Tuesday, October 25, 2005

The Contender


Our Pastor Brice is a legend in his own time. He delivers Knock Out punches right between the eyes every time he preaches. He graciously wears velvet gloves - which basically means the impact is the same, but doesn't leave a visible mark. Using Jabs (A quick, straight punch thrown with the lead hand) on Sunday as a set-up for power punches, gauging distance, & keeping his congregants wary then Feinting a punch to induce the congregants to open up into a vulnerable position, Pastor Brice delivered astounding upper cuts that would leave us reeling.
"What are you dedicated to? Dedication can also be defined:
Devoted, given over to, surrendered, saturated in...
What have you been saturated by? That is what you are dedicated to."

"There are 3 kinds of people in this room ~ "
(I'll paraphrase)
1. the Undedicated - 'never surrender' 'Hell no, we won't go!'
2. the Dedication Wanna-be's - 'When the going gets tough, the tough haul *rump*'
3. the Truly Dedicated - 'God's grace is sufficient', 'Laying a hand to the plow, dont' look back'


I am very humbled. There are areas of my life I know I am dedicated. I can see the fruit of that dedication. There are places, however, that I struggle in because I look behind me ... I would be a pillar of salt by now if I was running away from Gomorrah.
My symptoms ( tender soft tissue, restlessness , rapid pulse, shortness of breath, skin that is pale, nausea, excessive thirst) seem to indicate internal bleeding. Hurts So Good.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

That WAS a great WORD, Sunday!

Anonymous said...

Larry was always one of the "goodies" when it came to preaching. Of coarse I remember one Mother's Day I was so thankful I didn't have children old enough to ask me about the "specail hug" Pastor Larry talked about. Those were some good times. I miss his life lessons and all of Grace's family. Tracy