Jack W. Hayford - Seven Promises of a Promise Keeper

SEVEN
PROMISES
OF A
PROMISE
KEEPER

SEVEN
PROMISES
OF A
PROMISE
KEEPER

1999 by Promise Keepers. All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any meanselectronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or any otherexcept for brief quotations in printed reviews, without the prior permission of the publisher.

Published in Nashville, Tennessee, by Thomas Nelson. Thomas Nelson is a registered trademark of Thomas Nelson, Inc.

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Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations used in this book are from The Holy Bible, New International Version. 1973, 1978, 1984, International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Bible Publishers.

Other Scripture references are from the following sources:

The New American Standard Bible (NASB) 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977 by the Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. The King James Version of the Bible (KJV). The New King James Version (NKJV), 1979, 1980, 1982, 1992, Thomas Nelson, Inc., Publisher. The Holy Bible, New Century Version (NCV), 1987, 1988, 1991, by Word Publishing, Dallas, Texas 75234. Used by permission. The Living Bible (TLB), 1971 by Tyndale House Publishers, Wheaton, Ill. Used by permission. The Amplified Bible (AMP), 1965 Zondervan Publishing House. Used by permission. The Message (THE MESSAGE), 1993. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group.

Published in association with Sealy M. Yates, Literary Agent, Orange, California.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Seven promises of a promise keeper / [compiled] by Bill McCartney, Greg Laurie, Jack Hayford.
Rev. and expanded.
p. cm.
ISBN: 978-0-8499-3730-9
1. Christian menReligious life. 2. Promise Keepers (Organization). I. McCartney, Bill. II. Laurie, Greg. III. Hayford, Jack W.
BV4528.2.S48 1999
248.8'42dc21

99-11090
CIP

Printed in the United States of America
08 09 10 11 12 QW 20 19 18 17 16

Contents

Foreword
Seeking Gods FavorBill McCartney

Foreword:
Seeking Gods Favor
by Bill McCartney

Theres tremendous power in the spoken word. When a man gives you his word, if hes worth his salt, hell deliver on all his promises. Let me illustrate what I mean.

When I was coaching the Colorado University football team in 1987, we were preparing to go to Norman, Oklahoma, to play the Sooners. The Sooners were the top-ranked team in the country and coming home to play after being on the road. In addition, our Colorado team was extremely young. For as long as anyone could remember, the Sooners had intimidated Colorado not only with their talent, but also with their downright offensive demeanor. Colorado had become a cakewalk for them. They had won thirteen of the previous fourteen head-to-head match-ups and had averaged more than forty points a game in doing it. Colorado was one of the big reasons Oklahoma was turning out All-Americans and Heisman Trophy winners!

Clearly, we needed to try a new approach. I had to find some way to motivate my players to give the performance of their lives. I finally decided to issue a challenge based on their word as young men. On the Thursday night before the game, I laid this on them: Men, I said, no one is getting on that plane for the trip to Norman until he has looked me in the eye and told me what I can expect of him in Saturdays game. The next morning, I set aside three hours and met individually in my office with the sixty players who would be making the trip. Three minutes each; thats all it took.

As I summoned each young man into my office and had him sit down across from me, I looked at him and said, Now, son, I want to know what I can expect from you when we go to Norman to play Oklahoma.

Each one looked me squarely in the eye and said something like, Coach, you can count on me to play every down to the best of my ability. Ill play my heart out against Oklahoma. Then, depending on his position, each player added, Ill block better than Ive ever blocked before. Ill tackle with more authority. Or Ill run with precision and strength.

I told each man, Im going to hold you to your word, then I added that I wanted him to be positive and excited so his teammates would pick up on that attitude.

Having set the tone with those meetings, the team that boarded that plane was on a mission. I knew that collectively, those sixty players would spend themselves in a valiant effort. I didnt know if we could win, but I knew we wouldnt lose because of a lack of effort. Those young men would play their hearts out.

The game was scheduled at night and televised nationally on ESPN, so I realized that a lot of the high-school players we were trying to recruit around the country would be watching. And what they saw, before the night was over, was that we would no longer lie down for Oklahoma! We did, indeed, spend ourselves, trailing by just four points at halftime, though we eventually lost 246. But the good news was that each of us knew he had given himself for the team. Each player kept his promise and extended himself. We had taken a significant step forward as a team.

If that kind of dynamic exists in a mans word to a football coach, how much more is it at work when men gather in Jesus name, look each other squarely in the eyes, and declare what can be expected of them? When that happens, theres an unleashing of Gods Spirit, an outpouring of His grace and strength that enables us to become Promise Keepers, men who are willing to contend for Gods truth.

Now, bear in mind that our ultimate goalbeing conformed to the likeness of his Son (Rom. 8:29)is a lifelong process. Just as the Colorado football teams didnt become national contenders overnight, so we wont instantly become perfectly godly men. But as Colorado football began its transformation into a championship program to a large extent with that one game, we Christians also begin by committing our lives to Jesus Christ and becoming a new creation (see 2 Cor. 5:17). Then we make the kinds of commitments to growth embodied in the seven promises covered in this book. We make them to other men who will hold us accountable and give us the benefit of their experience and wisdom. As we do this, our thoughts, words, decisions, and actions will change over time. And our families, friends, coworkers, churches, and communities will receive the blessing of Gods work in us.

Theres a lot to chew on in this book: seven areas of commitment, each of them big and potentially life-changing. The task may seem overwhelming. So where do you start? Let me suggest that you pray, fully reflect on what youve read, and then identify the one thing that Gods Spirit has most impressed upon your heart as something you need to do.

Next, take that one thing to a Christian brother, look him in the eyes, and tell him what he can expect from you. When he does the same with you, again look him squarely in the eyes and say, As your brother in Christ, Im going to hold you to it. Then encourage each other along the way. Pray for each other; call one another regularly; rally your brother when hes weak. Catch your brother when he falls, and be his biggest fan when he succeeds.

You see, when you make a promise to a brother, you declare your intentions and obligate yourself to follow through. You bind yourself to that person, too. You actually look into the future and determine, by your deliberate choice, that part of it relates to your promise.