Author Archives: Pastor Tommy

At this time of year, many set pen to paper and write down all the things they resolve to do to make sure the new year turns out better than the year just concluded.  Some want to lose weight.  Some want to get out of debt.  Some resolve to give more to ministry; others want to save more.  Still others want a happier home life.

So . . . what is it for you?  What are you resolving to do this year that will make 2011 better than 2010?  Let me suggest one thing above all else:

PREACH THE GOSPEL TO YOURSELF EVERY DAY!

No matter what we resolve to do, resolution will not make this year better than last year.  Never has a life been made better by resolution in the long run.  Sure, we can change behavior for a season and see measurable change in our lives.  We can be less slothful and more disciplined.  We can be less impatient and more forgiving.  But inevitably, if our resolution is not accompanied by transformation through the power of the Gospel, we will find ourselves in pretty much the same place at the end of this year as we were last year.  And that is a place no child of God should be! We have been commanded to “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 3:18), not to remain mired in inertia!

Resolutions become reality when we keep the Gospel before us.  When the eyes of our faith stay fixed on the Gospel—virgin birth, sinless life, atoning death, triumphant resurrection, and glorious ascension—cold hearts thaw, hard hearts soften, and distant hearts draw near to Jesus.  It is only by trusting in Christ’s promise to finish what He started in us (Philippians 1:6) that we are empowered to keep getting up every time we fall.

Growing in grace means more than growing in Christian character, as important as that is.  To grow in grace is to grow in the awareness of our spiritual bankruptcy and the knowledge of the yawning chasm that lies between sinful man and a holy God that was bridged by Jesus Christ. 

When I speak of a man growing in grace, I mean simply this: that his sense of sin is becoming deeper, his faith stronger, his hope brighter, his love more extensive, his spiritual mindedness more marked — J. C. Ryle  

Resolution becomes reality as our understanding of God’s astonishing, unmerited favor becomes more real to us.  Deep down, we know we are great sinners, both by nature and habit, and yet we are loved by an even greater Savior who laid down His life for us.  Scripture emphatically assures us that “neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:38-39).  You are loved in spite of your past failings and you are loved in spite of your future failings!

The truth of the Gospel is the only power that can remove the merit-oriented mindset we bring into our faith and turn our resolutions into reality. 

This is the Gospel.  This is grace for your race.  NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!

Another year has come and gone; it’s the last day of 2010.  There are only a few remaining hours of this year still on the clock . . . what will you do with them?  How well will you finish this year?  Can you imagine your Lord saying, “Well done, good and faithful servant” based on the life you lived throughout the past year? 

Sadly, many in the church today are convinced that they could never hear those words because of a past littered with broken promises, shattered dreams, and unfulfilled potential.  They believe God is angry with them because they failed to live up to His expectations, clearly set forth in Sacred Scripture.  Instead of hearing the words “well done” they dread hearing “You wicked and slothful servant!”

Equally tragic is the great number in the church who are convinced they will hear “Well done” because of their good works, godly living, and great rule keeping.  They believe God owes them a reward for a life well lived. 

I have good news for both groups.  The Gospel, properly understood, frees you from both errors.  God does not see you as a failure and He never grades on a curve, no matter how well you think you are doing.  God loves you because of your union with Christ.  He sees you only in the light of the perfect righteousness of Jesus.  You see, Jesus paid for your failures and He paid for your apparent successes.  We are in debt to Him either way.  We have nothing to boast in expect Jesus and in boasting in Jesus we can be assured that we are finishing well. 

Regardless of the kind of year you had, God is pleased with you.  You are the object of His deepest desire.  So much so, He lived the life you refused to live and paid the penalty you could never pay, just to have you as His own.  He does not need you, because He needs nothing.  Instead, Jesus wants you, which is far better than being needed.

