Marietta pastor

Gerald Harris tells the story about a former church member named Clifton,

a member of Harris' church in South Carolina. He was about 50, had worked

all of his life, have never been married, saved every penny that he ever

earned, lived with his mother until she passed away, and then continued

living in the same house his mother owned. It was an old frame house.

Unfortunately,

Clifton had done nothing to maintain the house since his mother's death.

The yard was full of weeds and tall grass. The gate was barely hanging

on one of the hinges. The house needed painting and the steps going up

to the front porch were so much in disrepair that you took your life in

your own hands to walk up to the front door.

Clifton drove

an old truck that was probably 20-25 years old and needed a paint job.

The door on the passenger side was held together with a rope. Harris said

he knew Clifton worked for Dupoint Corp. for 25 years, so he had to have

a decent salary. He just seemed miserly.

Clifton was

a very faithful church member. He'd come every Sunday morning and evening,

and every Wednesday and sit on the back row. Harris didn't know if he

gave anything to God through the church, but he certainly didn't spend

any on himself.

Well, something

happened to Clifton. A widow moved in next door to him and Clifton began

to notice this woman. She was a lovely lady and very friendly. Harris

drove by Clifton's house one day and noticed that he had fixed the gate

on his fence, and then he was having his house painted. And within about

three months, his house began to look like the showplace of the community.

Everyone was talking about Clifton and how much interest he was taking

in his house.

Then one Sunday,

he drove to church in a brand new Buick. And then about two weeks later,

Harris saw Clifton coming into church with this widow lady. Clifton didn't

sit on the back row; he sat close to the front, and he was wearing a brand

new suit. Clifton and Florence began to date. And not too long after that,

Clifton asked Harris to do their wedding ceremony.

What happened

to Clifton? He fell in love, and it transformed his life! He acted differently,

he thought differently, and he looked differently. He was a new person

because love got hold of his life. Love is a powerful thing!

What happens

when you fall in love with Jesus? It should transform your life. What

happens when you realize how much God loves you? It should change your

life. What happens when God's love is practiced in a family? It can change

the whole atmosphere of a home and help you build a stronger family.

Paul wrote

this about God's kind of love:

"Love

is patient and kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself and

is not arrogant; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not

provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in

the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures

all things. Love never fails" (I Corinthians 13:4-8).

Is this kind

of love practiced in your life?

Dr. David

L. Chancey is pastor, McDonough Road Baptist Church, Fayetteville, Ga.

The church family meets at 352 McDonough Road, and invites you to join

them this Sunday for Bible study at 9:45 a.m. and worship at 10:55 a.m.

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