I Saw, I Thought, I Felt

Kevin Burrell on June 3, 2026

 

“When I saw that the men were scattering… I thought, ‘Now the Philistines will come down against me’… So I felt compelled to offer the burnt offering.”

1 Samuel 13:11-12

 

I SAW, I THOUGHT, I FELT

Have you ever felt the weight of mounting pressure while facing an important life decision—knowing that one wrong choice could have devastating consequences?

In moments like these, fear can cloud our judgment, urgency can overpower wisdom, and emotions can push us to act before seeking God’s counsel and direction.

Like Saul in 1 Samuel 13, we often find ourselves caught between panic and patience, struggling to trust God when circumstances seem to be falling apart around us. Yet it is in these critical moments that our faith is truly tested—not by what we see, think, or feel, but by whether we will remain obedient to God despite the pressure.

Saul’s downfall did not begin with rebellion. It began with fear.

The pressure was mounting. His army was leaving. The enemy was advancing. Samuel had not yet arrived. In Saul’s mind, delay felt dangerous. Silence felt threatening. Waiting felt irresponsible.

So Saul acted.

His explanation reveals the dangerous progression that often leads us away from obedience:

1) Fear of Urgency

“I Saw”

Saul said, “I saw that the men were scattering.”

What he saw around him became louder than what God had spoken to him.

Fear thrives in what we see:

  • Shrinking numbers
  • Limited resources
  • Unanswered prayers
  • Delayed promises
  • Uncertain outcomes

Faith says:

“Even if things are falling apart around me, I will not abandon the promises of God or what He has told me.”

Sometimes the greatest act of obedience is simply refusing to panic.

2) Impulsive Actions

“I Thought”

Saul continued, “I thought, ‘Now the Philistines will come down against me.'”

What began in his eyes moved into his mind.

Fear, when left unchecked, fuels imagination. And imagination, when left unchecked, leads to impulsive decision-making.

When emotions become our counselor, wisdom is usually dismissed.

Impulsive actions are often born from assumptions rather than surrender.

Just because something makes sense logically does not mean it is aligned spiritually.

3) Consequences of Disobedience

“I Felt”

Finally, Saul said, “I felt compelled to offer the burnt offering.”

His feelings became permission.

Not every action done “for God” is approved by God.

Poor decisions can carry deep consequences. What seems like a small compromise in the moment can become a turning point in your life, influence, and leadership.

Believers are not called to be led by fear, assumptions, or emotions. We are called to be led by God.

Listen closely: In every season of pressure, remember that fear distorts what you see, impulsive thinking corrupts what you believe, and unchecked emotions can lead you into disobedience.

Saul’s mistake was not simply offering a sacrifice—it was allowing urgency to replace his trust in God. When life feels overwhelming and decisions carry heavy consequences, God is not asking you to panic; He is asking you to remain faithful.

True faith is revealed when you choose obedience under pressure.

“I Saw. I Thought. I Felt.”

 

Love God. Love People. Live Sent.

Be Worth Being.

Kevin

 

Kevin Burrell has worked in professional baseball as both a player and MLB scout for the past 45 years, and currently serves as an area scouting supervisor. Kevin was drafted in the 1st round of the 1981 free agent amateur draft (25th selection overall), and played ten years of professional baseball with four different organizations. He and his wife, Valerie, live in Sharpsburg, Ga.

Fan or Follower?

Kevin Burrell on May 27, 2026

 

“So why do you keep calling me “Lord, Lord!” when you don’t do what I say?”

Luke 6:46

 

FAN OR FOLLOWER?

There’s a big difference between being a baseball “fan” and being a true “follower” of a team.

A fan wears the jersey on game days. They know the stats, discuss trades, celebrate victories, and post highlights online. But when the season gets hard, when the team starts losing, or when following them becomes inconvenient, many fans quietly fade away. Their loyalty is emotional, casual, and comfortable.

But true followers are different.

True followers stay committed through losing streaks and rebuilding seasons. They follow the draft. They know the minor league prospects. They show up and post up when it’s cold, inconvenient, expensive, or disappointing. Their loyalty changes how they spend their time, money, energy, and attention. They don’t just admire the team from the stadium seats; they are invested. They are all in!

Jesus confronts us with that same distinction in Luke 6:46.

