The Second Commandment

Copyright June 9, 2015 by Chris Mullis
Exodus 20:4-6

Introduction

            Obviously, people struggle to remember the Ten Commandments.  Even Christians—who value and seek to follow the Ten Commandments—struggle to remember them.  That’s a shame, because the Ten Commandments are a fundamental element of our faith.

Exodus 31:18 says the Ten Commandments were written “by the finger of God.”  This is the only example of scripture in the Bible being written directly by God.  There are 613 laws written in the Old Testament, but The Ten Commandments represent the essence of them all.  They must be important, because Jesus often quoted them in the New Testament.  Not only do the Ten Commandments show us how to live a godly life, they also show us how desperately we need God’s grace and forgiveness because we fail to keep the commandments so often—even when we try hard to be good.

We will study the Ten Commandments all summer longer—looking at one commandment each Sunday.  As we go through the list, I challenge you to commit the Commandments to memory and to come each Sunday to learn how they apply to your life.  Today we will look at the Second Commandment.  But before we do, take a moment to read all 10 together. The following list is my paraphrase of the 10 commandments from Exodus20:1-18. 

The 10 Commandments

1.     Do not worship any god except the Lord.
2.     Do not make idols of any kind.
3.     Do not misuse the name of the Lord.
4.     Remember to observe the Sabbath day and keep it holy.
5.     Honor your father and mother.
6.     Do not murder.
7.     Do not commit adultery.
8.     Do not steal.
9.     Do not testify falsely against you neighbor.
10.  Do not covet.

Here's a cool (cough, cough) video that might help you remember them. 

Ten Commandments Rap Video (click here)

 

Exodus 20:4-6

⁴ “You must not make for yourself an idol of any kind or an image of anything in the heavens or on the earth or in the sea. ⁵ You must not bow down to them or worship them, for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God who will not tolerate your affection for any other gods. I lay the sins of the parents upon their children; the entire family is affected—even children in the third and fourth generations of those who reject me. ⁶ But I lavish unfailing love for a thousand generations on those who love me and obey my commands.

            The second half of verse 5 is very troubling.  People often ask me about the statement, “I lay the sins of the parents upon their children… [to] the third and fourth generation…”  That is a very troubling statement and I promise I will address it.  However, before we get to that, let’s look at the second commandment itself.  I promise I will come back to verse 5 in a few minutes.

Idols

            The second commandment says, “Do not make for yourself an idol of any kind…”  You might think that is an easy commandment to keep in our time.  Modern Americans are not is the habit of casting golden statues to worship the like people in Old Testament times.  However, we may struggle with this second commandment more than any other.

            We engage in idol worship anytime we put something or someone (even ourselves) before God.  It is the very definition of Sin—letting something else besides God be the first priority in your life.  This is not what God created us for.  God created us in His image to worship Him as the center of our lives.

Pastor Timothy Keller wrote an excellent book on the subject of Idolatry called Counterfeit Gods.  I highly recommend it.  In his book, Keller writes, “…the human heart takes good things like a successful career, love, material possessions, even family, and turns them into ultimate things. Our hearts deify them as the center of our lives, because, we think, they can give us significance and security, safety and fulfillment, if we attain them.”[i]

Our sin-infected hearts tend to take the good things God gives us and turn them into ultimate things.  We give them power they do not have.  We can make an idol out of anything when we trust it to give us what only God can give. 

“What is an idol? It is anything more important to you than God, anything that absorbs your heart and imagination more than God, anything you seek to give you what only God can give.  A counterfeit god is anything so central and essential to your life that, should you lose it, your life would feel hardly worth living. An idol has such a controlling position in your heart that you can spend most of your passion and energy, your emotional and financial resources, on it without a second thought. It can be family and children, or career and making money, or achievement and critical acclaim, or saving “face” and social standing. It can be a romantic relationship, peer approval, competence and skill, secure and comfortable circumstances, your beauty or your brains, a great political or social cause, your morality and virtue, or even success in the Christian ministry…  An idol is whatever you look at and say, in your heart of hearts, “If I have that, then I’ll feel my life has meaning, then I’ll know I have value, then I’ll feel significant and secure.””[ii]

Some idols we worship today are:

·       Money.  Many people will agree that money can be an idol.  We understand that greed can be a powerful and negative influence that destroys lives and break the hearts of its worshipers. 

·       Children.  I have known parents who make idols out of their children.  All good parents want the best for their children, but some parents go too far by spoiling their children rotten or by overprotecting them or by pushing them relentlessly to succeed. 

·       Success.  Some professional athletes take performance enhancing drugs because they have to be the absolute best.  They are already phenomenal athletes, but that’s not enough for them.  They will risk their bodies and the reputations for their “idol.”  It’s not just athletes.  The same idol of success is found in the workplace, in churches, and even in families.  Anytime you have put succeeding before God, you have made success and idol.

·       Love.  Some people stake all their hopes and dreams in love.  If they could just find that special guy or gal, their problems would be solved.  If they could just find someone who really cares, they would be fine.  Yet even love becomes and idol when we expect it to fulfill us the way only God can.

Again, we make an idol out of anything we trust to give us what only God can give.  Idol worship is a severe problem in America.  And it is just as abominable to God today as it ever was.

          Idolatry is such an affront to God because it fundamentally goes against the very core of who God is, who we are, and our whole purpose for being.  When we make an idol, we attempt to change the whole order of creation.  We try to make God the way we want Him to be.  We make Him in our image instead of recognizing we are made in His image.  We switch the roles of our relationship around until we pretend to be the creator while demoting the God of the universe to our underling.  It is a reversal that is an outrage to all of creation, and an abomination to God.
            Idols always disappoint us.  They do not have the power to fulfill our hopes and dreams.  They turn to dust in our hands.  The leave us empty, broken, frustrated, and discontent.  And so God commands us, “Do not make idols of any kind.” 

A Troubling Statement

            I promised I would come back to the troubling statement in the second half of verse 5.  Let’s read it again.  “…I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God who will not tolerate your affection for any other gods. I lay the sins of the parents upon their children; the entire family is affected—even children in the third and fourth generations of those who reject me.”

            This is troubling, because we don’t like to think of God being jealous.  That emotion seems too unappealing to belong to a righteous God.  Furthermore, doesn’t it seem rather unfair for God to lay the sins of parents upon their children—even to the third and fourth generation?  Do you feel you should be held responsible for sins of idolatry your great, great grandparents committed?  Such emotions and behaviors do not seem fitting for the Christian God.  We would much rather think of our God as treating each person individually and being unbegrudging rather than jealous.

