Listen to the Sermon
Sermon Details
- Pastor Name: Jonathan Cornell
- Date & Time: September 13, 2015 | 10:00am
______________________________
About 10 years ago, a woman named Ashley Smith faced a moment that would change the course of her life forever—in a pivotal moment, her response would be the difference between life and death, freedom and addiction, hope and desperation.
You might have read in the news the story of a very troubled young man named Brian Nichols, who, in a very violent course of events, opened fire in a courtroom, killing a judge and then proceeding to go on a shooting spree killing four people in the city of Atlanta. He was on the run, and the city was in a state of lock down. Then he found himself holed up in Ashley Smith’s apartment, holding her hostage.
This violent young man, who was doing the unthinkable in order to see his son one last time, was together in the apartment with a young woman who herself was at the end of her rope in a sense. Ashley was a recovering meth addict, who had lost custody of her two children and had lost her husband to an overdose, as well.
These two unlikely people find themselves together in the same place, both facing a crossroads of sorts. How we respond in this moment will shape our lives forever.
Ashley had begun to attend a group for individuals recovering from addictions called Celebrate Recovery—a Christian program created by the author and pastor Rick Warren, and on her table was a copy of The Purpose Driven Life. Miraculously in that moment, Brian Nichols asked Ashley to start reading this book, one that talks about the person of Jesus and the future and purpose he has for our lives, to him.
Brian and Ashley sat there together, each at a crossroads of sorts. Brian at one point asked Ashley if she had any drugs in the house, which she did, but choosing to press forward, Ashley denied having any in her possession—thereby preventing the two of them from taking that well-worn path of bad decisions trod so often in their pasts. Instead, these two sat and let the words of this book wash over them, telling them of their value in God’s eyes and that he had a purpose and future for each of them.
There are times in our lives when we stand in between our past and our future. And how we respond in that moment can be the difference between becoming more fully alive, bearers of God’s divine image, and being duped once more into accepting the cheap substitute the enemy has to offer.
Download the entire transcript here: 9-13-15 Joshua 3 7-14
