Matchbook Faith in a Matchless God

"But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light"
1 Peter 2:12, ESV).

Matchbook Faith in a Matchless God

Sometimes, I slip away and preach myself happy. This morning I preached about letting the flame of faith flicker and die. 

I heard myself comparing faith to a book of paper matches. I preached about how easy it is to extinguish a lit book of matches. Stomp on them. Water them down. Or simply wait as they burn out. In no time, the unfueled fire is extinguished. 

I preached about letting my spiritual light flicker in the breeze of life. Weighted down with tears of heartache. I reminded myself that it’s hard to light a damp matchbook. The flimsy paper moistens the sulfur, keeping it from doing its job.

The Holy Spirit reminded me that all this won’t work with a lit stick of dynamite.

Because if dynamite has a wick that is connected and lit, it has unstoppable fire and power.

With Him stirring in my gut, I kept going. 

I said what I needed, what we all need, is to trim our wicks and fuel the fire. To remove the stuff holding us back. To find the tenacity of a stick of dynamite. As my mini-sermon continued. I heard myself talking about how predators look for light to steal. 

Not to use it; just take it away so we can’t. 

Stop. How anyone steal our Light?

His answer: “You let them.”

So I kept going.

I reminded myself how predators see our struggles then swoop in. Not to help as they proclaim. 

They come in offering to take God’s place in our lives.

I concluded with a stark reminder to be aware of dimming light; to beware of Satan and his minions as a real threat: because predators won’t come near blazing fires. 

But let one dwindle – even for a short season – and they swoop in, to crowd out anything that can refuel it. 

Oh y’all…it was a great sermon.

I talked about giving in to emotions. About their (emotions) instability when influenced by our environment. How unstable a double minded Christian is in all their ways. How emotions are fickle and can’t be trusted…I’d love to say that I remember how this one concluded but I don’t.

However, I remember this:  

1. Light always illuminates
2. Only God can fuel our internal Light 
3. Light gives us power
4. It helps us see what’s ahead
5. We either expose darkness or accept it 
6. We choose what steals our Light
7. Predators are fire extinguishers.

Prayers for a weekend full of Light.

Coach Kelly