Many people are fans of Jesus. They like His teachings. They admire His compassion. They may wear the label “Christian.” They attend church when it’s convenient, quote Scripture on social media, or speak positively of Him in conversation.

But admiration is not discipleship.

A fan of Jesus wants inspiration.

A follower of Jesus wants transformation.

A fan knows about Jesus.

A follower obeys Jesus.

Jesus is not looking for spectators in the weekend church crowd, cheering occasionally while living however they please the other six days of the week. He calls disciples onto the playing field, people willing to trust Him, surrender to Him, lock eyes with Him, walk with Him, and follow Him even when it’s inconvenient or costs something.

That’s why this verse is so piercing.

Jesus says, “Why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ if you refuse to do what I say?”

The title “Lord” means master, authority, leader. And He said it twice. Our obedience reveals whether those words are genuine or merely religious language.

Following Jesus means loving our enemies when it’s hard.

Forgiving when we’d rather hold a grudge.

Serving instead of demanding.

Giving instead of clinging.

Trusting Jesus when the storms of life are relentlessly blowing.

Fans applaud Jesus when it’s convenient.

Followers obey Jesus because they belong to Him.

Listen closely: In the kingdom of God, there are no bleachers for fans. Jesus never called you to simply wear the jersey or cheer from the crowd. He called you to lock eyes with Him, take up your cross daily, and follow Him.

What would it look like for you to let His words actually lead in the area you’ve been holding back?

This verse isn’t about calling you out. It’s about bringing you into an intimate relationship with Him, where “Lord” isn’t just something you say. It’s something you live under every day.

So be honest with yourself. When it matters most, who is actually leading your decisions?

The encouraging truth is that Jesus never asked for perfection, but He does ask for surrender.

Real followers stumble, fumble, and struggle, but they continue pursuing obedience because their hearts are committed to Him.

Today is a good day to ask yourself: Am I simply a “fan” of Jesus… or am I truly “following” Him?

 

Love God. Love People. Live Sent.

Be Worth Being.

Kevin

 

Kevin Burrell has worked in professional baseball as both a player and MLB scout for the past 45 years, and currently serves as an area scouting supervisor. Kevin was drafted in the 1st round of the 1981 free agent amateur draft (25th selection overall), and played ten years of professional baseball with four different organizations. He and his wife, Valerie, live in Sharpsburg, Ga.

Guard Your Heart

Kevin Burrell on May 20, 2026

 

“Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.”

Proverbs 4:23

 

GUARD YOUR HEART

  1. Your inner life is your highest priority!

The phrase “above all else” places emphasis on what deserves the greatest attention. In biblical language, the “heart” is not just emotions; it includes thoughts, desires, motives, convictions, and will.

The Principle:

• Your character matters more than appearances.

• What you allow into your mind and spirit will shape your life.

• Spiritual and emotional health should be protected intentionally, not passively.

Success, relationships, and decisions are all downstream from the condition of your heart.

  1. The heart must be guarded intentionally!

“Guard your heart” is active language. A guard watches carefully, sets boundaries, and protects against threats.

The Principle:

• Be selective about the influences, voices, and environments you are listening to and spending time in.

• Monitor bitterness, pride, envy, fear, or unhealthy desires before they take root.

• Build habits that strengthen wisdom, truth, and integrity.

• Get an accountability partner.

Hearts drift when left unguarded. Protection requires awareness and discipline.

  1. Your actions flow from your inner condition!

“Everything you do flows from it” describes cause and effect. Thoughts and inner beliefs eventually shape speech, choices, relationships, and direction in life.

The Principle:

• External behavior often reveals internal condition.

• Long-term transformation starts internally, not externally.

• Healthy roots produce healthy fruit.


Takeaway for the day:

Proverbs 4:23 is ultimately about alignment: protect the source (your heart), because the source determines the stream.

Blessings today!

 

Love God. Love People. Live Sent.

Be Worth Being.

Kevin

 

Kevin Burrell has worked in professional baseball as both a player and MLB scout for the past 45 years, and currently serves as an area scouting supervisor. Kevin was drafted in the 1st round of the 1981 free agent amateur draft (25th selection overall), and played ten years of professional baseball with four different organizations. He and his wife, Valerie, live in Sharpsburg, Ga.

