11 Nov, 2008

You did WHAT!?!

What fire are YOU playing with?

Ga. man cleaning with blowtorch sets fire to house

Friday, November 07, 2008

SARGENT, Ga. (AP) Would-be cleaners take note: A blowtorch is not a good substitute for a broom.

Coweta County authorities say that a local man set fire to his west Georgia home Wednesday as he cleaned cobwebs from exterior eaves with a blowtorch. The homeowner noticed the blaze when he saw smoke pouring from the attic.

Coweta Fire Investigator James Gantt says the fire was contained to one part of the house, but the entire home had smoke and water damage.No one was hurt.

Information from: The Times-Herald, times-herald.com

Proverbs 6:27

27 Can a man scoop fire into his lap
without his clothes being burned? (NIV)

What does God's Story scripture teach us about allowing sin into our lives?

This scripture out of Proverbs is quite clear...playing with fire will get you burned. This wasn't intended to be a fire safety lesson to the Israelites. Its intent was a spiritual safety lesson that also was quite clear...playing with sin will result in consequences.

In Numbers 32:23, Moses gave a similar warning to God's people when they were preparing to directly disobey God. He told them, "you will be sinning against the Lord and you can be sure that your sin will find you out."

You see, God set up clear boundaries for us because He loves us. When we step outside of those boundaries, we often find ourselves "getting burned" by the consequences. We may think that we are getting away with our sin...but He always knows...nothing escapes His view.

How can we connect today's story and God's Story with my story?

You might be thinking, "Are you kidding me!?! How could this guy be that dumb?...I mean, c'mon...a blow torch to his house!?!"

But before we are too quick to condemn, let's take a look at our own lives. We are just as foolish at times! We play with fire when we allow sin into our lives...sin that eventually burns us in the end.

Maybe its

- drugs or alcohol that we are "just experimenting with"

- a relationship that is "pushing the boundaries"

- pornography that we are "just looking at a little"

- hangin with a group of friends who do things that aren't "that bad"

- movies, television or music that just has "a few bad parts"

We think it's not that big of a deal. We think we can handle it without it getting out of control. I suppose our friend from Georgia thought the same thing.

So, what should we do?

  • Confess whatever sin you have been playing with...and He will forgive you...no matter what it is. (I John 1:9)
  • Stop playing with fire! When you are tempted with sin...don't mess around with it...flee the situation! But you, man (or woman) of God, flee from all of this, and pursue righteousness, Godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. Fight the good fight of faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called. (I Timothy 6:11)
  • Pray and ask God for help in taking a new direction.

How can we connect today's story, God's story and my story with others?

  • Do you have friends who are not Christians who know that you are one? Do you think that they are watching you to see if this "Jesus" is real in you? Do you think it could be confusing for them to hear you say one thing and do another? Just some questions to think about.
  • If you have non-Christian friends that you know are playing with fire...pray for them...and when God presents the opportunity, share with them (out of love) the concern that you have for them. Maybe you can save them from setting their "house" on fire.
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The Daily Bide is brought to you by a team of writers from Youth for Christ/USA. The writers all have various years of experience in youth ministry but share a common bond in serving Jesus and discovering what it means to abide deeply everyday and to connect God's Story with those around them. A number of the Daily Bide writers have also written portions of our 3Story® resources. You can check out our resources at the 3Story.org website or connect with our writers at 3story@yfc.net. If you have a question or a story you would like to share, please reference the Daily Bide date in your email.

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