In Colossians 3:5-11, Paul talks about what it means for the Christ-follower to live under new management.  Prior to coming to faith, we wore the wardrobe of Adam and Eve (not the fig leave, thankfully) -- our closet was filled with rebellion, disobedience, selfishness, and all the other fashions consistent with a life outside of God. As part of the conversion process, we are being transformed into the image of Jesus.  What begins at baptism continues throughout the rest of our life.  At baptism, we are "clothed in Christ" as Galatians 3:27 tell us: "for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ."  Our new wardrobe consists of the virtues and values of Jesus. As we grow and mature, our new clothing begins to fit better.  At first, the new clothes might be a bit uncomfortable -- like breaking in a new pair of shoes. …

An excerpt from this weekend's message, "Closed for Remodeling." "Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry.  Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips.  Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.  Here there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all" (Colossians 3:5-11). When we come into a relationship with Jesus, we give him the right to go…

A friend of mine shared this note on Facebook and I thought I would pass it along to my blog readers.  It's about a man who has been preaching for 70 years.  I'd just like to live to 70 years, much less preach for 70 years (at least I would have a pretty decent amount of material to draw from, assuming I could still remember it). "This morning, the Sunset Ridge Church of Christ in San Antonio, Texas will recognize the remarkable occasion marking the seventieth year of preaching of Roy F. Osborne. I am blessed to be one of those influenced and mentored by Roy. I preach for a congregation he once served. I, like so many, have been touched by his ministry that began in Nashville, Tennessee, the last Sunday in 1939."

I hope you had yourself a “merry little Christmas” and found time to rejoice in our Savior’s birth. For the next two weekends I will be teaching on what it means to live “Under New Management.”  When we made the decision to become Christ-followers, we placed ourselves under his leadership.  For me, that decision was made official on a Sunday night, November 18, 1984.  At the close of a worship service, I nudged my way past a few high school buddies and walked down the aisle to the altar. That was the longest walk of my life. Not in terms of minutes and seconds, but because it was the start of a journey – the walk that started in 1984 still continues.  With each passing year, I learn more about what it means to give God control and to seek His direction and guidance.  Some lessons have been hard to…