February 12, 2016 (Friday)
Didja ever bake a cake? A pie? Biscuits? A casserole? ..
Didja ever think that putting together a life might be something like baking stuff?
Just for kicks, let’s look at “baking a life.”
1. Get together all the ingredients. Life is made up of many things, but don’t forget the essentials: Love, Faith, Hope, Christian Friends, Consecration, Dedication.. If in doubt, check the book (you know, the Book, the real Book, the best Book.. okay, The Bible).
2. Go by an established plan. Good cooks know that timing is important–a plan is essential. In putting together a life, God’s plan is the one to follow.
3. Put it into the fire. Sorry, but this is important. No fire, no cake. No trials, not much of a life. If you want a good result–a strong and courageous life–it has to go through the fire.
4. Expect a result. Expect success. Failure is not an option. We cannot approach life with an apathetic attitude; we do it intentionally.
5. Have a purpose. What’s this cake for? A party? A celebration? What’s the purpose? In “baking our life” we have a purpose. We want God to be pleased with us. We long to see that look on His face and hear Him say, “You did good!”
I found this old sermon in my file today. I preached it 63 years ago at Oletha on a Saturday night, January 4, 1953. When I first went to Oletha as pastor, the church met only twice a month, leaving the other Sundays for a church of a different denomination. I suggested we meet on Saturday night for worship. It became the service the people liked most (Remember, there was no television in those days). I preached straight from the Bible on Sunday, but on Saturday nights I presented messages that were different, like this one. I was 21 years old, and full of ideas.
When I presented this message back in those days, I never dreamed I would be able to share it with you in something called a “blog” via “the web” over “the internet” using that there thing we know now as a “computer.” My, oh my, how we’ve changed.