            Wait a minute.  Wait a minute.  What are we doing when we think like this?  Are we not wanting to re-make God into the image of what we want God to be like?  What do we call that?  Isn’t that idolatry?  We are trying to make God the way we want Him to be.  What gives us the right to do that?  We are the creatures and God is the Creator.  But we want to switch things around.  We want to create a perfect god according to our concept of what is perfect.

            God is who He is.  We do not get to re-configure Him to be the way we want Him to be.  Even if the best we can do in this instance is say “We don’t understand this verse or we are confused by it,” let us not try and manipulate the character of God and make it what we want it to be.  That is idolatry.

            I think I can say something helpful about God’s jealousy and generational punishment.  First of all, God’s jealousy is not like human jealousy, which is so often misplaced and corrupt.  God’s jealousy flows out of righteousness.  He made us.  He has every right to demand our faithfulness.  He shouldn’t even have to demand it.  Our love and honor and admiration for God ought to be the most naturally flowing characteristic of our lives—it is what we were design by God to do.  And yet, we trade in our affection for God for almost anything else—things that are not gods at all, only figments of our imagination (idols that have no power, no life, nothing at all to offer).  It is no wonder at all that God should be jealous, that He should be angry.  On the contrary, it is amazing to me that God has not obliterated humanity from the face of creation because we have turned our backs on Him so many times. 

            And the truth is, the sins we commit have dire consequences—not just for us but for many others as well.  Like a stone tossed upon the waters of a still lake, our sin sends out ripples that spread out to affect many others.  Those ripples even span across generations—to the third and fourth (or even more) generations.  If you ever find yourself thinking, “My sin does not affect anyone else,” think again.  Even if you do not see it, your sin has contributed to the pain, suffering and evil of the world, and it might even affect your children and grandchildren and great grandchildren.  In this way, I understand that it is not unusual at all that Exodus 20:5 says, “I lay the sins of the parents upon their children…”  I will tell you what is truly amazing though—verse 6.

            Verse 6 says, “I lavish unfailing love for a thousand generations on those who love me and obey my commands.”  This is statement is fulfilled in Jesus Christ.  For even though we have all broken the second commandment in one way or another at some point in our life, even though we are worthy only of God’s jealous wrath, instead we receive grace and forgiveness through Jesus Christ.

John 3:16 – “For God so loved the world that he sent his one and only son so that whoever believes in him will not perish but have everlasting life.”

Romans 6:23 – “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

Romans 10:13 – “All who call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

Ephesians 2: 9-10 – “Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. ¹⁰ For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.” 

Conclusion

            The Ten Commandments show us how sinful we are and how desperate we are for a savior.  The Good News is, Jesus can save you!  Forgiveness, mercy, and grace are available to you through Jesus Christ.  If you recognize your need, call out to Jesus today.  Pray to him and beg for forgiveness.  Surrender your life to him and ask him to lead from this day forward.  Commit to follow Him and you shall be saved.  Then when God looks at your heart on judgment day, he will not see your sin.  He will see Jesus living in you and you will be redeemed.

 

---

[i] Timothy Kelly – Counterfeit Gods page xiv

[ii] Ibid. – page xviii

The First Commandment

Copyright June 1, 2015 by Chris Mullis
Exodus 20:1-18

Introduction

Let's play a game.  Let’s see if you can finish these famous commercial jingles! 

 

      

 

Ok.  Try this one without the music:  “Two All Beef Patties, Special Sauce, Lettuce, Cheese…”

 

            How'd you do?  I bet you did pretty good.  At least 90% of my church congregation knew them all!  I guess those jingle writers did there job well and made some memorable commercials.  Now, let’s try something a little different.  How many of the Ten Commandments can you name?  Too hard?  How about this then:  What is the first commandment?

I'm guessing you didn't do as well remembering the Ten Commandments.  Perhaps we need to refresh our memories.  My message series this summer will be about the Ten Commandments and how they apply to our lives.  I would like to challenge you to memorize the Ten Commandments this summer and to come hear the message each Sunday.  We will take one commandment each week.  Today, we will look at the first commandment.  But before we do, let’s list all Ten Commandments.

1.     Do not worship any god except the Lord.
2.     Do not make idols of any kind.
3.     Do not misuse the name of the Lord.
4.     Remember to observe the Sabbath day and keep it holy.
5.     Honor your father and mother.
6.     Do not murder.
7.     Do not commit adultery.
8.     Do not steal.
9.     Do not testify falsely against you neighbor.
10.  Do not covet.

Exodus 20:1-18

            This list is my paraphrase of the Ten Commandments from Exodus 20:1-18.  Let me read the full passage.

¹Then God gave the people all these instructions:

² “I am the Lord your God, who rescued you from the land of Egypt, the place of your slavery.

³ “You must not have any other god but me.

⁴ “You must not make for yourself an idol of any kind or an image of anything in the heavens or on the earth or in the sea. ⁵ You must not bow down to them or worship them, for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God who will not tolerate your affection for any other gods. I lay the sins of the parents upon their children; the entire family is affected—even children in the third and fourth generations of those who reject me. ⁶ But I lavish unfailing love for a thousand generations on those who love me and obey my commands.

⁷ “You must not misuse the name of the Lord your God. The Lord will not let you go unpunished if you misuse his name.

⁸ “Remember to observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. ⁹ You have six days each week for your ordinary work, ¹⁰ but the seventh day is a Sabbath day of rest dedicated to the Lord your God. On that day no one in your household may do any work. This includes you, your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, your livestock, and any foreigners living among you. ¹¹ For in six days the Lord made the heavens, the earth, the sea, and everything in them; but on the seventh day he rested. That is why the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and set it apart as holy.

¹² “Honor your father and mother. Then you will live a long, full life in the land the Lord your God is giving you.

¹³ “You must not murder.

¹⁴ “You must not commit adultery.

¹⁵ “You must not steal.

¹⁶ “You must not testify falsely against your neighbor.

¹⁷ “You must not covet your neighbor’s house. You must not covet your neighbor’s wife, male or female servant, ox or donkey, or anything else that belongs to your neighbor.”

¹⁸ When the people heard the thunder and the loud blast of the ram’s horn, and when they saw the flashes of lightning and the smoke billowing from the mountain, they stood at a distance, trembling with fear.

