The ripple effect
God's Good News was spreading rapidly (Acts 12:24, NLT).
Have you ever noticed the ripple effects of a stone thrown into a lake or pond? The effects of that stone seem to just keep on going and going and going.
It is the same with our lives. The ripple effects of who we are and what we do and say also keep on going and going and going, in ways we could never imagine.
Several years ago I read an interesting example of this in a bulletin from Family Concern, J. Allan Peterson, Editor.
Max Jukes lived in New York. He did not believe in Christ or in Christian training. He refused to take his children to church, even when they asked to go. At last count, he has had 1,026 descendants; 300 were sent to prison for an average term of 13 years; 190 were public prostitutes; 680 were admitted alcoholics. When this story was written, his family had cost the state in excess of $420,000. They made no contribution to society.
By contrast, Jonathan Edwards lived in the same state, at the same time as Jukes. He loved the Lord and saw that his children were in church every Sunday, as he served the Lord to the best of his ability. He has had 929 descendants, of these 430 were ministers; 86 became university professors; 13 became university presidents; 75 authored good books; five were elected to the United States Congress and two to the Senate. One became Vice President of his nation. His family never cost the state one cent but has contributed immeasurably to the life of plenty in this land today.
There is one big difference between the ripple effects of a stone thrown into a lake and the ripple effects of our lives: The ripple effects of the stone thrown into a pond keep getting smaller and smaller and smaller, whereas the ripple effects of our lives can become bigger and bigger and bigger!
Consider the amazing and increasingly large ripple effects of Abraham's life. "God said, 'Abraham, through your offspring all peoples on earth will be blessed'" (Acts 3:25, NIV). Our own salvation and the explosion of the gospel throughout the world today can be traced to Abraham's decision to trust and obey the Lord.
Praying that we all make waves,
Pastor Mike
Have you ever noticed the ripple effects of a stone thrown into a lake or pond? The effects of that stone seem to just keep on going and going and going.
It is the same with our lives. The ripple effects of who we are and what we do and say also keep on going and going and going, in ways we could never imagine.
Several years ago I read an interesting example of this in a bulletin from Family Concern, J. Allan Peterson, Editor.
Max Jukes lived in New York. He did not believe in Christ or in Christian training. He refused to take his children to church, even when they asked to go. At last count, he has had 1,026 descendants; 300 were sent to prison for an average term of 13 years; 190 were public prostitutes; 680 were admitted alcoholics. When this story was written, his family had cost the state in excess of $420,000. They made no contribution to society.
By contrast, Jonathan Edwards lived in the same state, at the same time as Jukes. He loved the Lord and saw that his children were in church every Sunday, as he served the Lord to the best of his ability. He has had 929 descendants, of these 430 were ministers; 86 became university professors; 13 became university presidents; 75 authored good books; five were elected to the United States Congress and two to the Senate. One became Vice President of his nation. His family never cost the state one cent but has contributed immeasurably to the life of plenty in this land today.
There is one big difference between the ripple effects of a stone thrown into a lake and the ripple effects of our lives: The ripple effects of the stone thrown into a pond keep getting smaller and smaller and smaller, whereas the ripple effects of our lives can become bigger and bigger and bigger!
Consider the amazing and increasingly large ripple effects of Abraham's life. "God said, 'Abraham, through your offspring all peoples on earth will be blessed'" (Acts 3:25, NIV). Our own salvation and the explosion of the gospel throughout the world today can be traced to Abraham's decision to trust and obey the Lord.
Praying that we all make waves,
Pastor Mike
posted by Mike Sanderson @ 5:52 AM
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