You
might be a redneck if . . .
- It
never occurred to you to be offended by the phrase, "One nation,
under God. "
- You’ve
never protested about seeing the 10 Commandments posted in public places.
- You
still say "Christmas" instead of "Winter Festival."
- You
bow your head when someone prays.
- You
stand and place your hand over your heart when they play the National
Anthem.
- You
treat Viet Nam vets with great respect, and always have.
- You’ve
never burned an American flag.
- You
know what you believe and you aren't afraid to say so, no matter who is
listening.
- You
respect your elders and expect your kids to do the same.
- You’d
give your last dollar to a friend.
We have enjoyed the
redneck jokes for years. It's time to take a reflective look at the core
beliefs of a culture that values home, family, country and God. If I had to
stand before a dozen terrorists who threaten my life, I'd choose a half dozen
or so rednecks to back me up. Tire irons, squirrel guns and grits-that's what
rednecks are made of. I hope I am one of those.
Scripture
Text:
John 3:1 (NIV) Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a
member of the Jewish ruling council. 2 He came to Jesus at night and said,
"Rabbi, we know you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could
perform the miraculous signs you are doing if God were not with him." 3
In reply Jesus declared, "I tell you the truth, no one can see the
kingdom of God unless he is born again." 4 "How can a man be born
when he is old?" Nicodemus asked. "Surely he cannot enter a second
time into his mother's womb to be born!" 5 Jesus answered, "I tell
you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water
and the Spirit. 6 Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to
spirit. 7 You should not be surprised at my saying, `You must be born again.'
8 The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell
where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the
Spirit." 9 "How can this be" Nicodemus asked.
You
might be Born-Again if…
- You
have ever taken a casserole to a church dinner.
- You
have ever put some money in the offering plate.
- You
have ever allowed someone else to put you under water in a baptism
service.
- You
have ever gone to church on Wednesday night when everyone else is mowing
their grass or sitting in the lazy boy.
- You
have ever eaten a casserole at a church dinner and could not describe the
contents.
- You
try to read your Bible and pray everyday.
- You
have told others that you have heard God’s call in your life.
- You
have ever asked to become a member of a local church.
- You
always try to be friendly and good to people even if they don’t deserve
it.
- You
have ever asked someone to forgive you for something you didn’t do.
- You
have ever tried to minister to others and received criticism for it.
- You
have ever asked someone to get up out of your pew.
- You
have ever greeted people who must have been deaf, because they never
looked up.
- You
believe in a man who died on a cross and rose from the dead on the third
day.
- You
have asked God to forgive you of your sins.
- You
have ever come forward in a church to pray with the preacher and make a
public commitment of your life to Christ.
- You
have ever gotten up early on a Sunday morning to go to Sunday school
instead of fishing.
- You
have ever called out the name of someone else in prayer.
- You
believe in the one true living God, who is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
- You
have been accused of being weak because you are trying to follow Jesus.
- You
weren’t sure if you could ever live the Christian life, but you gave
your life to the Lord anyway.
- You
are trying to serve the Lord even though it isn’t easy.
- You
have ever invited your friends to come to church with you.
- You
came to church because a friend invited you.
How to become Born Again! Jesus said you must be born from above.
You need to have a spiritual experience with God.
You can’t see the wind but you can see what it does.
You can’t see the Spirit living in a person, but you can see His
effect on people. Becoming Born
Again begins when you decide to believe in God and then trust Him with your
life. We begin with a decision and start with a prayer.
What follows is a visible change in the life of the one who is now born
again. Most of the above are some
of the signs that the Lord has come into your life.
Only you and God can really know if you have given your life to the
Lord. We may see the effect of
the Holy Spirit in a person’s life. It is an inner decision that leads to a public life lived for
the Lord. Coming to church,
baptism, singing the hymns, loving the Lord, and loving people as Jesus did
are the visible signs that a change has taken place in your life.
Have you made that personal decision to follow the Lord?
Would you make that decision today?
Become a member of the family of God today.
Would you give your life to Him? He
gave His life on the cross for you. He
first loved you. Would you love
him?
SALVATION’S LIKE A PUMPKIN Sermon_Fodder.com
A lady had recently been baptized and one of
her co-workers asked her what it was like to be a Christian. She was caught
off guard and didn't know how to answer, but when she looked up she saw a
jack-o-lantern on the desk and answered, "It's like being a
pumpkin."
The worker asked her to explain and she said, "Well, God picks you from
the patch and brings you in and washes off all the dirt on the outside that
you got from being around all the other pumpkins. Then he cuts off the top and
takes all the yucky out from inside. He removes all those seeds of doubt,
hate, greed, etc. Then he carves you a new smiling face and puts his light
inside of you to shine for all to see."
QUOTE: Nearly everyone is in favor of going to heaven, but too many are
hoping they’ll live long enough to see an easing of the entrance
requirements.
MUST YOU LIVE?
Tertullian was a theologian who lived in
Carthage around 200 AD. One day a man came to Tertullian asking how he could
be both a faithful Christian and successful in business. At that time,
Christianity was publicly ridiculed, scorned by many and sporadically
persecuted by the government. The man knew he was supposed to be completely
loyal to Christ, but he wondered if some compromise might be permitted.
Couldn’t he carry commitment to both his faith and his business? He feared
his church membership might ruin him financially.
"What can I do? I must live!" he
exclaimed.
Tertullian replied: "Must you?"
NEVER HAD THE TIME TILL DYING
General William Nelson, a Union general in the
Civil War, was consumed with the battles in Kentucky, when a brawl ended up in
his being shot, mortally, in the chest. He had faced many battles, but the
fatal blow came while he was relaxing with his men. As such, he was caught
fully unprepared. As men ran up the stairs to help him, the general had just
one phrase, "Send for a clergyman; I wish to be baptized." He never
had time as an adolescent or young man. He never had time as a private or
after he became a general. And his would did not stop or slow down the war.
Everything around him was left virtually unchanged – except for the
general’s priorities. With only minutes left before he entered eternity, the
one thing he cared about was preparing for eternity. He wanted to be baptized.
Thirty minutes later, he was dead.