Explain the Passage

These Ten Commandments are listed in two places in the Bible—Exodus 20:1-18 and Deuteronomy 5:6-21.  They were given to the Israelites in the dessert after they were freed from slavery.  After 400 years of slavery, this brand new community was unaccustomed to living on their own.  Gone were the masters who formerly told them what to do every step of the way.  The Israelites needed someone to teach them how to live as a civilized, free people.  And so the Lord gave them His Law—rules for how to live as a community.  And these Ten Commandments were the essence of the law distilled down into 10 easy to remember principles that covered every area of life.  Exodus 31:18 says the Ten Commandments were written “by the finger of God” on stone tablets.  God gave the tablets to Moses and they were placed in the Ark of the Covenant (Exodus 25:21).  The original stone tablets were presumably lost along with the Ark of the Covenant a few hundred years later. 

The Purpose of the Ten Commandments

Obviously as we have stated, the commandments gave instruction to the Israelites fledgling community on how to live a moral life and thus avoid the consequences of sin.  They can serve the same purpose for us today.  However, the Ten Commandments serve another purpose.  They show us how sinful we are (Romans 5:20) and thus our desperate need for grace and deliverance. 

If we are honest, we will each admit that we have broken many (if not all ten) of the commandments at one time or another.  Have you ever stolen something?  Even something small like a pen?  You have broken the 8^th commandment.  Have you ever told a lie (even a little, white lie)?  You have broken the 9^th commandment.  Have you ever committed murder?  (Jesus said if you even hate someone in your heart, you have committed murder in your heart.)  If so, you have broken the 6^th commandment.  Have you ever misused God’s name (have you ever used God’s name in a trivial way)?  OMG!  You have broken the third commandment!

It doesn’t take long to see even the best among us are very sinful when we examine the 10 commandments in this way.  As Romans 3:23 says, “All fall short of God’s glorious standard” and are in desperate need of God’s saving grace.

So, with that being said, let’s examine the first of the Ten Commandments (or rather, let us allow God to examine us with the First Commandment). 

The First Commandment 

            Exodus 20:3 says, “You must not have any other god but me.”  In other words, “Do not worship any god but the Lord.”  It is notable that the command doesn’t speak to the issue of whether or not other gods exist.  It simply states, “You should have no other god but me.”  Whether or not there are other gods is beside the point.  (We will see in a moment that we often turn things into gods.  Whether or not these things are really gods is irrelevant.  They sometimes become real to us.  And the Lord warns us not to have any other gods in our life.)

            The people of the tribes and nations who lived around the Israelites worshipped many different gods.  Undoubtedly, the Israelites had seen this and would be tempted frequently to worship the gods of other nations.  But God says, “I am the one who brought you out of slavery in Egypt.  I am the one you should worship.  You should not worship any other god.  I am your God.”

            In our time, we put other “gods” before the Lord all the time.  Anytime we choose our desires instead of God’s will, anytime we put our hopes in the things of this world, anytime we seek fulfillment from people, places, or things that we can only find in a relationship with God, anytime we give honor and praise that belongs only to God to someone or something else, anytime we place anything before God, we have violated the first commandment.  We may not call these things “gods,” but we make them our gods when we put them before the Lord.  And these little gods will always let us down and leave us empty and broken.  They cannot deliver us the way the Lord has.

            Exodus 20:2 says, “I am the Lord your God, who rescued you out of the land of Egypt, the place of your slavery.”  Egypt is a figurative place for us.  We weren’t slaves in Egypt like the Israelites.  Nevertheless, each of us has been enslaved in some way.  Some are enslaved to depression.  Some are enslaved to pornography.  Some are enslaved to the scars of the past.  Some are enslaved to worries about the future.  Some are enslaved to what people will think about them.  Some are enslaved to your money, possessions, power, or influence.  Some are enslaved to their own pride, or guilt, or shame, or greed.  We are all enslaved by sin.

            Enslaved.  It means you have lost the power to choose.  When you are a slave, your master controls your life in every way.  Just as the Israelites were slaves in Egypt, you are or were a slave to whatever controlled you in this life—even if it was your own warped, inflated sense of self (which always falls short of the grander plans of God which are far greater than the individual self).

John 3:16 tells us, “God so loved the world that He gave His one, and only son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”  Through Jesus Christ, we can be delivered from slavery to whatever little gods control us.  If you trust in Jesus and follow him, you have been set free!  And the words God spoke to the Israelites all those millennia ago when he gave the Ten Commandments, now apply to you.  Exodus 20:2, “”I am the Lord your God, who rescued you out of the land of Egypt, the place of your slavery.”  And God gives you His first commandment:  “Do not worship any god but the Lord.” 

Conclusion

            If we are honest, we will certainly see that we are all guilty of putting things before the Lord from time to time.  As Romans 3:23 tells us, “All have sinned and fall short of God’s glorious standard.”  And Romans 6:23 tells us the consequences and also the wonderful Good News.  “The wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”  So though we have broken the First Commandment many times and deserve only God’s punishment, instead we receive grace because of Christ. 

 

            Each time I receive the sacrament of Holy Communion, it reminds me how much God loves me and how His grace cleanses my sin.  The bread represents how Jesus gave his own body to be punished for my sin.  The wine represents the blood he shed on the cross that washes away my sin.  He was innocent, yet he willingly gave himself to pay the price for my sins.  Therefore, all my sins are forgiven.  All yours can be too.  Won't you ask Him to forgive you and wash you clean today?
Here's a simple prayer you can use to help you do just that:

Jesus,
            Thank you for loving me enough to die for my sins.  I'm sorry that my sin broke God's heart and cost you so dearly.  Please forgive me.  I don't want to sin anymore.  Come into my life and lead me and I will do my best to follow.  Please save me and be my Lord.  Amen.

If you prayed this and asked Jesus to save you today,
I would like to hear from you. 
Please email me at ReverendChrisMullis@hotmail.com.


 

The Truth As Far As I Can Tell...

The Ten Commandments

            I hear a lot of Christians complain the Ten Commandments have been removed from the public sphere.  I often wonder if those same Christian even know the Ten Commandments.  I was talking to someone the other day and she could only name 4 or 5 of the Ten Commandments—even though she goes to church every week.  I suspect that is the true for many Christians.  What are the Ten Commandments?  I invite you to join me at Pleasant Grove UMC each Sunday this summer as we study the Ten Commandments and learn how they apply to us today.