You can probably think of an earthly relationship where you are most certainly needed, but not necessarily wanted.  How empty that is!  But in a relationship with Jesus you are not needed at all . . . but you are wanted beyond your wildest imagination.  And therein lies the key to finishing well.  Remember the place you hold in His heart, and let that thought propel you into your promised future . . . one where you will be the cherished bride of the King of kings and Lord of lords, forever and ever . . . AMEN. 

This is the Gospel.  This is grace for your race.  HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Take a moment to reflect on this past year and really marinate in all that God has been doing in your life.  To be sure, He has given you many victories in 2010.  It is always good to take some time to reflect on these; even better, write them down and file them away so you can keep a record of all the blessings God has brought into your life.  “Count your many blessings, name them one by one,” is the lovely refrain, “and it will surprise you what the Lord hath done.”  We have been doing this as a family for years, and it has proven to be a source of great encouragement to us to review them periodically and to be reminded of just how faithful our God has been to us. 

Today, however, I am going to ask you to do something that you’ve probably never been challenged to do: take some time to review all of the difficulties you’ve faced throughout the past year.  By nature, we have a tendency to look only at our victories and block out “the bad stuff.”  Yet every good coach will tell you they learned more from their defeats than they ever did from their victories.  So take a moment to reflect on the difficulties, disappointments, and defeats you faced in 2010.  There is much that God teaches us in our times of struggle and suffering.  Of all the lessons we should learn, at the top of the list is this one:

Difficulties Deepen Dependence!

The difficulties we face in life are divinely ordained to deepen our dependence upon God.  They are designed to drive us back to the cross, where we find the strength to press on.  As Peter reassures us, “For a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 1:6-7).  When we get to the other side of our difficulties, we know that it was the grace of God that carried us through.

This understanding puts us in the place of Paul, who said, “I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me” (1 Corinthians 15:10).  Paul did his part by working through every difficult situation, yet he knew he got through only by the grace of God.  He knew this because he knew just how broken, sinful, and flawed he was . . . and how desperately he needed Jesus.   

It is only the power of the Gospel that gets us through the difficulties of life.  It is only the power of the Gospel that encourages us to run to Jesus when we are in deep need.  It is only the power of the Gospel that empowers us to quit depending upon ourselves and place our dependence where it should be—on Christ.  The key to difficulties deepening our dependence upon God is to rest in the truth that we are never alone in our difficulties.  Your colleagues, neighbors, friends, and even family may abandon you, but Jesus will not.

“Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the LORD your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.”

(Deuteronomy 31:6)

“The LORD will not forsake his people; he will not abandon his heritage.”

(Psalm 94:14)

“Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”  (Hebrews 13:5)

Difficulties deepen our dependence when we remember that in every difficulty Jesus is right there with us ready, willing, and able to give to us everything we need to get through it. 

This is the Gospel.  This is grace for your race.  NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN! 

Is it possible for right to be wrong? 

Everyone wants to be right.  We want to be in the right relationship.  We want to be in the right job.  We want to be in the right church.  We want to be in the right position of service.  So what’s wrong with right?  Probably no better picture is portrayed for us about right being wrong than the picture of the Pharisees in the days of Jesus.  They did everything right . . . and yet got it all wrong.  Let’s take a look at some of the things they did right.

They prayed (Matthew 6:5)

They went to the synagogue (Luke 18:10)

They gave a tithe of everything they possessed (Luke 11:42)

They fasted (Luke 18:12)

Judging from the externals, the Pharisees seemed to be doing it all right.  They were models of obedience, discipline, and holy zeal for the things of God.  So what was so wrong with all of their right?  Everything they did was done for the wrong reasons.  Here is just a portion of the seven woes to the Pharisees delivered from the lips of our Lord.

Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others. You blind guides, straining out a gnat and swallowing a camel!

Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. You blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and the plate, that the outside also may be clean.

Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people’s bones and all uncleanness. So you also outwardly appear righteous to others, but within you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.  (Matthew 23:23-28)

 What was true of the Pharisees in the days of Jesus is true for us today.  Doing the right things for all the wrong reasons is not what God wants!  God does not want our obedience for the sake of our obedience; He wants hearts from which loving obedience flows as a response to God for all that He has done for us. 

