Shepherd Sam and the Broken Gate

Have you ever had to go back and do something over again?  Perhaps you've had to make repairs more than once.  You had it fixed just right and the next thing you know, it was broken again.  Maybe you need to remove what is causing the damage before making repairs.

In today's episode we're looking in on Shepherd Sam as he is repairing a gate to his pasture.  In it he shares some wisdom from God's word about removing what keeps causing us to make repairs in our life.

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The Prattville family meets at 344 East Main Street, Prattville, AL.  Our web site is: https://prattvillechurch.org.  

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Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:01

Hello friends. Welcome to Walking with Our Master. I'm your host, Dave Leighton. Whether you're starting your morning or winding down your evening, let's take a few moments to center our hearts on some thoughts about what really matters. Recently I launched a new project. It's a cartoon series featuring Shepard Sam Says. Sam is a kindly elderly gentleman that shares wisdom and encouragement from God's Word. He shows how they apply to our life. If you haven't seen it, you can find it on the Facebook page for the Prattville Church of Christ. I recently posted an image of Sam repairing a gate to his pasture. Well, maybe you wonder a bit about what happened to the gate. So in today's episode we'll learn the story behind the gate damage and what it reminds Sam about her relationship with the master. Let's join Sam. Hello friends, I'm Shepher Sam. I've been spending the morning repairing an old gate down by the south pasture. You can probably see the fresh boards and new hinges. It took a little work, but it'll be as good as new before the day is over. You know, this gate didn't just fall apart on its own. A few nights ago we had one of those strong spring storms. The wind was howling, the rain came down in sheets, and an old tree limb finally gave way. It crashed right across this gate and splintered two of its rails. Now, I could have just fixed the gate and called it a day. But that would not be very wise. You see that broken limb is still hanging up there in the tree. If I leave it where it is, the next storm will probably finish what the first one started, and I'd be repairing this same gate all over again. So before I finish the gate, I got my saw and took down the damaged limb. Sometimes fixing the damage isn't enough. Sometimes we have to remove the source of the damage. While I was thinking about that limb, my thoughts wandered to something the Apostle Paul wrote. He reminds us that following Christ isn't only about receiving forgiveness. It's also about putting away the things that keep damaging our lives. Paul tells us to put to death what belongs to our earthly nature. He tells us to put away anger and malice, slander, filthy language and lying. He says to throw off the old self and put on the new. Well, I've learned something over the years. It's easy to ask God to repair the broken places in our life. It's harder to hand him the axe and let him remove what keeps breaking us. Maybe it's an old habit or bitterness we've carried for years. Maybe it's pride or unforgiveness, and maybe it's the voice we keep listening to. Whatever it is, if we leave it hanging over our lives like that broken limb, sooner or later another storm will come, and we'll wonder why the gate keeps getting broken. And while God is repairing us, he also transforms us. He lovingly removes the things that threaten the work he's doing in us. That's why I'm so thankful God never gives up repairing me. And I'm just as thankful that he doesn't stop there. He helps me remove whatever keeps damaging the life he's building. So today, while you're thinking about this old gate, ask yourself one simple question. Is there a broken limb hanging over my life? If there is, don't settle for repairing the damage. Ask God to help you remove the source. Because a repaired gate is good, but a safe pasture is even better. Thank you, Sam. Those were wise words. Paul reminds us in Colossians three verses five through ten that a Christian life involves both putting off the old self and putting on the new. God doesn't simply forgive our sins, he reshapes our lives as we surrender to him. As Sam reminded us, the goal isn't just to keep repairing the same gate after every storm. It's to remove what keeps causing the damage. Well thank you for listening today as together we walk with our master. Please join us again next week as we continue seeking truth, growing in faith, and getting back to what really matters.