Saturday, August 1st, 2020

Outdoor Service Continues

There will be two canopy tents, each located on the east and west side of the parking lot close to the building. Chairs will be set up so that people can practice social distancing.
As always you can stay in your vehicle if you so desire.

The Candy in the Cast

Hello Friend,

Back in Junior High one of my best friends broke her leg in a skiing accident. Unfortunately, that meant she needed to wear a cast for a number of weeks during winter break. Because we couldn’t play outside we were quite bored. After sitting around for a while, we came up with the idea of how fun it would be to take a taxi to the local gas station. Once the taxi pulled up at the store, we immediately headed to the candy aisle. As I was trying to decide what to get, my friend said, “Give me your candy and I will put in my cast, then we won’t have to pay for it.” Thinking how great it would be to have something for free, I readily gave in to the temptation. After leaving the store we hopped back into the taxi and headed home.

On the way back, my friend gave me the stolen candy. I don’t remember what kind of candy it was I ate, but I do remember feeling bad about what I had done. King Solomon in Proverbs 20:17 says, “Food gained by fraud tastes sweet, but one ends up with a mouth full of gravel.” The problem with temptation is that it blinds us to the negative outcomes of sin. We might believe that it’s o.k. to steal, lie, and cheat, and that no one will ever know. The truth is that God knows and you know the crime that was committed. It’s been more than four decades and I still remember the candy that got put into the cast, and it’s not a good memory. If there’s something wrong that you have done in the past and not made it right, ask the Lord to forgive you and, if possible, work on righting the wrong. It will help you sleep better at night.

Blessings,

Pastor Tom