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An
Outreach Publication of the Church of Christ at
Creekwood |
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Your Best Cathy Rigby was a member of the U.S. Women's Gymnastics Team in the 1972 Olympics at Munich, and she had only one goal in mind – to win a gold medal. She had trained hard over a long period. On the day she was scheduled to perform, she prayed for the strength and the control to get through her routine without making mistakes. She was tense with determination not to let herself or her country down. She performed well, but when it was all over and the winners were announced, her name was not among them. Cathy was crushed. Afterward, she joined her parents in the stands all set for a good cry. As she sat down, she could barely manage to say, "I'm sorry. I did my best." "You know that, and I know that," her mother said, "and I'm sure God knows that too." Then, Cathy recalls, her mother said 10 words that she has never forgotten: "Doing your best is more important
than being the best." Despite
our best efforts, we ALL stumble and fall, many times. In fact, the Scriptures teach that “ALL have sinned and
fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).
Because of our sins, we “lose”: we are
separated from God (Isaiah 59:1-2) But because of His great love for us, God gave His Very Best – His Son, Jesus – to die on the cross for our sins (John 3:16). Only the sinless Son of God could pay the price for our redemption from sin (John 1:29; 1 Peter 1:18-20; Hebrews 2:17-18). “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace” (Ephesians 1:7). In
response to His great love demonstrated on the cross
of Christ, God desires that each of us give of his/her
very best to Him.
He wants each of us to respond to Him in faith
(Acts 16:30-31), turning from our sins in repentance
(Acts 17:30-31), confessing
Jesus before men (Romans 10:9-10), and being baptized
(immersed) into Christ for the forgiveness of sins
(Acts 2:38; Galatians 3:26-27). God
has given His Very Best to us so that we might be
saved. In return, won’t YOU give your very best back to Him through your trusting obedience to His will? David
A. Sargent, Minister Church
of Christ at Creekwood * Soundings, Vol. D, # 7, pp. 1-2 as quoted in www.sermonillustrations.com To Subscribe to "Living Water" send a blank e-mail to:
HTML version: subscribe-livingwater@lyris.dundee.net Follow this link to locate the church of Christ nearest you: www.churchzip.com Archived issues of "Living Water" can be accessed from our website at: www.creekwoodcc.org
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