CHICKASHA —
Between Memphis, TN and Birmingham, AL there is a fairly new stretch of road, it’s aptly named the “Future I-20 Corridor”. Sounds promising right? That jog between Memphis and Birmingham was always our saving grace driving back to South Carolina from Oklahoma. Halfway between those two big cities lies a small town called Fulton, MS. It’s the exact halfway point between Chickasha, OK and Sumter, SC. It was a small picture of grace that God would give us to help fuel us for the rest of the journey. God’s grace does that in our lives you know. We go through this journey and from time to time God drops grace into our path to remind us that He is there and to keep us motivated to follow Him. A baby is born, a relationship is started, a prayer is answered, a sun rise is seen with the eyes, and the list goes on. They are in essence roadsigns on our journey to our destination - Jesus Christ.
So back to the future I-20 corridor. On one of the many trips back home to South Carolina I found myself driving alone. My beautiful wife was asleep in the passengers seat and both my children were slumbering in the back. My mind drifted to and fro, in fact I was probably mulling over all the signs of grace that God had shown in my life that week! The mental hit parade coupled with “driver’s exhaustion” that was overtaking me caused me to focus less on the road. Now the future I-20 corridor was not well marked, the pavement was still brand new. My body had developed a built in timing mechanism and it knew that something was not right. I had never traveled this long on this stretch of road. I knew in my head that at some point the construction would end the road and that is where I would turn off to Birmingham. I never saw the construction. Apparently enough time had lapsed from our last journey that they had completed the construction. Here I was some 30 to 40 minutes down the road frantically scanning the landscape for any sign pointing me in the right direction. I had gotten distracted and now wondered if I was so far off the path that I couldn’t redeem the journey! Then like a beacon of grace shining brighter than the Christmas star heralding our Savior’s birth - there it was - the familiar green sign with the bright white words - “Birmingham 10”. I was ten miles away from the familiar. God’s grace, even in a simple road trip is amazing. Now think with me for a moment on God’s bigger grace - the grace that calls people into a relationship, the grace that serves as the road map to the revelation and second coming of Jesus Christ!
Peter wrote his first epistle to a band of scattered believers. They had been dispersed from Jerusalem and they found themselves thinking they were lost. I’m sure questions flooded in “is following God worth it?” “Has He abandoned us?” “Was He worth following in the first place?” The same questions that plague you and I. Then, like that bright green road sign Peter tells them to watch for God’s grace that was still present for them. Here is what he writes to them: “set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 1:13). Peter says don’t loose hope! God’s grace is still there. You and I need hope to live. Sure, we need food, water, and shelter for survival but we need hope to live. And that is exactly what Peter is telling his readers, to include us. Our hope is fueled by God’s grace which are those moments when God puts something beautiful in our life. Don’t loose hope but trust in the grace of God.
Luke Harris is the pastor of Crossroads Community Church currently meeting in the cafeteria of Grand Avenue School located at 1415 Grand Avenue. We would love to have you join us this Sunday morning for Sunday School at 9:45 AM and Worship at 10:45 AM. Check out past sermons on the web at HYPERLINK "http://www.chickashacrossroads.com" www.chickashacrossroads.com, like us on Facebook, or follow us on Twitter. You can also email pastorluke@chickashacrossroads.com.
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August 11, 2012
Did I Miss the Sign?
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Heavy rains lead to road damage, detour
Repair to Lake Burtschi Road has necessitated that two routes be established, one northbound and one southbound.
The heavy rains over the weekend have put a dent in the drought. However, the 2.5 inches of precipitation also did some damage to a pipe under Lake Burtschi Road, Mike Lennier, Grady County Commissioner, District 2, said.
Continued ... - Woman's arrest results in police assault
- Anti-Mortem begins new adventure
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Heavy rains lead to road damage, detour
The heavy rains over the weekend have put a dent in the drought. However, the 2.5 inches of precipitation also did some damage to a pipe under Lake Burtschi Road, Mike Lennier, Grady County Commissioner, District 2, said.
Continued ... - Woman's arrest results in police assault
- Anti-Mortem begins new adventure
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New research suggests that fracking is not a significant cause of earthquakes that can be felt on the surface
UK scientists looked at quakes caused by human activity ranging from mining to oil drilling; only three could be attributed to hydraulic fracturing.
Continued ... - Turner Oil leases 4,000 acres around Lake Chickasha
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New research suggests that fracking is not a significant cause of earthquakes that can be felt on the surface
