There was once a man...
I've become my own sermon illustration. "I knew this guy one time,..."
Today I weigh eight more pounds than I did seven weeks ago. It's not fair. I get exercise and I eat healthy foods. I do almost everything you should do to stay at the same weight. Almost everything.
Nobody should have to give up everything, just to keep the same weight and the same clothing sizes.
But it doesn't work that way. The thing we don't want to give up is our main problem.
Is ice cream really that bad? I love ice cream, all flavors. And just a little ice cream is cruel, like a kiss on the cheek when you want a big smackeroo.
So I'm counting calories again, and getting extra exercise. I have loved ice cream, these seven weeks, more than a comfortable fit for my clothes.
Most Christians, I suppose, have a similar situation. They live for God, obeying the Bible, avoiding sin...except for that one. You know what I'm talking about, though it's a different sin for each person. There is one area you just won't give God control over. "But God, I'm perfect in anything else." It's that one little thing that you hang on to, something that you really like to do, something that defines who you are.
But if you keep control over part of your life, God is not really getting a chance to remake you. Your heart is not really completely into being made in His image.
And that's the bottom line. God wants all of you. God wants your heart.
