Stuck In A Rut

Sunday, Bob mentioned the idea of a guy who drives his truck into some mud (must be a Redneck.... or my nephew...) gets pulled out (rescued) and then drives right back into the same rut and gets stuck again. The obvious solution in this scenario is TURN THE TRUCK, DUDE! Go a different direction. How many times do we drive into muddy life ruts and get stuck, and after being pulled out we drive right back into them again. [Editorial comment: I'm guilty!] Even if you don't regularly read the Bible, let me challenge all of you to read Romans 6. Try a really understandable version of the Bible (ie The Message or New Century Version) which can be found at http://bible.crosswalk.com/OnlineStudyBible/bible.cgi?word=Romans+6&section=0&version=msg&new=1&oq=&NavBook=ro&NavGo=6&NavCurrentChapter=6

Here are a few excerpts from that chapter:

1 So what do we do? Keep on sinning so God can keep on forgiving?
2 I should hope not! If we've left the country where sin is sovereign, how can we still live in our old house there?
6 Could it be any clearer? Our old way of life was nailed to the Cross with Christ, a decisive end to that sin-miserable life - no longer at sin's every beck and call! What we believe is this:
7 - 8 If we get included in Christ's sin-conquering death, we also get included in his life-saving resurrection.
11 From now on, think of it this way: Sin speaks a dead language that means nothing to you; God speaks your mother tongue, and you hang on every word. You are dead to sin and alive to God. That's what Jesus did
13 Don't even run little errands that are connected with that old way of life. Throw yourselves wholeheartedly and full-time - remember, you've been raised from the dead! - into God's way of doing things.
22 But now that you've found you don't have to listen to sin tell you what to do, and have discovered the delight of listening to God telling you, what a surprise! A whole, healed, put-together life right now, with more and more of life on the way!

The bottom line is quit driving back into the rut of sin and getting stuck. What does that look like in everyday life? If you are tempted to do something that puts distance between you and God, take intentional steps to avoid that. If going to Nascar races causes me to act in a way that offends God, guess what.... I need to quit going to Nascar races.... (OK, bad example. I'm not giving up Nascar.... I feel closest to God when I'm watching Nascar... Uhhhh I can't back that up. But I'm still not giving up Nascar.) Get the idea? The plan is simple, implementing it takes courage and determination. But, as Bob always says: YOU CON DOO EAT!

Live loud, live intentionally, and love God / Family / and Friends with every word and every action.