Nuggets 79: Only God

  • B. Shelburne
  • Aug 26, 2007
  • Series: Nuggets

My friend Rod is a bearded, barrel-sized teddy bear of a man.  His eyes light up with the love of Christ when he meets you.  Rod has only been a Christian in recent years.  He had hardly come out of the baptistery when his minister told him about our Bible Institute.  Rod and his wife Kitty immediately enrolled in our classes.  They were avid students.  Rod graduated from our three-year program but keeps coming back for more.

Rod and Kitty are always looking for ways to share Jesus.  When their customers at work are receptive, the couple talk with them about the Lord.  The fervent sincerity of Rod and Kitty drew the hearts of their daughter and her family nearer to Christ.  Pam started a children's Bible study in her trailer park.  Pam and Paul are driving across Houston with their children to attend our Bible courses together.  This means we now have the third generation of this family learning God's word.

Rod dropped by my office the other morning.  He said to me, "You know what I learned in your classes, how we should always live in a way that we never cause anyone to stumble?  I am trying very hard to live like that."  He means it from the heart.  As Rod left, my secretary said, "Whenever Rod comes around, it does me good."  Rod is so Christ-filled that he affects many people that way.

You would never guess what Rod did before his conversion.  He ran girlie clubs.  In fact he was one of the best managers in the business.  He now speaks with regret about how he could get young women to lower their inhibitions and perform in the clubs.  Now he is convincing people to lower their worldly inhibitions and follow Christ.

The Apostle Paul started out as Saul, the persecutor who made Christians deny their Lord or go to prison and death.  He later said that God chose him, the worst of sinners, as an exhibit of how great God's forgiveness is.  Did Paul ever think back with regret about the past?  Does Rod?  No doubt.  But mostly he is too busy serving Jesus with a contagious joy.

John 3:3,5;  Romans 12:1,2;  2 Corinthians 5:17;  Matthew 5:13,16;  18:3-14;  Daniel 12:3;  James 5:19,20;  1 Peter 3:15;  Ephesians 5:8-11;  1 Timothy 1:12-16

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Copyright 2007 by G.B. Shelburne, III.  May be freely reproduced or forwarded for non-commercial purposes provided content is unchanged and this copyright notice is included.  These shepherding messages are sent to members and friends of New Beginnings Church (www.nbchurch.com), to students and alumni of South Houston Bible Institute (www.shbi.org), and to other interested persons.

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