Living a Life of Courage

Kevin Burrell on May 13, 2026

 

“But when she could no longer hide him, she got a basket made of papyrus reeds and waterproofed it with tar and pitch. She put the baby in the basket and laid it among the reeds along the bank of the Nile River.”

Exodus 2:3

 

LIVING A LIFE OF COURAGE

What a name! “Jochebed.”

Ever heard of her? Don’t feel bad. Most haven’t.

Jochebed’s story is one of the clearest pictures of courage in Scripture. She was the mother of Moses. In a season where fear ruled Egypt and Hebrew baby boys were marked for death, Jochebed refused to surrender her son without a fight. She hid Moses as long as she could. She protected him with everything she had. She crafted a basket, sealed it carefully with tar and pitch, and placed him among the reeds of the Nile. Every detail was intentional. Every action was an act of love.

But eventually, courage required something even harder.

She had to let go.

Ever been there? Imagine the weight of that moment. A mother placing her baby into a river she could no longer control. Jochebed could build the basket, but she could not steer the current. She could prepare Moses, but she could not protect him forever. At some point, her faith had to go farther than her hands could reach.

Like a fork in the road, that is where courage and surrender meet.

Many times, we think courage means holding on tighter, fighting harder, and controlling more. However, biblical courage is trusting God when we no longer have control over the outcome. It is doing everything we can do and then entrusting the rest to God.

“Let go and let God” sounds simple until you are standing at the edge of your own “Nile River.”

Maybe it is your child, your future, your career, your marriage, your health, your calling, or a prayer you have carried for years. We want guarantees. We want certainty. We want clarity. We want to know how everything will turn out before we release it into God’s hands. But faith doesn’t work that way.

Jochebed teaches us that surrender is not weakness. It is courage in its purest form.

She trusted that the God who gave her Moses was able to protect him better than she ever could. And God did more than preserve Moses’ life. He raised him up to become a deliverer for an entire nation.

Listen closely: What if the one thing you are struggling to release is the very thing God wants to use for your good and for His glory?

Courage means obeying God even when your fear is louder. Courage means trusting Him with your unanswered questions. Courage means believing that His hands are safer than your control.

Sometimes faith looks like building the basket, and sometimes faith looks like placing it in the river.

Both require courage!

Today, God may be asking you to release something you have been gripping tightly. Not because He wants to take it from you, but because He wants you to trust Him with it. The same God who watched over Moses in the Nile is the same God who is watching over you now.

You may not control the current, but you can trust the One who does.

Love God. Love People. Live Sent.

Be Worth Being.

Kevin

 

Kevin Burrell has worked in professional baseball as both a player and MLB scout for the past 45 years, and currently serves as an area scouting supervisor. Kevin was drafted in the 1st round of the 1981 free agent amateur draft (25th selection overall), and played ten years of professional baseball with four different organizations. He and his wife, Valerie, live in Sharpsburg, Ga.

Enduring Pain and Hardships

Kevin Burrell on May 6, 2026

 

“We proudly tell God’s other churches about your endurance and faithfulness in all the persecutions and hardships you are suffering.” 

2 Thessalonians 1:4

 

ENDURING PAIN AND HARDSHIPS

There is something deeply human about pain. We spend much of our lives trying to avoid it, ignore it, numb it, or make sense of it. To understand this, consider the rare birth condition known as “congenital insensitivity to pain” (CIP).

Approximately 1 in 125 million newborns are born with CIP and cannot feel physical pain. At first glance, this might seem like a blessing: no discomfort, no agony, no distress. However, in reality, it is incredibly dangerous. Pain is the body’s warning system. Without it, injuries go unnoticed, infections spread, and harm multiplies silently. What appears to be freedom from pain is actually vulnerability to greater damage.

In a similar way, spiritual and emotional pain in our lives serves a purpose. It alerts us, shapes us, and is designed to draw us closer to God. Without it, we might drift, unaware of deeper issues within us and our need for God’s presence in our lives.

The Apostle Paul echoes this truth in 2 Thessalonians 1:4:

“We proudly tell God’s other churches about your endurance and faithfulness in all the persecutions and hardships you are suffering.”

Don’t miss that.