The Pharisees were obedient for all the wrong reasons.  They sought the approval of God and the applause of man.  Their form of obedience is called legalism; sadly, legalism is alive and well in the church today.  It is rooted in a misunderstanding of the Gospel that tries to earn God’s favor and receive His blessings through a slavish obedience.  No matter how faithful we are in keeping the law of God, when our heart is not right, we are all wrong. 

It is only the power of the Gospel that frees us from pursuing the approval of God and the applause of man, because the Gospel teaches us that we already have everything we need in Christ.  As my pastor Tullian posted just today on his blog, Jesus + Nothing = Everything!

What the Pharisees did was not wrong.  It was right to pray, go to the synagogue, tithe, and fast.  It was wrong to do it because they expected to earn a reward.  When we are convinced that we already have all that we need in Jesus, then we are freed to serve and worship our God with hearts that are overflowing with love and devotion, not legalism and duty.  God never wants our hands without our hearts; when we give Him our hearts with our hands, we are right even . . . when we go wrong.

This is the Gospel.  This is grace for your race.  NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!

Pastor Tullian has given me the privilege of filling the pulpit for him this Sunday.  The title of the sermon is “The Gift That Keeps On Giving!”  The text under consideration for this message is Isaiah 9:6, “For unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given . . . ”

It’s not uncommon during the mad rush of Christmas shopping to hear sellers proclaim that their product is “the gift that keeps on giving.”  Here are a few of the more common promoters of a “gift that keeps on giving.”

Jewelry stores

Health clubs

Book stores

Triple AAA Auto Club membership

Newspaper and magazine subscriptions

The list could be much longer!  In reality, however, there is only one Gift that keeps on giving—and His name is Jesus Christ.  You see, the Bible tells us that Jesus not only freely offers Himself to us as the gift of eternal life; He also gives Himself to us as the gift of everyday life.  This is the Gospel as it was given to us by God the Father, through God the Son, by the power of God the Holy Spirit.

Sadly, many in the church only see this Gospel as a one-time gift which graciously bequeathed us with eternal life.  They miss the power of the Gospel to keep on giving throughout life, moment by moment.  They believe they are saved by grace, but they also believe they are kept in God’s grace by their own good works.  If such people were completely candid, they might say that Jesus made the down payment on eternal life, but it’s up to us to make the installment payments!  Like Job’s friends, those “miserable comforters” who came to him in his time of grief and trial, they think that their good days merit God’s blessings and their bad days call down His curses.  This false “gospel” smells like smoke and comes from the pit of hell.

The same grace that saves is the grace that sanctifies us throughout this life.  God does not save us and then expect us to live the Christian life in our own strength.  He continually pours out His grace into our lives day by day.  The Gospel is the only gift that truly keeps on giving, because it never breaks down, expires, or wears out.  And God’s Gospel promises are never revoked, for “The gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable” (Romans 11:29). The Gospel keeps on giving us the grace we need to live the life God has called us to live. 

Grace grows us up into Christ.  Grace gives us strength to weather the storms of life.  Grace frees us from a broken past.  Grace empowers us to forgive.  Grace encourages us to rise and get back into the game every time we fall.  And grace grants that we will spend all eternity in the presence of our loving Savior.  It is all of grace, and it is a gift from beginning to end; Jesus Christ, the author and finisher of our faith,  is the one who began a good work in us and will certainly complete it (Hebrews 12:2; Philippians 1:6).

What Jesus starts He finishes . . . and that includes you!  That is why we must preach the Gospel to ourselves each day.  We need to keep before us this gift that keeps on giving for the courage, strength, and motivation to keep pressing on toward the prize . . . even when we would rather not.

That indescribable gift was announced to a group of shepherds just over two thousand years ago: “Behold, I bring you good news of a great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.”

This is the Gospel.  This is grace for your race.  NEVER FORGET THAT . . . MERRY CHRISTMAS!