Exodus 20:1-4, 7-8, 12-17

¹Then God instructed the people as follows:
²“I am the Lord your God, who rescued you from slavery in Egypt.
³“Do not worship any other gods besides me.
⁴“Do not make idols of any kind, whether in the shape of birds or animals or fish.
⁷“Do not misuse the name of the Lord your God. The Lord will not let you go unpunished if you misuse his name.
⁸“Remember to observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.
¹²“Honor your father and mother. Then you will live a long, full life in the land the Lord your God will give you.
¹³“Do not murder.
¹⁴“Do not commit adultery.
¹⁵“Do not steal.
¹⁶“Do not testify falsely against your neighbor.
¹⁷“Do not covet your neighbor’s house. Do not covet your neighbor’s wife, male or female servant, ox or donkey, or anything else your neighbor owns.”

God gave us rules like the Ten Commandments so we can get the most enjoyment out of life.  Nobody wants to have a tragic, unhappy life filled with sorrow and disappointment.  God doesn’t want us to have lives like that either, so He gave us rules to guide our feet away from the valley of sorrow and despair—rules that lead us toward happiness, joy, and contentment. 

            But the world has rules too.  And the ruler of the world—that fiend the Devil—tells us all kind of lies about what will make us happy.  On TV, he glorifies promiscuous sex outside of marriage; he shows people dancing around and drinking at wild parties; he shows men with expensive cars, cool clothes, and a girl on each arm.  And they all seem so happy.  But it’s a lie that Satan fabricates through fancy camera angles, special affects, paid actors and actresses, and lots and lots of money.  Those who have lived the wild lives the world promotes and escaped from them can tell you, it doesn’t lead to happiness; it only leads to sorrow.  It leads to broken families, broken dreams, and broken hearts. 

            So if you want to live “the good life,” follow God’s plan.  Perhaps you can start with the Ten Commandments.  Of course, I’m no expert and certainly don’t claim to know everything, but that’s the Truth as far as I can tell…

God loves you and so do I,
 

How I Lost 12 Pounds in 6 Days

I have been training in a martial art called Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu for a little over a year. It is excellent exercise and teaches the practical skill of self-defense.  Through the strenuous 90 minute classes two or three times a week, I have lost 15 pounds, increased my strength and endurance, and mental toughness.  The encouragement and accountability of my teammates at Veritas BJJ in Dalton, GA makes all the difference. They keep me going. I keep them going. We keep each other going.  This article is about how I took off an additional 12 pounds in 6 short days to prepare for my first BJJ competition.  To read about my fight, click here.

I am not a fan of fad diets--especially crash diets. My philosophy is eat healthy and in modetation and exercise hard. There aren't any magic pills or shortcuts.   Do the work and enjoy the results.  However, I found myself weighing 205 pounds one week before my first BJJ competition and I didn't like the weight brackets for my age group.  For a man my age (41), the weight division was set for 200 pounds and up.  What that means is any man older than 35 and over 200 pounds would be in my class.  So I could potentially be fighting guys who were 250, 300, 350 pounds, or even larger. I sometimes roll (or sparr or wrestle) with guys that big in my training class.  It's great training, but a serious and obvious disadvantage in a competition setting.  The next lower weight bracket for my age group was from 180 pounds to 199 pounds.  Man, that was so much more attractive to me.  Couldn't I just loose 5 more pounds and make that weight division?  Thanks to some encouragement from one of my training partners, Vince Caggiano, I decided to go for it.

I got online and researched several weight loss plans and decided on one an MMA (mixed martial arts) fighter named George Saint Pierre uses to cut 20-30 pounds in a week before his fight.  I didn't need to lose that much and didn't want to risk my health or deplete my energy, so I decided to modify the plan and make it milder.  Furthermore, I'm a pastor, a husband, and a father and I needed to be able to function normally in the real world.  My modified plan worked for me.  For the full plan and a discussion about how it works and how it affects body performance, click here.

My Plan
My goal was to loose 10 pounds in 6 days without damaging my health or depleting my energy. That was a few more pounds than I actually needed to drop, but the extra pounds would be a buffer in case the official scale was a few pounds off from mine.  I hoped the milder diet plan wouldn't sap my energy too much because I would only have a few hours to rest and rehydrate between weigh in and my first fight.

The idea is to drink a lot of water at the beginning of the week so your body starts flushing fluids.  Then, you start drinking less water toward the end of the week, but your body keeps flushing.  You also limit salt intake, which helps your body let go of more water.  Here were the goals I set for my one week plan.

Sunday
Water intake: 2 gallons
Carbs: less than 50 grams
Protein and Fat: enough to satisfy me in 3 meals
Salt: none

Monday
Water intake: 2 gallons
Carbs: less than 50 grams
Protein and Fat: enough to satisfy me in 3 meals
Salt: none

Tuesday
Water intake: 2 gallons
Carbs: less than 50 grams
Protein and Fat: enough to satisfy me in 3 meals
Salt: none

Wednesday
Water intake: 1 gallon
Carbs: less than 50 grams
Protein and Fat: enough to satisfy me in 3 meals
Salt: none
10-15 minute hot bath with 1 cup of Epsom salt before bed

Thursday
Water intake: 1 gallon
Carbs: less than 50 grams
Protein and Fat: enough to satisfy me in 3 meals
Salt: none
10-15 minute hot bath with 1 cup of Epsom salt before bed

Friday
Water intake: 0.5 gallon
Carbs: less than 50 grams
Protein and Fat: a full satisfying amount for breakfast and lunch and as little food as possible for the rest of the day
Salt: none
10-15 minute hot bath with 1 cup of Epsom salt before bed

Saturday
Before weigh in (8:30 AM) - As little food or water as possible
After weigh in - sip up to 1 liter gateraid or water per hour and eat a satisfying amount without filling up too much to competcomfortably at 1:30 AM.

Reality
It's good to have a plan and they look great on paper, but real life is messier (especially as a pastor).  Here’s what my week actually looked like.

