PZF stands for Prizefight, which DOESN'T mean that we are a fight club! Prizefight is one way to think about what following Jesus looks like, the promise of a special PRIZE for each of us individually and all of us together, a prize that satisfies us at the deepest level. At the same time, circumstances in life often try to convince us that we are foolish to believe in God's promises, that things fall apart and never come back together. In these times God prepares us to FIGHT to keep our team together and our hopes high, to safeguard our heart so we can trust all the more. No settling for less than God's best for us here, we're going all out!  See how you feel about the two key passages from the Bible listed below...

EPHESIANS 6:13-18 MSG Be prepared. You're up against far more than you can handle on your own. Take all the help you can get, every weapon God has issued, so that when it's all over but the shouting you'll still be on your feet. Truth, righteousness, peace, faith, and salvation are more than words. Learn how to apply them. You'll need them throughout your life. God's Word is an indispensable weapon. In the same way, prayer is essential in this ongoing warfare. Pray hard and long. Pray for your brothers and sisters. Keep your eyes open. Keep each other's spirits up so that no one falls behind or drops out.

THE FIGHT: GET IN THE RING
Sometimes boxing is thought to be a solo sport, because it's just one boxer standing alone in the ring against another. But in the boxer's corner, there's a whole team of encouragers who often have the perspective to help the boxer understand what's happening more clearly. Life is like that--you have to live your life and make your choices, but you need a team that has your back. We can be that for each other, knowing that God puts us in teams. And in that team, everyone gets a chance to be both the support and the person in the ring.

With growing up comes the realization that life is not what we thought it would be. It's much harder, the state of things is much worse, people are more hurt and the world is more broken. AAHHH, that sounds heavy! Like a boxer in the ring who's losing! BUT the good news is that God wants to break in with a new story of things turning around, and I wonder if anything makes us feel as alive as HAVING A ROLE in things turning around. There is something significant waiting to be done in this world for which you are the perfect fit! It will be hard to get it done, but I bet it will be harder to leave it undone.

QUESTIONS TO ASK YOURSELF: How do you feel about "getting in the ring"--are you a risk taker?  Do we have to take risks in life--what would happen if we didn't? What helps you take a risk--knowing the payoff? knowing it's the right risk to take? seeing an example or role model? not wanting what would happen if you DIDN'T take the risk? HAVING A TEAM to do it with? Do you know who's on your team, both friends and family? What are some things you look for in a group of friends--building each other up? having something in common that we ALL care about? 

ISAIAH 11:6-9 NLT In that day the wolf and the lamb will live together; the leopard will lie down with the baby goat. The calf and the yearling will be safe with the lion, and a little child will lead them all. The cow will graze near the bear. The cub and the calf will lie down together. The lion will eat hay like a cow. The baby will play safely near the hole of a cobra. Yes, a little child will put its hand in a nest of deadly snakes without harm. Nothing will hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain, for as the waters fill the sea, so the earth will be filled with people who know the Lord.

THE PRIZE: GET YOUR NEW HEART
The Bible often paints crazy pictures of what the kingdom of God coming to earth looks like, things that really don't make sense based on our everyday understanding or experience of the world. Like Isaiah 11 talking about it being SAFE to be VULNERABLE (means: capable of being wounded or hurt), that even a little child will lead, seeming to say THE MOST VULNERABLE is the most on point. What about street smarts, and toughening up because it's a tough life? Not in this picture. Now I'm seeing an unexpected take on "getting in the ring." If we do it God's way, somehow it's less about relying on our own strength and more about learning how to live out the KINGDOM EXPERIENCE on earth. It starts with really wanting it. I wonder if we can agree to want God's best for us, to ask God to give us KINGDOM FRIENDSHIPS and KINGDOM FAMILIES, where we find safety and encouragement.

SAFETY: Imagine people actually being NICE to each other and meaning it! People looking out for each other, not preying on each other, instead the strong helping the weak so that both come out on top! Isn't that what a team looks like when it's really working? You don't have to settle for anything less than feeling safe to just be yourself. You don't have to be on guard, to have your walls up or to block people out.

ENCOURAGEMENT: God has given us the promises of "nothing will hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain" and "the earth will be filled with people who know the Lord" (who we know wants safe relationships for all of us) so the end is GUARANTEED. Whatever happens, we know where we are headed and we know God is on our side to get us there.