Overcoming Grandparenting Barriers by Larry Fowler

Author:Larry Fowler
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Family & Relationships;REL012030
ISBN: 9781493418954
Publisher: Baker Publishing Group
Published: 2019-03-14T00:00:00+00:00

Secret #2: The Gospel

There is incredible power in the message of the Gospel. It simply transforms lives. You know that already, don’t you? I know it.

We know it because we have experienced it ourselves. And we know it because the Bible tells us so: “For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God” (1 Corinthians 1:18).

Both parts of that truth have played out for two thousand years, haven’t they? Unbelievers see the Gospel as foolishness, and in contrast, we who have experienced it know different. Just one of those down through history who knew of the power was Lewis E. Jones, a classmate of early-nineteenth-century evangelist Billy Sunday. He no doubt observed person after person transformed by the power of the Gospel through Mr. Sunday’s ministry, and that became his motivation for writing this hymn:

Would you be free from the burden of sin?

There’s power in the blood, power in the blood;

Would you o’er evil a victory win?

There’s wonderful power in the blood.1

The power hasn’t diminished one iota today. Its power to transform lives is far greater than that of social media, stronger than any addiction, more persuasive than any atheist college professor.

Do you believe it? Of course you do. Do you trust in it enough to put your family in God’s hands? That is harder, isn’t it? When people I care about are making wrong decisions, I am tempted to want to fix the problem myself rather than rely upon the Gospel. Let me remind you (and me too) to rely on the power of the Gospel; it is enough to transform your loved one.

Carol’s grandson Drew grew up going to church, but neither she nor his parents saw evidence that he truly trusted in Christ. In fact, through high school, he had become more and more hostile to spiritual things. When he went away to college in another state, they worried that he would reject Christianity entirely. His living in such a secular environment greatly concerned them. They were tempted to try to talk him out of going—to keep him closer to home where they would still have an influence.

Instead, they released him to God’s care and began praying that God would draw him to the Gospel. A few months later, grandmother Carol related that his parents began to notice a difference in the questions he asked. “Do you know anything about the churches in this town?” was one of the first.

They listened and watched the Holy Spirit draw him. God put other Christians into his life. He got invited to—and started attending regularly—a Christian group at the college. About a year later, Drew came home and initiated a conversation about spiritual things. In his parents’ living room, he told them he knew he wasn’t a believer, but he wanted to be. They prayed together, and he trusted Christ as his Savior.

The change was dramatic—many of Drew’s old interests disappeared and were replaced with newer, better ones.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.