Sunday
I wake up and realize we are having a covered dish luncheon after church today. It's gonna be tough to stick to my plan today.  After my morning shower, I weigh 205.0 pounds.  I fill up my Pleasant Grove UMC water bottle full of 20 onces of water.  I can use this to keep track.  I decided to skip breakfast to limit calories in case I indulge a little at lunch.  Also, I realize almost all my breakfast food is full of carbs.  For lunch, I have a fried chicken breast, green beans, pinto beans, and some broccoli.  I skip all the yummy looking cream corn, bread, and other carby sides.  I do get a small brownie (can't resist).  No sweet tea for me.  It's water only.   I know the fried chicken breading has carbs and there's salt in there too, but I'm not going to be militant about this diet.  I live in the real world.  Besides, this is half as much food as I would normally eat at one of these church feasts, which are both a perk and a curse (for the health) of a Methodist pastor.  The hardest part of the meal were the wondering eyes of my parishioners wondering why I was eating so little or why I didn't get a serving of their famous such and such, but my church folks are gracious people.  For dinner, I had a left over piece of chicken breast they let me take home.  At the end of the day, I came up short on the water.  Two gallons seems like a lot to drink.  I'll have to do better tomorrow.  Other than that, this isn't too hard.  It was interesting to me to note that I would lose 1 to 3 pounds each night while I slept.  I weigh my heaviest at night hefore.bed and lightest in the morning.

Monday
After my morning shower, I weigh 202.6 pounds.  I decide skipping breakfast is easy enough and will save me a few calories. That will be my plan for the week.  I get started right away on my water and have 30 onces down before I even get to work.  I'm gonna make the goal today.   I have lunch at the Engine Room with my mens Emmaus reunion group from church (spiritual accountability).  I have baked chicken, green beans, blacked eyed peas, and broccoli.  For dinner, I skip the lazagna my wife made for the family.  Instead, I cook a boneless chicken breast on a George Foreman grill sprinkled with curry, onion powder, and garlic powder.  No salt added, but it tastes salty so I'm thinking they added salt water to this chicken breast before they froze it.  There's no salt in the spices I added so far as I can tell.  I met my water goal today.  It wasn't that difficult.  I had to miss my BJJ class tonight so I could attend my son's awards ceremony at his school.  Real life here.

Tuesday
After my morning shower, I weigh 199.6 pounds.  (This is the first time I've been below 200 lbs in about 15 years!)  Same plan: No breakfast.  For lunch I have a grilled chicken house salad from Zaxby's. There's probably more salt in there than I'm supposed to have, but at least it's not a hamburger and salty french fries.  I have a funeral to lead today.  They are having a meal for the family afterwards.  The pastor is usually at the meal (perk and curse, remember).  I have a fried chicken wing, 2 deviled eggs, and some grean beans.  No dessert (that was the hardest part).  Folks, church dinners are the best dinners on earth.  Everyone brings their very best so you're eating the best of the best.  If you aren't going to church, do yourself a favor and start today.  Food evangelism.  It's a real thing.  After the funeral, I got called in to do some difficult pastoral counseling at the hospital.  It was a late night.  I stopped by the grocery store and bought a t-bone steak, some cauliflower, and broccoli for dinner.  I put onion powder and garlic powder on the steak and grilled it on the George Forman.  I steamed the broccoli and cauliflower--no salt on anything.  The steak is good, but bland.  The veggies are satisfying.  My appetite has shrunk considerably.  I am full and satisfied after the meal.  My unexpected pastoral care at the hospital required me to miss BJJ class again.  I'm glad to serve, but hated to miss the training time.  I hope this doesn't effect my weight loss or competition performance.

Wednesday
My weight after my morning shower is 198.4.  I skipped breakfast again.  I had yet another Zaxby's grilled chicken house salad for lunch.  I keep thinking of branching out, but I go right past there on the way to do hospital visits and I like them and they fill me up.  We have dinner at church on Wednesday nights and my training partner, Vince, is the cook.  The menu is buffalo wings, pigs in blankets, homemade french fries, celery, and carrots.  I have 5 wings, celery and carrots, and skip the fries and dessert (arrgggg!).  Latter that night, I have a leftover hamburger patty for a snack (no bread).  Drinking the water has been easy.  I easily make over 2 gallons.  I think it may be tough to only drink a gallon tomorrow.  Before bed, I take my first hot, Epsom salt bath.  I'm a little chilly tonight so I'm looking forward to it.  This is supposed to help my body shed extra water.  The water is hot!  I'm just barely able to submerge myself.  After 10 minutes, I'm done and my heart is pounding and I'm hot.  It takes a while to cool down enough to go to bed.  I'm half a pound lighter after the bath.

Thursday
Weight is 196.4.  No breakfast.  You guessed it, Zaxby's salad for lunch.  Home for dinner, I have a hamburger patty and left over steamed broccoli and cauliflower before a 90 minute, no-gi BJJ class (no-gi means we don't wear the traditional martial arts uniform, just shorts and a t-shirt). Today I'm only drinking half a gallon of water, which has been challenging.  My body wants more, especially after the BJJ class, but I am disciplined.  I have another hot bath before bed.  It is not fun.

Friday
Weight is 194.2.  This is my day off work, but I've got house and farm chores to catch up on.  Plus, I'm only supposed to drink 32 onces today.  That's gonna be tough.  I'm thirsty.  The MMA plan suggested the use of a natural diaretic, so I have an idea.  I'm gonna drink a cup of black coffee this morning.  (It's a mild, natural diaretic that encourages your body to shed water.)  I'm not a big fan of coffee (especially black), but that was the best cup of coffee!  It's probably because I was thirsty and it was the first non-water liquid I'd had all week.  I'm still urinating even though I'm thirsty.  I have a late breakfast with my wife of scrambled eggs with onions and cream cheese (no salt).  For the remainder of the day, I will consume only 4 onces of unsalted peanuts.  The limited food is not too hard.  What I really want is to just guzzle water, but I'm only sipping.  I dred my hot bath tonight, but I do it.  I feel weak and dizzy afterwards.  I don't think these hot baths are good for my health.  I think I will omit them if I ever use this diet agian.  I end the night with a cup of iced, black coffee.  It helps cool me off.

Saturday
I take a warm shower and then weigh 192.2.  I am thirsty.  I can't wait for weigh in so I can drink and eat.  Between the time I wake at 6 AM and weigh in at 9:45 AM I will sip through about 12 onces of water and eat a small, 100 calorie granola bar.  I feel a little weak, jittery, and uneasy, but the limited food and water eases me.  At this point, I'm worried if this is going to adversely affect my competition.  After a 2 hour drive, I weigh in at 194.6 pounds wearing a pair of shorts, t-shirt, and flip flops.   Boom! I count it a success! Now, time to drink and eat. I open a 32 once bottle of gateraid.  I need to be careful not to guzzle.  I pace myself as I eat the best peanut butter sandwich of my life, a few salty snacks, and an apple.

