Living Life by Design

When I was the chapel pastor at Liberty Christian School, I would  lead worship and then gave a message to a couple hundred Junior High and High School students every Friday morning. With my messages, I used props whenever possible because with them, I was able to keep the students attention longer. I was teaching my son and his best friend Tae Kwon Do so I brought in a punching glove and board. Punching gloves are not at all like boxing gloves. A boxing glove has thick material that encompasses the whole hand. A punching glove just covers the knuckles, leaving your fingers exposed. 

As I brought out the glove and asked for a volunteer, the students just stared at me. Everyone knew I was a black belt so they wanted no part of anything that had to do with me punching. So, I volunteered a student (Josh) that I knew would play along. Josh saw the glove on my hand and his eyes were as big as golf balls. I smiled, took off the glove and he relaxed. I asked him to take the glove and hit me with it. He smiled as he started to put the glove on. I told him not to put the glove on, just hit me with it dangling. He tried and everyone laughed. I asked how effective he felt using it as a weapon. He said, ‘zero effectiveness.’ I took the glove, put it on and reached down to picked up the board from behind the pulpit. I asked him to brace himself as he held the board. I punched the board and it broke in two (side not, I had done this with Josh in the past so he knew how to hold a board). All the students gasped and then started clapping.

What I was trying to illustrate was the difference it makes when Jesus Christ comes to live in us by his Holy Spirit. Without him (the dangling glove) we are weak and ineffective (2 Corinthians 13:4). But when Jesus Christ comes to live within us, we have God’s anointing…His power through the Holy Spirit in our lives  (vv.4–5).

I asked the students which way they wanted to live. They had the choice to live like a dangling glove, powerless and ineffective or to allow Gods Spirit to fill them so they could walk in power & authority, and break through the things in life they were struggle with, like I did with the board. 

Which way do you want to live?