Monday, September 17, 2018
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Our daughter was always a curious little thing, and she asked endless questions, especially when it was time to go to sleep at night. And she liked to look into things that she found, even trying them at times. Most of those little explorations were harmless. Not the day, though, that she got into a drawer in the bathroom and pulled out some stuff she saw Daddy using to get ready in the morning. Deodorant-no problem. Toothbrush, toothpaste-that's okay. My razor-oh, problem. She'd seen her father run that razor up and down his cheeks, so she decided to do what she saw Daddy do. Bad idea! Scratches and cuts on her face. Oh, I'm glad to tell you, no permanent damage, but not something she did twice.
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "The Danger of Copying Daddy."
Not everything daddies or mommies do are a good thing to copy. Right? Unfortunately, all of us grown children have copied some things from our mommy or daddy that never should have been copied. And if we don't do something about it, it's going to leave not just some scratches and cuts, but some permanent scars.
Maybe you grew up around a temper that left scars on you, and now that anger is showing up in you. Maybe you have a heritage of selfishness in your background, a selfishness that hurt you and hurt others. But now you're seeing some of those same selfish ways in yourself. If you grew up around a parent where lying was a way of life, you may well have begun to see that pattern of deceit showing up in you and leaving that same trail of tears. So many wrong ways that we can pick up from where we grew up: destructive attitudes toward sex, controlling ways, manipulating ways, abusive behavior, a negative or critical spirit that tears people down, a runaway mouth, a tendency to run from problems and let them grow into monsters. Oh, the list goes on and on.
Stuff we hated when we were growing up. Stuff we swore we'd never do when we got older. Stuff we're doing and stuff we're becoming in spite of ourselves. And now, another generation is about to experience the same kind of hurt and damage that you did because you can't stop what you can't stand. There is someone who can. And that chain-breaking miracle He does is spelled out in our word for today from the Word of God.
There's so much hope in these words in 1 Peter 1:18. "You were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers...with the precious blood of Christ." See. there is in the death of Jesus Christ for your sin, the power to break the cycle of sin and hurt that has infected every one of us!
In a later verse, the Bible says "He Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness. By His wounds you have been healed." Man! This is such incredible news! You don't have to be what your father or mother were and probably others before them. You don't have to be what you have been if you'll get yourself to the cross where Jesus gave His life to remove the guilt and break the power of sin in your life. He then came out of His grave to prove that He has the power to conquer anything, including the darkness that has always conquered you!
Which brings you to a crossroads in your life with a cross right in front of you. You have a decision to make about what Jesus did for you. Either you walk right on by, or you drop to your knees there and you give yourself to the man who gave His life for you. Who alone can liberate you from the long darkness; who alone can enable you to live so you don't hurt the people you love the most.
Why don't you today tell Him, "Jesus, I want to turn from my sin. I want to change. You died for that sin, and I'm trusting you as my personal Savior from that sin." Look, if you want to get this settled today, go to our website. It will help you do just that - ANewStory.com. Just go check it out.
The darkness has already hurt too many people, and you know what? It can stop with you, with the life-changing power of Jesus Christ!