Within an hour of my weigh in, I need to pee.  I will go to the bathroom 4 times before my match.  That's a good sign.  It tells me, I am rehydrating.  I feel settled again.  The mild nausea and wooziness from earlier are gone.  I'm a little jittery, but I think it's just pre-competition nerves.  I feel good and strong and in shape to fight.  To read the details of my match, click here.

Conclusion
My six day diet was a success.  It got me into the weight division I wanted without stifling my performance or hurting my health.  Also, it helped me overcome a weight loss plateau I was stuck at For a long time.  I've been wanting to get back below 200.  I am on a week of vacation right now and I don't have a scale.  I suspect I will gain back a significant portion of the weight, if not all of it.  We will see.  I continue to drink a lot of water and eat a little better--more meat and less carbs.  Plus, I am jogging this week to keep burning calories And get ready for an upcoming 5K race.   I will update you in a week to see where my weight is after vacation.  At any rate, I count this as a success because it accomished all my goals for the BJJ competition and I won 1st place in my weight/age/rank division.   To read about my fight, click here.

UPDATE!
As I said in the beginning, I'm not a fan of fad diets.  If you want to lose weight and keep it off, eat right and exercise hard.  There are no short cuts.  I suspected I would put back on most if not all of the weight I lost.  I was right.  After a week of vacation, I weighed in this morning at 201.2 pounds.  I got plenty of exercise during my vacation--jogging 3 miles twice and rising countless miles on a bike.  Also, I didn't eat too badly.  Yet, I still gained 8 lbs.  I am still happy.  I am close to the 200 mark and with a little mindfulness about what I eat and continued hard exercise and BJJ 3 times a week, I may be able to drop and maintain below 200.  I hope so, because it's a good weight for me.

My First Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Fight

I started training Brazilian Jiu-jitsu in March of 2014.  This is the story of how I won my first BJJ fight at the Smokey Mountain Grappling Tournament in Alcoa, Tennessee on May 23, 2015.  I only had a few weeks to prepare for the competition and a week before the tournament, I decided to lose 10 pounds and fight in a lower weight division.  Click here to read about my weight loss experience, which was a victory in itself.

I weighed in at 194.6 pounds at 9:45 AM and began the process of hydrating and getting some energy in my body while I watched my team mates from Veritas BJJ of Dalton, GA compete.  I love these guys and gals.  They train very hard at jiu-jitsu and inspire me to do my best.  If you're in the Dalton area, I highly recommend you give them a try.

Here's some pictures of my team mates during the competition.  Here's Coach Jason Finnell coaching Caitlin Kelley "Cupcake" during her competition.  The next picture is the moment she won her division with a shoulder lock.  She won first place.  (Photos by Vince Caggiano.)

Here's Kevin Bruce winning his no-gi match by rear naked choke.

I have competed before in Tang Soo Do competitions and I always have jittery nerves before it's my turn.  It's the same way when I preach on Sundays.  Even though I've been doing it for almost 15 years, I still get a little nervous before the service starts.  I just try to control my breathing, relax, and stretch.  It's almost time.

Coach Jason pulled me aside to encourage me.  "Chris, I expect you to blow through your competition today.  Your good and you've been training hard.  You shouldn't have any problems.  Regardless of what happens,  I'm proud of you.  Just remember to relax, breath, and stay calm.  Don't rush things.  Take your time and wear you opponent down before you try any submissions.  Establish your dominant position and then hold it until your opponent stops fighting."

They call my name.  I'm the first one named from my division to fight.  I walk onto the mat to take my place in the ring.  I close my eyes and say a short prayer to center myself.  "Father, help me to do my best and keep me and my opponent from being injured.  Please be glorified by what we do here.  Amen."

My opponent stands across from me.  He doesn't look so mean.  He's a little smaller than me with salt and pepper hair and beard.  I'm glad I lost those 12 pounds so I could fight in this division.  We shake hands.  The referee signals for us to start.  My game plan is not to rush.  I'm going to take my time.  I will let my opponent try to take me down to the ground, but I will counter him.  I'm quick and have great reflexes and I'm usually successful at this.  We have just started to clench and fight for grips on each other's gis (uniforms) when the ref stops us and tells us to hold our position.  He explains the clock has malfunctioned.  I joke with my opponent that we already broke the clock.  The kidding blows off a little more steam and helps me relax.  In a moment, the ref tells us we can let go of each other and take a break while they fix the clock.

I step over to my coach, Jason, and listen to him remind me to stay calm and not rush.  "Make sure you don't concede your grips to him."  "Ok, coach.  Is it alright if I go ahead and try and take him down?"  "Sure.  Remember, snap him toward you.  Then when he pulls a way, push in.  You can just go back and forth like that until you get him off balance..."  Coach sits back down and I just pace slowly around to stay calm and loose.

The ref calls us back together and decides to restart us from neutral.  Only 20 seconds has run off the clock at this point.  We touch hands again.  "Go!"  Almost immediately, my opponent tries to take me to the ground.  It is sloppy and he hasn't done anything to break my balance or posture.  As I expected, I can easily counter him and follow him down almost immediately into side control.  This is one of the most dominant positions for me.  My body is on top of his and I'm perpendicular to him while he is flat on his back.  All my weight is pressing down on him.  He's burning way more energy than me just to breath and there's very little he can do, while I have a multitude of options to try and submit my opponent.

I remember coach Jason's advice earlier that morning, "Chris, don't rush. When you get on top, relax and take your time.  Hold the position and let your opponent wear out.  When he starts to settle down, then go for the submissions."  That's what I'm gonna do.  I press my shoulder into his face and drive all my weight down while trying to counter any movements he tries to free himself.

I hear coach call out from the corner, "Relax Chris!"  I relax my muscles and slow my breathing.  I don't want to burn myself out.  I'll leave that for my opponent.  He's tiring and slowing down.  I feel his frustration, because I've been in that position before.  He starts to settle down and I see him looking towards his corner for advice from his coach.  Time to make my move.

I will attack his left arm and try a shoulder lock.  He's fighting hard because he knows what I'm trying.  He's slipping his knee up under me, trying to hook my leg and pull me into half guard (still a dominant position for me, but an improvement for him).  I fight it off and press my weight back into him.  I go for the shoulder lock again, but he's defending well and trying to regain half guard.  I'm fighting it off, but now he's framing up (this means he is using his forearm and elbow to press into my chest and face to keep me from putting pressure on him).  He's fighting valiantly and creating space between us so he can maneuver.   Now I'm having trouble isolate his arm for a shoulder lock.  He finally slips his leg in and pulls me back into a half guard and I don't fight it off this time.  It's time to go for something I've been working on and has been working for me a lot--an Ezekiel Choke.

