS 3 NY Giants 44
Saturday, October 23
Monday, October 18
Perfect with the Lord
“Christ meant for us to be restored to the state from which we had fallen—the whole heart, the whole will, the whole life being given up to the glory and service of God.”
– Andrew Murray
Have you ever had second thoughts about your salvation? Thoughts like, “Maybe I wasn’t really genuine.” Or “maybe I just wanted a fire insurance policy against hell.”
How about this thought? “I want to serve God because that is the only way to be truly happy. I want a full life blessed by Him.”
Andrew Murray got to the root of both of these thoughts when he said, “the selfishness of the human heart looks on salvation as simply the escape from hell, with as much holiness as is needed to make our happiness secure.”
We all seek our own benefit, pleasure or well being, even to the extent of selfishly seeking salvation. We totally miss the point of the purpose for which we were made. Yes it is God’s will for us to be saved. Yes it is God’s will for us to be holy, to be set apart from the world but greater than this he wants us to be wholly and completed devoted to him. He wants our heart to be perfect towards him. His desire is for us to enthusiastically be totally His, without reserve, retreat, or regret.
In that way we can be perfect. Not perfect in reaching the destination, but perfect in direction. The results may not be there but the desire is. It is impossible to steer a ship that isn’t moving forward. Andrew Murray’s example of a small child helping his father makes this idea strikingly clear. “The work of the child is very defective, and yet it is a cause of joy and hope to the father. The father sees in it the proof of the child’s attachment and obedience as well as the pledge of what that spirit will do for the child when his intelligence and strength have been increased.”
All God needs to work is a willing heart, a perfect heart. To be perfect, simply turn your heart toward him and strive to please him. He will be pleased.
“I know also, my God, that thou triest the heart, and hast pleasure in uprightness.”
- 1 Chronicles 29:17
– Andrew Murray
Have you ever had second thoughts about your salvation? Thoughts like, “Maybe I wasn’t really genuine.” Or “maybe I just wanted a fire insurance policy against hell.”
How about this thought? “I want to serve God because that is the only way to be truly happy. I want a full life blessed by Him.”
Andrew Murray got to the root of both of these thoughts when he said, “the selfishness of the human heart looks on salvation as simply the escape from hell, with as much holiness as is needed to make our happiness secure.”
We all seek our own benefit, pleasure or well being, even to the extent of selfishly seeking salvation. We totally miss the point of the purpose for which we were made. Yes it is God’s will for us to be saved. Yes it is God’s will for us to be holy, to be set apart from the world but greater than this he wants us to be wholly and completed devoted to him. He wants our heart to be perfect towards him. His desire is for us to enthusiastically be totally His, without reserve, retreat, or regret.
In that way we can be perfect. Not perfect in reaching the destination, but perfect in direction. The results may not be there but the desire is. It is impossible to steer a ship that isn’t moving forward. Andrew Murray’s example of a small child helping his father makes this idea strikingly clear. “The work of the child is very defective, and yet it is a cause of joy and hope to the father. The father sees in it the proof of the child’s attachment and obedience as well as the pledge of what that spirit will do for the child when his intelligence and strength have been increased.”
All God needs to work is a willing heart, a perfect heart. To be perfect, simply turn your heart toward him and strive to please him. He will be pleased.
“I know also, my God, that thou triest the heart, and hast pleasure in uprightness.”
- 1 Chronicles 29:17
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