Notice what is being celebrated: not comfort, but endurance; not ease, but faithfulness. Pain has a way of sharpening our awareness of God’s voice. In seasons of comfort, it is easy for us to become self-reliant. But in pain and hardship, we listen more closely. We pray more earnestly. We depend more fully. The days of pain often become the days of deepest intimacy with God.

Listen closely: I don’t know what pain or hardship you are enduring today. Maybe the sudden loss of a parent, spouse, child, or job. Maybe a divorce, a terminal disease, a wayward child, or a broken relationship.

Ignoring God during suffering is like ignoring pain in the body; it leads to deeper harm. However, leaning in, listening, and trusting God in the midst of your pain transforms suffering into something meaningful. It becomes a place where faith is refined, character is strengthened, and Christ is made known in you and through you.

When pain comes, and it will, whether through hardship, loss, or persecution, do not rush to silence it. Let it speak. Let it lead you to intimacy with God. Listen carefully in those moments, because God often speaks most clearly in the valleys.

C. S. Lewis said, “God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks to us in our conscience, but shouts to us in our pain.”

Pain is not the absence of God. Most often, it is the very place where His presence becomes most real.

Love God. Love People. Live Sent.

Be Worth Being.

Kevin

 

Kevin Burrell has worked in professional baseball as both a player and MLB scout for the past 45 years, and currently serves as an area scouting supervisor. Kevin was drafted in the 1st round of the 1981 free agent amateur draft (25th selection overall), and played ten years of professional baseball with four different organizations. He and his wife, Valerie, live in Sharpsburg, Ga.

God’s Calling on Your Life

Kevin Burrell on April 29, 2026

 

“I chose you before I formed you in the womb; I set you apart before you were born. I appointed you a prophet to the nations.”

Jeremiah 1:5

 

GOD’S CALLING ON YOUR LIFE

Recently, I had a conversation with a D1 college head baseball coach. He made an interesting statement. He said, “I am a follower of Christ. I am a believer, but I am not equipped and feel inadequate about my spiritual calling and purpose as a coach where God has planted me.”

Quite honestly, I sense that this is the experience of many who are in the same position as this head coach.

In Jeremiah 1:5, this powerful declaration from God to the young prophet Jeremiah reveals God’s sovereign purpose over our lives. Even before Jeremiah existed, God had already decided his identity and calling.

The verse divides into three clear sections, each building on the previous one, and shows the depth of God’s intentional plan for Jeremiah’s life—and your life as well.

• “I chose you before I formed you in the womb.”

You are not an accident. Before your parents met, before your first heartbeat, before any of your successes or failures, God already chose you. This brings deep security: your worth is not earned but given. When you feel unseen or unqualified, untrained or inadequate, remember that God’s choice of you happened in eternity past, before the foundation of the world.

Q: Where in your life are you still trying to “earn” God’s love instead of resting in the fact that He already chose you?

• “I set you apart before you were born.”

Being “set apart” means you are called to be different, not for your own glory, but for God’s. It can feel uncomfortable (Jeremiah certainly felt inadequate), but it protects you and equips you for what God has prepared. It is God’s responsibility to see it through. He consecrated you. He sanctified you. He set you apart. Therefore, He will see it through. In a world that pressures us to blend in, this is a reminder that your distinctiveness is a gift, not a burden.

Q: What areas of your life does God want you to live as “set apart” right now—perhaps in your time, relationships, speech, career, or ambitions?

• “I appointed you a prophet to the nations.”

God’s calling on your life is bigger than your comfort zone. You may not be a prophet, but God has appointed you for a purpose, whether as a coach, scout, parent, friend, or disciple-making leader. Your assignment flows out of your identity (chosen and set apart). Even when the task feels too big, the same God who appointed you will empower you.

Q: What specific “appointment” or role is God calling you into right now? Are you resisting it because of fear, like Jeremiah did initially?

Listen closely: God is speaking directly to you through Jeremiah 1:5. Before you took your first breath, God looked at your life and made three unshakable declarations:

He chose you.
He set you apart.
He appointed you.

Let that sink deep inside your soul.

Stop living like you have to earn a place in God’s heart. You were marked as His before you were born. You have a specific purpose and assignment on this earth. It is bigger than your comfort, your fears, and your excuses. The same God who called Jeremiah to speak to nations is the same God who is calling you to your own mission, right where He has planted you.