I settle into half guard on top of him as I slip my left arm around the back of his neck.  He is feeling relieved at having finally removed the pressure of my side control.  I'm hoping to capitalize on his false sense of security in this situation.  Secretly, I grab my right sleeve cuff with my left hand.  Then I slip my right hand in front of my opponent's throat.  Now I scissor my arms and apply pressure to his throat, but I'm not in good position and he rolls over while I'm trying to choke him and I end up on my back with him on top and I have him in guard.  The choke isn't placed right so I let go.

Now I'm on my back with him on top.  I have him in my guard with both my legs around his waste, so he can't apply pressure.  This is actually a more dominant position for me, though the lay person wouldn't know it.  I have a multitude of ways to attack him from here while he has very little.  However, I don't like fighting from this position.  I still have a lot to learn. My coach knows my fighting style and calls out, "You've gotta sweep him, Chris!"

I get my grips on my opponents lapel and attempt a scissor sweep to flip him over on his back to put me on top of him, but he counters and he doesn't go all the way over.  I hear my coach yell, "Back up to your feet, Chris!"

I scramble back up to my feet and we are standing again, gripping each other’s gis.  Almost immediately, he tries to pull me down into his guard.  Again, his technique is sloppy and he doesn't break my balance or control my posture.  I easily counter him as we go down and I pass his guard--this time to the opposite side.  I'm glad I've been practicing side control from both the left and right side.  As I press my shoulder down into his face, I think "See buddy.  I can do this either left or right handed."

I go for the shoulder lock again (Note to self, I really need more submissions in my tool bag.  I know what to work on.)  I get his arm isolated, but he's fighting hard again.  My coach is giving instructions on how to complete the submission, but the opposing coach is giving instructions on how to counter it.  After a few minutes of struggling, my opponent slips his leg in and drags me into half guard again.

Ok.  I'm going to try the Ezekiel again. I know it works.  I trust my training.  I press into half guard, slide my arm around the back of his neck, grasp my right sleeve cuff.  Coach Jason is giving instructions on how to get out of half guard.  Good.  That'll serve as more misdirection. The opponent's coach is warning him to guard his throat.  I know he can't really from this position.  I slip my right hand across his throat.  Coach Jason yells out, "Use the blade of your hand!"  I keep my hand open, sag my left arm, and scissor with all my might.  We start to roll to my right, but this time my opponent can't roll all the way.  I'm in a better position and we end up side by side facing each other as my choke sinks in deep.  It feels solid.  I know it sucks because I've been choked this way in class before.  My opponent fights for a second or two and then taps out (to show he is giving up).   I don't let go until the ref calls for the stop.  Then, I release.  (The picture below is the moment my opponent taped from my Ezekiel choke.  Photo by Vince Caggiano.)

We break apart and the muscles in my arms arm burning and I'm breathing hard from exertion.   I think there were only about 30 seconds left in the fight.  We went for seven and a half minutes and we both feel it.

I hug my opponent and congratulate him on a good fight.  I shake his coach's hand and then go back and thank coach Jason.  My opponent hugs me again and says it was a great fight.  "How old are you?"  I ask.  "41."  "Same as me," I say.  "Us old guys can still fight!"  I say.  "What was your weight?"  "185," he says.  I'm glad again that I dropped the weight to fight in this lower weight division.  "What's you name?"  "Shawn."  I thank Shawn again for a great fight.

At this point, I'm thinking I need to catch my breath because I'll have to fight my next opponent in a few minutes.   The ref calls for the awards banner and I realize Shawn and I were the only two fighters in our division, so there won't be anymore fights.  I got off easy today, but I'm proud of my first fight.  I fought well and executed my fight plan perfectly.  I could have fought more people, but was glad to have my first competition behind me as a win.

Click here to learn more about Veritas Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu where I train.

Click here to learn how I lost 12 pounds in one week to prepare for my fight.

I Have a NEW Purpose!

Copyright May 10, 2015 by Chris Mullis

Mark 16:15-18

 

Introduction

           I thought I married a lady named Kelly.  But ever since we had kids, I keep hearing her called by different names.  First it was mama.  But then I started hearing her called other strange names that almost sound like African names.  It started with:  mama-can-I (Mama-can-I have a snack?  Mama-can-I go to my friends house?) And then came Mama-buy-me (Mama-buy-me an ice-cream.  Mama-buy-me that toy.)  And then there another I even use a lot:  Mama-wheres-my (Mama-wheres-my shoe?  Mama-wheres-my car keys?).

             A mother’s roles change throughout her life.  There is the mother of a yet unborn baby trying to do everything she can to nourish the child she has not even met yet.  There is the mother who gets so little sleep because she is taking care of a newborn baby.  But these motherly roles change so quickly.  Children grow up.  Then the mother must find herself as the mother of a teenager or a young adult.  Eventually, the mother may grow older and learn to let her children take care of her more and more.  Some mothers deeply grieve the passing of their rolls.  It must be difficult for a mother who pours so much time and energy into their children at little leagues baseball games and then sees their children grow out of that stage of life.  A mother's identity sometime becomes closely linked to the stage of life they are in with their children and when the role most change their can be an identity crisis.  (We have not even touched on other mothering roles like foster care mothers, step mothers,  mother-in-laws, or mothers who have lost a child.)
            And it's not just women or mothers who define their identity by the roles.  Men’s define themselves as: son, athlete, student, worker, husband, father, provider...  And both men and women are often shaken to their core when their role changes.  They can feel as though they have lost their identity. 
            God wants to give you a NEW purpose that transcends your roles, your stages of life, where you live, how much you earn, your standing in the community, etc.  What is your NEW, transcendent purpose? 

Mark 16:15-18

¹⁵ And then he told them, “Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone. ¹⁶ Anyone who believes and is baptized will be saved. But anyone who refuses to believe will be condemned. ¹⁷ These miraculous signs will accompany those who believe: They will cast out demons in my name, and they will speak in new languages. ¹⁸ They will be able to handle snakes with safety, and if they drink anything poisonous, it won’t hurt them. They will be able to place their hands on the sick, and they will be healed.”

Explain the Passage

            This passage explains the NEW purpose Jesus gives each of us.  His words are known as the “Great Commission.”  After Jesus rose from the grave, before he ascended to heave, he commanded his followers to preach the Good News to everyone in the world.  The Good News is that God loves us and wants to save us from our sin.  And if people repent and believe the Good News, they will be saved.