What’s in a name? 

When the Bible was written, names conveyed a great deal more meaning than they do today.  The Israelites often chose names for their babies based on a variety of different factors, such as the character or appearance of the child—such as Esau (hairy).  Some names were chosen based on a prayer of the parent—such as Zechariah (God has remembered).  Other names were given which identified objects in creation—such as Tamar (palm tree) and Tabitha (gazelle).  Still other names were given to identify the time of day they were born—such as Shaharaim (dawn) and Hodesh (new moon).

Jesus was named prophetically: “You are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins” (Matthew 1:20-23).  Throughout the Scriptures we find hundreds of appellations for Him that serve as divine descriptions of both His character and His calling.  Here are just a few.

Alpha and Omega (Revelation 1:8)

Bread of Life (John 6:35)

Bridegroom (Matthew 9:15)

Chief Cornerstone (Ephesians 2:20)

Firstborn over all creation (Colossians 1:15)

God (John 20:28)

Good Shepherd (John 10:14)

Great High Priest (Hebrews 4:14)

Holy One (Acts 3:14)

Lamb of God (John 1:29)

Lord of lords (Revelations 19:16)

Messiah (John 4:25-26)

Mighty God (Isaiah 9:6)

Our Redemption (1 Corinthians 1:30)

Resurrection and Life (John 11:25)

Righteous One (Acts 7:52)

Rock (1 Corinthians 10:4)

Savior (Ephesians 5:23)

True Vine (John 15:1)

Way (John 14:6)

Word (John 1:1)

These are just a few of the names and titles that tell us much about our Savior and King.  Yet there is one other that I would like to sharpen our focus on today: EMMANUEL—God with us!  As a pastor, I find that this time of the year is quite difficult for a great many people, for a variety of reasons.  A loss of a loved one is especially painful at this time of the year.  Fifteen years ago I received a phone call on Christmas Day that told me my father had just died.  For many people the Christmas season brings back childhood memories of a far better past than their bitter present, which is now marked by disappointment, disillusionment, and defeat.

I don’t know where this finds you.  I don’t know the pain of your past, yet I know there is pain for every one of us, because we are all broken people living in a broken world with other broken people.

I pray this word today will provide great comfort for you as we approach Christmas Day.  Emmanuel is with you and has been with you from before the foundation of the world.  He is with you in your pain and your pleasure.  He is with you in your failure and your victory.  He is with you in your sickness and your health.  The Holy One, the King of kings and lord of lords, is with you now and will be forever.  “For he has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you’” (Hebrews 13:5).

Use your eyes of faith to go back down to Bethlehem; join the company of weary, wandering shepherds and see this little baby wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.  Marvel at this God-man, who would enter a sin-stained world that would one day crucify Him . . . who came on a rescue mission for you!  You are so precious to Him that He gave His all for you.  In fact, you are the object of His greatest desire!

May this truth fill your heart this Christmas season, and may it encourage and empower you to press on into the perfect plan and purpose Emmanuel has for you.  He is with you now, and one day you will be with Him forevermore. 

This is the Gospel.  This is grace for your race.  NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!

What is your first priority in life?  Is it your family?  Your profession?  Your reputation in the eyes of others?  Your hobby?  The answer to this question can be found in the confession of your life.  Remember the old saying: “What you do speaks so loudly, I can’t hear what you say!”

The Apostle Paul wrote an epistle intended to build up the church in Colosse, which was mired in heresy, empty religious ritual, ungodly asceticism, and false mysticism.  In the third chapter and eleventh verse of that inspired letter, Paul provides the answer to every question . . . the solution to every problem . . . and the strength to overcome every obstacle in both life and death: “Christ is all, and in all.”

Is Christ your all?  If Jesus Christ is your all, He is to be in your all—all that you think, all that you do, all that you say, and all that you desire.  Paul sets forth his reasoning behind why Christ is all. 