Now rise up and walk in it. The God who formed you is with you. The God who called you will equip you. The question is no longer “Are you enough?” but “Will you trust and obey the One who is?”

You were chosen for such a time as this. Go live like it.

 

Love God. Love People. Live Sent.

Be Worth Being.

Kevin

 

Kevin Burrell has worked in professional baseball as both a player and MLB scout for the past 45 years, and currently serves as an area scouting supervisor. Kevin was drafted in the 1st round of the 1981 free agent amateur draft (25th selection overall), and played ten years of professional baseball with four different organizations. He and his wife, Valerie, live in Sharpsburg, Ga.

Pressure or Priority

Kevin Burrell on April 22, 2026

 

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek His will in all you do, and He will show you which path to take.”

Proverbs 3:5-6

 

PRESSURE OR PRIORITY

It was the fall of 2015 in Conway, South Carolina. Head baseball coach Gary Gilmore stood near the dugout. The stadium was nearly empty; however, Coach Gilmore could still hear it.

The noise.
The expectations.
The pressure.

For years, it had followed him.

• Win the CWS.
• Build a national program.
• Make history.
• Do more. Be more. Prove it again.

Every season became a new test. Every game carried weight. Every decision felt like it had something riding on it.

Players saw it, and coaches felt it. Coach Gilmore was leading and coaching by “pressure,” not “priority.”

Then, one fall afternoon in 2015, I slipped Coach Gilmore a book called Lead for God’s Sake and asked him to read it. He did, and it transformed his focus and impacted the 2016 season.

Coach Gilmore began living, leading, and coaching by “priority,” not “pressure.”

The pressure to win hadn’t disappeared; however, it no longer dominated and controlled his life.

Priority did. Loving God, loving people, and loving his players.

As the 2016 season went on, fans would still talk about wins, records, and the potential for a CWS championship run.

However, the players—those who sat in the dugout, rode the bus, heard the words, and felt the shift—carried something deeper within them.

How?

Because Coach Gilmore had learned something that changed everything:

“Pressure” builds performance, but “priority” builds people.

And at the end of that magical 2016 season, Coach Gilmore was a Division I College World Series champion.

All because he chose to live, coach, and manage his life under “priority,” not “pressure.”

In a similar way, there are common cultural forces that seek to shape our choices and identity to live under “pressure.”

• Performance and success
• Appearance and image
• Position and power
• Popularity and approval
• Possessions and materialism
• Independence and self-reliance

In contrast, Scripture consistently redirects our focus toward living our lives under “priority.”

• Relationship with God
• Character, conduct, and integrity
• Love for others
• Eternal perspective and impact
• Dependence on God

Listen closely: The world says, “Prove yourself, impress others, and get more.” That is managing life under “pressure.”

God says, “Know me, love others, and trust me.” That is managing life under “priority.”

Which way are you living your life?

Pressure or priority?

Just ask Coach Gilmore.

 

Love God. Love People. Live Sent.

Be Worth Being.

Kevin

 

Kevin Burrell has worked in professional baseball as both a player and MLB scout for the past 45 years, and currently serves as an area scouting supervisor. Kevin was drafted in the 1st round of the 1981 free agent amateur draft (25th selection overall), and played ten years of professional baseball with four different organizations. He and his wife, Valerie, live in Sharpsburg, Ga.

Please Be Patient – God’s Number One Pick

Kevin Burrell on April 15, 2026

 

God the Father knew you and chose you long ago.

1 Peter 1:2

 

GOD’S NUMBER ONE PICK

As the Major League Baseball draft approaches in July 2026, scouting departments, analytics teams, and front offices across the country are deep in preparation. MLB scouts will have spent countless hours on the road, watching games in cold weather, hot sun, and bright lights. As the draft approaches, scouts and executives will gather in war rooms across the country, debating, evaluating, and refining their draft boards. Every decision matters because one pick can impact the future of an organization.

These teams aren’t simply guessing; they’re choosing—intentionally, carefully, and purposefully. They’re not just looking for talent; they’re looking for the right fit—the player who has the right talent, character, competitiveness, and makeup. The player who will grow, develop, and one day help bring a World Series championship to their organization. And when draft day finally arrives, names are called because a scout saw something special in a player long before anyone else noticed.

In a similar way, Scripture reminds us that, as believers, God’s choice of us was never rushed, never uncertain, and never accidental.

