It Only Takes a Spark...

I can do all things through Him who strengthens me. PHILIPPIANS 4:13

For a firefighter, one of the most terrible phrases in the English language is "blow-up." In a firefighter's world, blowing up occurs when a manageable forest fire suddenly explodes into an inferno that rages through the grass and trees at a deadly speed.

To me, "blow-up" is an appropriate description of what's happened during the last decade at the heart of American society. A searing fireball of destruction has engulfed a priceless part of our culture—the family.

I remember speaking to 700 college students at a Campus Crusade for Christ conference in Dallas. When I asked those who had been affected by divorce (through their immediate or extended family) to stand, 80 percent of the audience responded.

Afterward, a young man came forward to talk to me about his parents' divorce. His father had been a leading evangelical pastor. "My dad was my hero," he said. "He taught me everything I know. And now he's gone. I'm the only one left in my family that is still walking with God."

Far too many Christians today feel this same type of impotence. They are filled with fear—and burned by the heat of our cultural blow-up.

If you are tempted to lose hope and courage, take heart: You can make a difference! As today's verse tells us, God can give you the strength and power to withstand the heat.

In fact, when a firefighter cannot outrun a blow-up, one common tactic is to ignite a fire of his own to burn the area around him before the fireball reaches him. 

If you feel threatened by the fires of today's culture, it's time to start a fire of your own. You can do that by returning to God's Word and walking daily in obedience to Jesus Christ.

DISCUSS

What issues in our cultural blow-up cause you to lose courage and hope? Choose one way you can start a fire of your own that protects your family.

PRAY

Ask God for the courage to make a difference in your home and in your culture in the coming week. 

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 KWRD@salemradiomail.com