"The change is in the heart"

Knowing You
No greater thing
You are my all
You are the best
You are my joy
You are my righteousness
And now,
my heart's desire ...
to know You more,
much more.

A hymn,
"Knowing You" by Graham Kendrick
words and music
written in 1993

was sung
this night
Nov. 19

The place --
the campus
of HLG U
in Hannibal, MO

The event --
a booster banquet
to raise funds
for a library,
years out-of-date

The speaker --
Kirk Cameron,
a child actor.
Perhaps
you remember him
from "Growing Pains."

Once of the world,
he saw no need
and had no desire
for a spiritual relationship
with The One
above all.

He came
and we came
A thousand, more or less,
were present

To hear
what this man,
no longer a child,
but 40,
had to say

He came
He shared
with boldness
the transformation
of what his life
without
became
within.

The change is in the heart.
The "change is from the bottom up,"
Cameron said.

"You must become a lover of Christ."
Without Christ,
you are a lover of self
and that accomplishes nothing.

So much is hidden ...
hidden in plain view
and we don't see it.

"We've been taught not to see it,"
said Cameron.

God called us,
calls us still,
"We need to continue
to be
a 'deacon of light,'
a 'disciple for Christ.' "

"You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven." 
(Matthew 5:14, 16)

Cathy Orrick Luders
11.22.2010

Kirk Cameron signs my husband's Bible

Read Bev Darr's story in the Hannibal Courier-Post: Cameron leaves 'Growing Pains' behind

God's standard. God's plan

God's standard.
God's plan --
Is it ours too?
Do we hear
His still small voice
Do we read
His Truths through His word shared with you and me -- The Holy Scriptures
Do we listen
Do we obey?

God's standard.
Is it not perfectness
Is not God
and Jesus His son
Perfect, without blemish

"Therefore you shall be perfect; just as your Father in heaven is perfect." (Matthew 5:48)

We are created
in His image,
Yet any perfectness
obtainable
was lost
the moment Adam and Eve rebelled, sinned
against God.

We too rebel
We sin
We have no perfectness
We are not without guilt.

God's plan.
The ideal.
That which He desires
for His children
Through obedience.

God's plan.
"Then God said, 'Let us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.' " (Genesis 1:26)

and God said to them,
"Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it;" (Genesis 1:28a)

and God said, "See, I have given you every herb that yields seed which is on the face of all the dearth, and every tree whose fruit yields seed; to you it shall be for food." (Genesis 1:29)

and the Lord God said, "It is not good that man should be alone; I will make a helper comparable to him. ... and the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall on Adam and he slept; and He took one of his ribs and closed up the flesh in its place. ... He made it into a woman, and He brought her to the man." (Genesis 2:18, 21, 22)

God's plan.

BUT,
we had other plans. We ignored God's plan. We refused to obey His commandments. We chose a different route.

God's plan.
"Then God saw everything He had made, and indeed it was very good."
(Genesis 1:31)

God's plan.
To show what happens to those who disobey,
the results of disobedience
To show, to help people realize the error of their ways.
To come to Him.
To walk with Him.

God's plan.
To send His son Jesus to earth
to pay the penalty for our sins
to become the gift
of freedom, of grace.

God's plan.
God's standard.

Higher.
Higher than yours or mine.
Highest of all.
"For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven." (Matthew 5:20)

God's plan.
Where are you in God's plan?
To whom do you follow
To whom do you obey