“God the Father knew you before the foundation of the world and chose you long ago.”

Let that sink in.

Before you were ever born. Before you ever proved yourself. Before you ever succeeded or failed. Before anyone else formed an opinion about you… God had already made His decision.

While scouts evaluate based on talent, skill set, and performance, God chose you based on His unconditional love. While teams hope their pick will develop into something great, God chose you knowing exactly who you are and who you are becoming. There is no uncertainty in His selection—no second-guessing, no regret.

• You are not a last-minute pick.
• You are not overlooked.
• You are not a backup plan.

You are God’s No. 1 pick—whether you believe it or fully understand it.

And even more incredible—His decision wasn’t made after watching your “clips” or “highlights.” It was made before the foundation of the world. Before time began, He saw you, wanted you, put His hand on you, and called you His own (Jeremiah 1:5).

He said, “You are Mine!”

Listen closely: when you feel like you’re striving to prove your self-worth, remember—the decision about you has already been made. When you feel overlooked or forgotten, remember—you’ve already been chosen. When life feels uncertain, remember—your future is secure in the hands of the One who picked you with purpose.

Today, rest in this truth:

You don’t have to earn your place. You’ve already been picked, chosen, set apart, and are greatly loved by God the Father.

Because the God who chose you will be faithful to complete the work He started in you.

That is the amazing love of God.

Love God. Love People. Live Sent.

Be Worth Being.

Kevin

 

Kevin Burrell has worked in professional baseball as both a player and MLB scout for the past 45 years, and currently serves as an area scouting supervisor. Kevin was drafted in the 1st round of the 1981 free agent amateur draft (25th selection overall), and played ten years of professional baseball with four different organizations. He and his wife, Valerie, live in Sharpsburg, Ga.

Please Be Patient – Guard Your Name

Kevin Burrell on April 8, 2026

 

A good name; earned by honorable behavior, godly wisdom, moral courage, and personal integrity is more desirable than great riches; and being held in high esteem is better than silver and gold.

Proverbs 22:1

 

GUARD YOUR NAME

A high school football coach was famously known for winning games, but what people remembered most about him was how he won.

With the region championship game on the line, the referee missed a call that clearly favored the coach’s team. The opposing team began to protest; however, before it could escalate, the head coach walked over and quietly told the official the truth, “The call should be reversed.”

The crowd groaned, assistant coaches stared in disbelief, and the players looked stunned and confused. With an overtime field goal, the region championship was lost by one point. In the locker room, silence hung heavy as the loss settled in.

Decades later, old teammates gathered for the funeral of their once head football coach. No one mentioned the championship that slipped away. Instead, player after player spoke about the moment that defined their coach. They shared that integrity mattered more than trophies, and a man’s name was worth more than the final score. The truth is that the coach never regretted his decision. Why? Because he understood that a “good name” is earned, guarded with honor, and can shape the lives of athletes long after the final whistle blows.

In a world that constantly measures success by wealth, power, position, and visibility, God gently but firmly redirects our focus. Proverbs 22:1 reminds us that “our name” is of far greater value than anything we own. A good name is not built overnight, nor is it sustained by appearance alone. It is formed and preserved through a life that is consistently shaped by godly character, conduct, and integrity.

Proverbs 22:1 highlights four essential pillars that uphold a good name. Don’t miss these:

1. Honorable Behavior

Honorable behavior is how our faith shows up in everyday life. It’s choosing honesty when dishonesty would be easier, fairness when cutting corners would benefit us, and doing the right thing when no one is watching. Honor is not about perfection, but it is about consistency. People learn to trust our name when our actions align with our convictions, and our convictions align with our words.

2. Godly Wisdom

A good name is rooted in wise choices, and true wisdom begins with a holy reverence for God. Godly wisdom helps us discern not just what we can do, but what we must do. It shapes our responses, tempers our speech, and guides our decisions. Seek God’s wisdom rather than relying solely on your own understanding.

3. Moral Courage

Keeping a good name requires courage, and a lot of it. Moral courage is the strength to stand firm in doing what is right, even when it’s costly or unpopular. It is saying no when compromise is expected and standing for truth when silence would be safer. A good name is not built by blending in, but by faithfully living out convictions rooted in God’s truth. Moral courage declares that our loyalty is first to God, not to comfort or the approval of others.

