D. L. Moody, the late evangelist, once said

God doesn’t seek for golden vessels, and does not ask for silver ones, but He must have clean ones.

Billionaire Warren Buffet once said,

The CEO who misleads others in public will eventually mislead himself in private.

Both statements are true.  The following illustration is not meant to be taken as a judgment against anyone.

Indiana has a state law with signs plastered on doors to let it be known:  “State law requires no smoking within 8 feet of this door.”  If you have ever watched any old TV shows, like the old b/w Perry Mason reruns, you will see something you see very seldom anymore.  I recently saw a picture of Dean Martin, Sammy Davis, Jr and Frank Sinatra.  Every one of them had a cigarette in their hand.  The Marlboro Man and Virginia Slim commercials were as numerous as Viagra commercials are today.  No more.  The Camel charicature went the way of the dodo bird.  Today,  warnings about second hand smoke are all over the place.  Walk next to someone, follow them in a car, or walk into their house, and it is evident if they smoke or around smoke.

That all sounds like I am taking shots at smokers.  I’m not.  We are constantly being warned (sometimes nauseatingly so) about toxic waste.

Tragically, we are seldom warned about the toxic waste that can crush and destroy our spiritual health.  My sermon series for this summer will be dealing with these toxins.  Words. Bitterness. Fear. Jealousy. Anger. (Lack of) forgiveness. And others.  I know many pastors say this about their sermons, so I hope you don’t take this wrong: I honestly believe this series has the potential to radically change lives.  Not because of me, but because of the topics and the presence of so many of the toxins in the lives of followers of Jesus.

Perhaps even more tragically many have no clue what the presence of these toxins are doing to their health-spiritually, mentally and physically.  Contrary to what historians used to think, Titanic was not taken down by running into a huge iceberg.  In fact, they say it may have been better for it to have hit it straight on.  It was the attempt to avoid the berg that caused the small series of slits to the hull which eventually led to its watery grave.  Many lives are like that- small series of slits which weaken the character and cause the take down.

My prayer is God will use this series to show the damage being done by toxins that need to be released.  I would appreciate your prayers.  This Sunday’s message is an introduction to the rest called “Hazardous Waste.”  Thanks.

Do you struggle with toxins which are crippling you?