1. Second place: (Matthew 20:16) "The last will be first, and the first will be last." Christ had just finished telling the story of a day in the life of vineyard workers. Some had negotiated their salary and received what they bargained for. Others started work later in the day and were paid what was right receiving much more than the first. Suspicion, judgment and gossip come with a winning culture where something is not fair. A success culture honors one another allowing people to run the race marked out for them without competition or pride.
2. Second fiddle: Aaron played second fiddle to Moses. Jonathan played second fiddle to David. John played second fiddle to Peter. People can suffer from fiddle-itus. The Boston Symphony Orchestra has a literal second fiddle. The player can feel insignificant believing no one cares so there is a loss of enthusiasm, practice dwindles and the outcome is a loss of excellence. But second fiddles come first because they set the inner rhythms, harmonies and establish clarity because they drive the music.
3. Second mile: Jesus taught a parable about going the second mile. In the first mile you give away your cloak but you have a tunic. In the second mile you give away the tunic. But the second mile leads to the third mile where you understand "Give and it shall be given to you, pressed down, shaken together and overflowing onto your lap." A winning culture is only a one mile race where loss is imminent. But a success culture will lose itself to gain so much more. If a church has a nest egg it will not excel. You have to be exhausted to be recharged and empty to be refilled. Dirt is good when it is filled with seeds of generosity because brown turns to gold.
4. Second wind: Words like 'hard, hardship, hardworking can prevent you from getting your second wind. People say 'it is too hard' or 'I can hardly cope' but no athlete finds their second wind without first facing the pain barrier. The pain barrier is a switch from your strength to the strength of God in you. "Not my will be done, but yours." If you allow the law of 'hard' to seep in it kills the culture of success.
5. Second chance: (Jonah 3:1) "Then the Word of the Lord came to Jonah a second time…" A winning culture is only for the strong and youthful. But a success culture gives everyone a fighting chance. The second chance had much more success than the first chance. When people succeed on the first attempt it tends to feed the monster of humanism.
6. Second stage: (Revelation 4:1) "Come up here…" A success culture always moves from a personal best to a better personal best always spiraling up and never down. The second stage does not let you settle for the best but better than the best.
7. Second opinion: (Proverbs 15:22) "Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisors they succeed." A winning culture does not ask for advice. When you ask for advice don't ask a novice because they only know by theory. Don't ask someone long in the tooth who still has nothing to show for his life. As Mr. Fruitful and Mr. Proven. Once you have a second opinion don't ask for a third as this had the scent of procrastination.
8. Second nature: Once you learn to ride a bike it becomes second nature to you. Life is like learning to ride the bike always moving for the first nature to the second. Romans chapter 12 tells us to renew our minds but how is this done? Revelation comes from your spirit producing faith but it is your responsibility to create a pathway of thought aligning the revelation with the way you think. It is a train of thought that must travel from your spirit to your daily thinking.
9. Second day: One the first day God created light. On the second day God created the sky. The sky is the vast array of opportunity lit up in your imagination. The best of Christianity is not submitting your time and energy but when the believer's imagination is released into the light of God where the sky really is the limit.
10. Second half: A college student called Roy Riggles was thrown the ball an attempt a touchdown. He ran through the players and achieved his touchdown. But the crowds stood in silence. Roy had run the wrong way and touched down in his own endzone. Before the second half his coach put his arm around Roy and told him the game was not over yet. The next day the college newspaper had Roy on the front page making headlines. Not for making a touchdown in his own endzone but for playing like a man possessed in the second half. Joseph had two sons every person making any attempt for God needs. The first was Manasseh which means 'forget what is behind you' and the second was Ephraim which means 'fruitful in the land of your suffering.' The second half puts your history in a vault and develops a memory for the future.
It is not the winning that counts or the taking part but the culture of success in your home and in the church.
