Laying Down

4/1/2006

Ty Rice

Today I was in the Juvenile detention center speaking with the youth about Christ. We got into a discussion about laying things down that God put on our hearts that were not glorifying to Him. I went around in a circle and asked each kid if they could think of something that God would ask them to put down. Each person said that they could think of something, we discussed it for a while and then I asked if laying that thing down was something that they wanted to do. One of the kids spoke up and said, “I really want to but I just don’t think that I can.” That response is a very common response and one that the devil loves. I told him that he was completely wrong the truth is that he could put it down and he could walk away from it never returning to it. To say that you are unable to lay down something that is coming in-between you and God is 1. Belittling God saying that He is unable to take that thing from you and that Christ sacrifice on the cross was in vain because sin still has authority over us, and that is just not true sin was defeated on the cross and when we lay our sin down at the foot of that cross God can and will take it from us. The truth is we use this statement as a excuse, it is not that we are to weak to lay it down or that God is to little to take it from us it is that we don’t want to lay it down and we can feel better about ourselves carrying on in our sin when we justify it by saying that we are unable to walk away from it. When Jesus said repent he was saying to change the way that you are thinking, stop putting the things of this world before God and start living your life like God intended for you to live it in a relationship with Him no longer a slave to sin but as a man/women of God not leaning on ourselves and our limitations and start leaning on God who has no limitations. It is time we laid down those things in our life that are not honoring to God. What I did with the kids in the detention center was I told them I was going to say a prayer and I was going to thank God for what He has done for us to free us from our sin and then I told them that if they wanted to lay those things down to stick out their hand and put it down on the floor laying it down and leaving it there. I am going to offer you the same opportunity if there is something in your life right now that is not honoring to God then it is time to do business with God right now what ever it is don’t think for one second that it is to big for God or that you are to weak God already concurred sin and He is our strength in our weakness so right now say a prayer thanking God for defeating the sin in your life put your hands on the ground laying down those things in your life that aren’t honoring to Him and leave them their pray that He takes those things from you and walk away from them never turning back.                                  

Thank You Jesus that you defeated sin and concurred death that I may live.

                                                                                                God Bless,

                                                                                                                        Ty