The most common version of the Great Commission is found in the Gospel of Matthew, but I really like the way the Gospel of Mark puts it.  Mark is very simple, straight forward, and even blunt.  What Jesus expect is very clear.  Go preach the Good News to everyone.

·       Go – You don’t necessarily have to go far.  Some will go around the world in order to make sure everyone hears the Good News.  But there are plenty of people right here in Dalton (even here in our church, even in our own families) that need to hear the Good News.  Are you willing to go to them?

·      Preach – This doesn’t mean you have to stand up in a pulpit in church and preach.  You have to get up on a soap box on the street corner either.  To preach means to proclaim.  It has been said, “Preach the Gospel at all times.  Use words if necessary.”  You should use words, because they communicate ideas most clearly.  But don’t just stop with words.  Use everything method you can to convey the Good News.      

 

            This week at the church, we've been hosting students from Coahulla Creek High School in our fellowship hall. They needed a place to take their AP exams. After completing a year of AP studies in various courses, they take the examine. If they score high enough, they can get college credits. As they were coming in Monday morning, I thought 'What can I do to "preach the Gospel" to these students?' The answer was simple. I made a sign to hang on the door as they entered that said "Welcome to Pleasant Grove United Methodist Church. God Loves You! Good luck on your AP exams." You see, you don't have to hit people over the head with a Bible to preach the Gospel. You just help them see how much God loves them.
            Some people don’t feel qualified to “preach” the Good News. If you believe in Jesus, you are qualified to proclaim the Good News, you have the authority because Jesus authorized you.  You are qualified because—if you are truly a Christian—you know Jesus personally and He has made a difference in your life.  You have the right to share what He has done for you.  In fact, no one is more qualified to tell your story than you.  And if you don’t tell it, part of the full testimony about Jesus will be missing.

 

·       To Everyone – to children, to teenagers, to young adults, to older adults, to seniors, to Mothers and Fathers, to co-workers and friends and neighbors and the strangers you meet in a store.  To people who are easy to like and people who nobody likes.  To gay people, straight people, married people, single people, good people, bad people, and people just don’t care.  To people who look like you and people who look nothing like you.  To people who speak your language and people who can’t understand a word you say.  Everyone includes a lot of people—it’s everyone!

·       Verse 16 – The stakes are very high so Jesus is very blunt.  Anyone who believes the Good News will be saved.  But anyone who does not believe will be condemned.  Heaven or Hell…

            I almost omitted these verses 17 & 18 from our study because I didn’t want you to get distracted from the point of the passage. The point is to Go, Preach, the Good News, to Everyone. But, we need to address these difficult verses because people often misuse them, abuse them, or misunderstand them. Mark says we will cast out demons, speak new languages, handle snakes, drink poison, and heal the sick with the touch of our hands. We don’t have to spend too much time on this. I don’t want you to get wrapped up in these verses wondering if we’re supposed to be doing all these specific miracles. (You know there are “Snake Handling Churches” who have gotten this all wrong and think we need to bring snakes to church. Others like some Pentecostal church think you aren’t a real Christian if you can’t speak in tongues.) The point is when we believe, amazing things will happen.
             For instance: It says we will cast our demons – I have seen men and women cast aside many demons through faith in Jesus—the demons of alcohol and drug abuse, overcoming mental illness, transformations of a selfish, egotistical spirit to one of a caring, giving spirit. Are these not true miracles in themselves? I think they are as miraculous as any exorcism we read of in the Bible. Whether or not we are talking about real demons is beside the point. Talk to anyone who has been freed from any demon—literal or metaphorical—and it won’t make any difference. 
             Do I need to go through this whole list of miracles and explain how we see each of these actually happening? I don’t think I do, but just in case let me touch on a few. Speaking new languages—a couple years ago we took a mission team to El Salvador.  None of us spoke much Spanish and Jason Denson probably spoke the least of all.  And yet, Jason communicated the love of Christ to the people of El Salvador who didn't speak English with a smile, a hug, and a helping hand.  Love is a NEW language.
              And I could go on about the miraculous power of Christ.  how many of us have not sometimes had to handle "snakes" at work--people who wanted to do us harm?  How many of us have visited sick people in hospitals or homes and our presence, prayers, and touch were a healing influence?  Were these not miracles worthy of God's glory?  The point of all this is there is remendous power in Jesus name. And when we follow our God-given purpose, we have all the power of Jesus at our disposal.

Live a Purpose Driven Life

            My hope for you today is for you to recognize this wonderful NEW purpose Jesus gives each of us when we believe and choose to follow Him.  Our NEW purpose begins to drive everything we do.  You will become a better mother, a better father, a more loving wife, a more faithful husband, a better teacher, a better provider, a better employee, a better boss…  You see our NEW purpose goes beyond the changing roles we have in life.  It makes us more devoted in our various roles, but it also frees us to find our true identity in Christ and not in our “titles.”  Whatever we do, we do it as if we are serving Christ and not people.  Furthermore, everything we do becomes an opportunity to love God and love our neighbors as we Go, preach, the Good News, to Everyone.

Conclusion

            Jesus Christ has changed everything.  He left the glory of heaven and came down to this corrupt world.  He lived as one of us; He knows all the good, the bad, and the ugly this life can bring.  He walked faithfully with God while living here on earth and taught us how to follow His path.  In the end, because He loved us so much, He laid down his life on the cross to make a way for us to repent and be reconciled with God.  He died and on the third day, He rose from the grave making NEW life possible—even eternal life in Heaven.

            Today, Jesus invites you to trust in Him--to surrender and let Him be the Lord of your life.  And all who do, He will make them NEW.  He will Give you a NEW heart full of godly desires.  He will give you a NEW mind that thinks like Christ.  He will give you a NEW purpose that guides you to live your whole life full of meaning.  And ultimately, He will give you a NEW destination—even after this life on earth is over, you will be at Home with God in Heaven.

            Today, I have preached the Good News to you.  The stakes are high.  Jesus was blunt.  He said, “Anyone who believes and is baptized will be saved. But anyone who refuses to believe will be condemned.”  How will you respond to the Gospel today?  I urge you not to put off your response.  No one knows how much time they have.  It may be that tomorrow will be too late.  Today is the day you need to decide.  Go ahead and take hold of the NEW life and NEW purpose Jesus wants you to have.