The pen analogy

We all start out ugly All of us had the same life threatening illness when we were born – sin We can clean up the outside, but inside there is still a gap, a hole, a need, that we want to fill The world and false religions offer a fix, but in the end, we still find ourselves rough around the edges

Insert slide of log

Something cuts through Many things can cut us to the core A life threatening illness An addiction that we want freedom from Disappointment, despair, frustration, insignificance, insecurity, and many others We can either learn from it, or reject it If we yield to it, and look to Jesus for our help, we just may be amazed to see what is inside

Insert slide of cut portion of log

Working out our salvation The Holy Spirit is a gentleman, He never forces His way in We must choose to submit portions of us for continued refinement, or we can be comfortable – it is our choice If we want to continue the submission, we find that His Word is a two edged sword that will continue to cut to our core

Its His kindness that leads us to repentance As we submit, we see His love. As we begin to see it, what had been discipline to us becomes joy We see the changes He’s brought into our lives, and we want more of that change We are filled with a desire to be more and more like Him We ask Him to continue to remove the edges

Photo of the gouge on the edges

We are transformed more and more Instead of seeing the rough edges, our shape begins to look more like him, more rounded, more smooth, we continue to take shape – Spiritual Gifts – Heart – Abilities – Personality – Experience

Round, but still rough

Are we settled yet? As long as we continue to seek Him, He will continue to refine us Conviction, Correction, and Criticism can all be embraced or rejected That abrasion continues to uncover blemishes, take off deeper edges, and continue to refine our shape

Sand paper on the wood

Trials come We are to count it all joy Some things won’t be removed from us unless heat is added first That heat can break down the walls, molecular bonds, and structures that we’ve built up in years past That heat burnishes and polishes the shape of our lives and brings out more luster

Polished up blanks

The grits continue to increase As long as we continue to press in and draw near, we will continue to show more of His glory We can spiritually stop any time we want, but we will not reveal the next level of His shine

Finished, polished, and sealed up blanks

Our lives become the pens He uses to write on the hearts of the world.

And we stand amazed Who would have ever thought that such beauty could come from such ugliness Who would have been patient enough to remove the cracks, blemishes, and fissures of our lives to leave behind only the things that honor Him Who would have thought that He would choose you or I to be that instrument

Submit to Him so that He could cut away the ugliness (salvation) Allow Him to remove the rough edges to form you into the shape He desires Don’t run away from the abrasion of life, allow it to shine you up Allow Him to write the story of your life on the hearts of this world