On Father’s Day Sunday I was blessed with an opportunity to share a word that God has placed on my heart for the past few months. It’s a simple word, one that most people will identify with, but one that is life changing if we can only apply it.
The message was about drawing a line in the sand.
Drawing a line in the sand. Most people have probably heard the phrase and recognize it as a challenge – in many cases against someone else as we dare them to cross the invisible line we have drawn – but in this case a challenge to ourselves. The challenge is simply this: Stop dragging the chains and weights that the world (and devil) would have us carry.
We all have our different and unique battles but all normally can be drawn back to one of these 4 categories:
- The ME weight (selfishness, self-centeredness)
- The CROWD weight (trying to live up to the world’s expectations)
- The SAFETY weight (wanting to be in control and play it safe)
- The PLANS weight (depending on our own plans for our finances, careers, and life in general)
See, nothing new. Nothing super-spiritual. But what God has helped me realize (maybe later than you) is that if we cannot drop these weights and chains, we cannot be the men and women of God that He has created us to be.
We want to be warriors but we find ourselves being a worrier instead.
Over the next few entries I’m going to look at each of the areas above and explore how Jesus encountered these same obstacles and how He drew the line every time.
And when He drew that line, He refuse to second guess it or look back at other options….
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. Hebrews 12:1
If you would like to listen to the message from Father’s Day, please click here and then click on “A Line In The Sand”. Currently only the audio is online but the video should be up soon so you can see the videos as well!
Be blessed and strengthened in the Lord!
July 9, 2012 at 7:16 PM
I’m glad to see ya back at it Rick. Good stuff here. We talk a good game but we need to act on letting God have all that junk.
July 11, 2012 at 12:37 PM
Thanks Ken! We sure do. He has so much more for us if we can get those things out of the way.