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.  For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him.  And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.  And he is the head of the body, the church.  He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent.  (Colossians 1:15-18)

Paul provides seven proofs to the preeminence of the Lord Jesus Christ and why He is to be our first priority.

1. Jesus is the image of the invisible God.

2. Jesus is the firstborn of all creation.

3. All things were created through Him and for Him.

4. Jesus is before all things.

5. Jesus holds all things together.

6. Jesus is the head of the church.

7. Jesus is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead.

In a word, Jesus Christ is ALL!  When Jesus raised you from death to life, He desired to sit upon the throne of your life—all of your life!  Notice I said “desired,” not “demanded.”  He will not demand your obedience or your love.  To be sure, He has every right to demand all things from everyone, but He loves us far too much to do that.  He does not desire morally restrained hearts that beat out of a sense of duty and obligation.  He desires hearts that have been transformed by the truths of the Gospel, hearts that beat out of a sense of devotion and love. 

When we understand what Jesus has done for us by His life, death, and resurrection, it changes the “why” behind everything we do.  Love becomes the motive and motivation in all we think, do, and say.  This is the point of preaching the Gospel to ourselves every day.  The more we hold the preeminence of Jesus before the eyes of our faith, the more we will be transformed—in thought, word, deed, and desire—by the power of the Gospel.

This is the Gospel.  This is grace for your race.  NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN! 

It’s hard to imagine that majestic oak trees start out as tiny acorns.  Master storyteller Max Lucado teaches that each one of us was created for a special purpose in his book, The Oak Inside the Acorn, a heartwarming parable that inspires, motivates, and encourages children of all ages to be the absolute best they can be for God by living for His glory. 

In the story Little Acorn sees himself as small, insignificant, and unsure of his purpose in life.  Even after he grows into Big Oak, he still wonders what he is here to do.  He tries to produce flowers like his friend Pink Petunia and to grow oranges like his friends the orange trees, but to no avail.  Little Acorn finally discovers that his mighty branches were created for a very special purpose in God’s kingdom.

The same is true for you.  Regardless of where this finds you right now, you have been created by God for God.  And God doesn’t make any junk; you have been “fearfully and wonderfully made” to be used by God to accomplish His purposes in this world.

So . . . what kind of tree has God made you to be?  What talents, abilities, and gifts have you been given that God is calling you to put into faithful service in His kingdom? 

Perhaps your critics have convinced you that you really don’t have much to offer or that your goals and dreams are beyond your reach.  This was the beginning of Joseph’s story. 

They said to one another, “Here comes this dreamer.  Come now, let us kill him and throw him into one of the pits.  Then we will say that a fierce animal has devoured him, and we will see what will become of his dreams.”

(Genesis 37:19-20)

You remember the rest of the story don’t you?  When God gives you a dream . . . a goal . . . a burning desire to be more than you are . . . to be a big Christian . . . you can be assured that He will give you everything you need to get it done.  Sure, you can expect a few detours.  You will encounter obstacles.  Some waves of challenge will wash over you.  But you can be assured that when you are pursuing what God wants for your life, nothing can stand in the way.  Not even angry brothers with intent to kill!

Perhaps you have been listening to a fearful inner voice.  It’s true, nobody wants to fail, but living a life of safety is no way for a child of the Most High God to live!  Such a life is marked by growing into only a fraction of the person God is calling you to be.  Theodore Roosevelt gave a speech 100 years ago that has inspired generations of Americans:

It is not the critic who counts: not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes up short again and again, because there is no effort without error or shortcoming, but who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself for a worthy cause; who, at the best, knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who knew neither victory nor defeat.

Some people spend a lifetime dreaming dreams but never wake up.  They go to their graves with their music still inside of them.  I cannot imagine anything worse than to reach the end of one’s life, knowing it was spent on the sidelines watching instead of out on the field playing. 

Big oaks grow from little acorns.  God is calling you to grow up into Christ and make an eternal difference in this world, and that starts by growing right where you are currently planted.

