A few years back, after much training and preparation, I packed up my family for a weekend, drove eight hours to Detroit to compete in a Kendo (Japanese fencing) tournament. Because the sport is so select, the travel is usually great and the opportunities slim. In Kendo, the tournaments are single elimination and a kendoka is only guaranteed several minutes of action. When my first match had begun, I made a confident head cut. It felt so clean and effective. To my surprise the judge had awarded the point to my opponent. I shrugged it off and began my next sequence of attacks. As I physically attempted to check my 6’5” opponent into position with my body, I once again sprung back into position for a swift and clean head cut. My mouth dropped as the three judges unanimously awarded the last and final point to my opponent. I closed my match with our ceremonial sankuo (bow) and noticed one of the judges pointing to the line behind me. I stepped out of bounds. Disqualified! All that preparation, all that money, all that distance, all that work, yet it was so easy to step out of bounds. Lord, please keep us within your lines! Patrick Henry wrote, “Give me liberty or give me death.” The apostle Paul gives us a different theme in regards to liberty. In 1 Corinthians chapters 8-10, we see a different mindset. More like, give me liberty, but don’t let it cause death to those around me. We are exhorted to abandon the activities and pursuits that may cause our brothers in Christ to stumble. “I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air: But I keep under my body, and bring [it] into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.” 1 Corintians 9:26-27