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The Lesson of The Glow Stick

This fourth of July our family went to Winter Garden to visit with Jennifer's family. Every year they have a spectacular fireworks show along the shores of Lake Apopka. You have to get there early to get a place on the lawn and so we did. We spread out our blanket and the kids were having a ball playing in the grass.

Then one of the vendors came by selling his assortment of junk...I mean, festive memorabilia. He had a colorful selection of glow sticks that you could make into loops for wearing or throwing, or whatever your desire might be. Noah and his cousin Cole had to have one, so off Jennifer went to run down this guy. She came back with two stiff and non-glowing plastic sticks. What a rip-off!! I had to ask, "Why aren't they glowing?" Apparently everyone knew but me as to why they were not glowing. "You have to break them first!", Jennifer said. So she took the small stick and bent it until I could hear something in it break.

Then, apparently, the two chemicals inside mixed together causing a chemical reaction and thus- glowing! It's pretty neat. Tonight we will be talking about the New Covenant that we have in Jesus. Jeremiah says that in order for us to take part in this promise God must give us a new heart and a new spirit. The old heart, he says, is hard, but the new heart, will be a heart of flesh - a heart that feels. How do we get this new heart? The Spirit takes the old heart and breaks it. He breaks the stone hard shell of sin that keeps us separate from knowing God and renders in us a heart that is open, feeling, listening, obeying, and glowing...glowing for the glory of Jesus Christ.

In Christ Jesus,
Pastor Mitch

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