This is the Gospel.  This is grace for your race.  NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!   

Ever have a well-intentioned friend or family member say “I know how you feel” as you were going through a season of struggle?  For the most part those words provide little comfort; we appreciate their attempt to encourage, but reap very little benefit from it.  As a pastor, even when I feel like I know a little of what someone is going through, I am careful not to use that phrase—because I truly don’t know.  But there is One who does know what you are going through, regardless of what it is you are experiencing, and His name is Jesus Christ.

We do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.  (Hebrews 4:15)

Jesus went through everything we are going through . . . and so much more!  He felt the weight and pain of sin, yet He was sinless.  He endured God’s wrath, something we will never have to endure.  He was separated from His Father as He hung on the cross, something we never have to experience.  Regardless of what you are going through, you have Someone who can truly sympathize with you and will intercede on your behalf.

• Betrayed by a friend . . . so was Jesus
• Abandoned by family . . . so was Jesus
• Alone and disregarded . . . so was Jesus
• Slandered and gossiped about . . . so was Jesus
• Despised and hated . . . so was Jesus
• Unwelcomed and unwanted . . . so was Jesus
• Tempted and tested . . . so was Jesus
• Mocked and laughed at . . . so was Jesus

There is absolutely nothing you can experience that He has not experienced on your behalf.  What a source of great comfort to know that our Lord and Savior knows exactly how we feel, because He willingly went through it Himself.  

So . . . what are you going through today?  What winds of change are blowing your way?  What season of struggle are you in the midst of?  If you pause long enough and be still before God you can hear Him whisper, “I know how you feel”—and that will make all the difference in the world!  It will provide needed wind in your sails, strength in your steps, and hope for your heart. 

Oh, the next time you come across someone in the midst of a season of struggle, don’t tell them you know how they feel.  Tell them Jesus knows.  

This is the Gospel.  This is grace for your race.  NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!

You’re probably familiar with the famous axiom given to us from the technology field: GIGO—Garbage In, Garbage Out.  It was devised to call attention to the fact that computers will unquestioningly process the most nonsensical of input (garbage in), thereby producing worthless output (garbage out).  What you put in, you will inevitably get out.

What is true for computers holds true for people as well, which is why Scripture reminds us to think good thoughts.

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about such things.(Philippians 4:8)

God’s Word makes it clear that what we put into our minds shapes our lives.  If we put garbage in, we can expect to get garbage out.  We are shaped by what we watch on television and in the movies.  We are shaped by what we view on the Internet.  We are shaped by the music we listen to.  We are shaped by the people we habitually associate and converse with.  We are shaped by what we read . . . and what we don’t read.  The law of exposure says whatever we are repeatedly exposed to will ultimately shape us.  That is why Paul tells us to think about “such things” that will glorify God and benefit others, including ourselves.   

So . . . where in your life has the law of exposure been affecting you lately—for good and for bad?  Are there any changes you need to make regarding “Garbage In, Garbage Out?”

“Let us test and examine our ways,” Jeremiah urged, “and return to the Lord!” (Lamentations 3:40.) Prayerfully consider what you have been consistently ingesting lately.  Are you taking in any garbage?  Without making time to inventory what you have been exposing yourself to lately, it’s easy to miss the negative influences that so easily creep in. 

Rarely will negative influences knock you right off course.  That would be easy to detect and appropriately respond to.  Instead, the negative influences in life gently nudge you off course, one small step at a time, one step here . . . another step there . . . and before you know it you find yourself in a place you never intended to be and not even fully understand how you got there!

I often tell the students that sin will take you further than you ever wanted to go and keep you there longer than you ever wanted to stay.  That is why we must be intentional about what we put into our minds on a daily basis.

So here is a new GIGO mantra for you to keep with you wherever you go: GOSPEL IN, GOSPEL OUT.  Keep preaching the gospel to yourself everyday and watch what God does with your life for His glory and the good of others—including your good! 

This is the Gospel.  This is grace for your race.  NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!