4. Personal Integrity

Integrity is the foundation that holds everything together. It is being the same person in private as you are in public. Integrity protects a good name because it leaves no room for hypocrisy. While riches can be lost and status can fade, integrity endures. It creates a life that can withstand scrutiny and a name that can be spoken with high esteem and confidence.

Listen closely: A good name is a gift from God, but it is also a great responsibility. It must be earned, carefully built, and diligently guarded. Riches may open doors, but a good name (your name) builds trust, honors God, and leaves a legacy that outlives material gain. Value and honor your name, because in the end, it is how you will be remembered.

Love God. Love People. Live Sent.

Be Worth Being.

Kevin

 

Kevin Burrell has worked in professional baseball as both a player and MLB scout for the past 45 years, and currently serves as an area scouting supervisor. Kevin was drafted in the 1st round of the 1981 free agent amateur draft (25th selection overall), and played ten years of professional baseball with four different organizations. He and his wife, Valerie, live in Sharpsburg, Ga.

Please Be Patient – Student Disciple

Kevin Burrell on April 1, 2026

 

Since God chose you to be the holy people He loves, you must clothe yourselves with mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.

Colossians 3:12

 

PLEASE BE PATIENT – STUDENT DISCIPLE

Last week, while I was driving on the interstate, I saw a bumper sticker that read:

“Please be patient—student driver.”

It made me smile, but it also made me think.

When we see that sticker, most of us immediately give a little more grace. We expect a wide turn, a sudden brake, or a hesitant lane change. Why? Because we understand that the person behind the wheel is still learning. They’re not experienced yet. They are going to make mistakes. That’s part of the process of becoming a fully trained driver.

In the same way, we need that same heart posture when it comes to new disciples of Christ.

Young believers are spiritual “student drivers.” They are learning how to follow Jesus, how to hear His voice, how to read the Bible, how to walk in obedience, how to repent, how to trust, and how to grow spiritually. And just like anyone learning something new, they are going to mess up. They are going to fail. They are going to make mistakes. They are going to have moments of immaturity. They may even let us down.

But so have we.

The truth is, all of us are still a work in process. None of us has arrived. Every spiritually mature believer today was once a brand-new follower of Jesus, trying to figure out what it meant to live a surrendered life. Growth takes time. Sanctification takes time. Spiritual maturity takes time.

That’s why Paul reminds us in Colossians 3:12 that we are to “clothe ourselves” with five specific attributes:

  1. Mercy—Young disciples need mercy because they will stumble. They may repeat mistakes, wrestle with old habits, or struggle to understand truth right away. Mercy reminds us not to write people off when they are still learning to walk with Jesus.
  2. Kindness—Correction without kindness can crush a new believer. Kindness creates safety. It reminds them that growth in Christ is not about perfection overnight, but about faithfully following Him one step at a time.
  3. Humility—It remembers, “That could be me… and at one point, it was.” It keeps us from becoming harsh, prideful, or impatient with someone else’s spiritual growth process. Humility allows us to walk beside people instead of looking down on them.
  4. Gentleness—Not every lesson needs to come with force. Gentleness matters when someone is fragile, confused, ashamed, or discouraged. A gentle response can keep a struggling disciple from giving up entirely.
  5. Patience—This may be the hardest one of all. We often want people to grow faster, change more quickly, and mature sooner. But patience recognizes that God is writing their story. Just as the Lord has been patient with us, we must be patient with new disciples of Christ.

Listen closely: Don’t forget these five attributes. Getting angry at a student driver for not handling the road like a professional is unrealistic, and honestly, it’s unfair.

Discipleship is not just about teaching truth; it’s also about making room for spiritual growth.

Start seeing new believers with a spiritual bumper sticker over their lives: “Please be patient—student disciple.”

And if you’re honest, maybe that sticker still belongs on you as well.

Love God. Love People. Live Sent.

Be Worth Being.

Kevin

 

Kevin Burrell has worked in professional baseball as both a player and MLB scout for the past 45 years, and currently serves as an area scouting supervisor. Kevin was drafted in the 1st round of the 1981 free agent amateur draft (25th selection overall), and played ten years of professional baseball with four different organizations. He and his wife, Valerie, live in Sharpsburg, Ga.