Emphasis Preaching Journal

Jim was 38 years old. The doctors had given him less than a month to live. Jim was very philosophical about his impending death. "What else can I expect?" Jim asked me. "I'm surprised that I didn't die a long time ago. Even my doctor is surprised that I've lived this long. He told me that no one can abuse their body the way I have and expect to live." "Jim, I know how you've abused your body," I replied. "I know that you've been told that you are going to die in less than a month. But you can expect to live." Jim looked at me as if I had lost my mind. He knew that I was aware of his life story. At the age of eight Jim and a friend had started to sneak alcohol from his parents' bar. At the age of ten he was stealing cigarettes from his parents. By the time he was twelve Jim was experimenting with drugs. In order to support his habits he stole money from his mother's purse and his father's wallet. Before long he was shoplifting and breaking into private homes. Eventually he was caught by the police, tried as a juvenile, and placed in a juvenile detention center. When Jim was released he vowed that he was going to go straight. His good intentions lasted for a week. Without knowing how it had happened, a pattern developed. Jim would come out of jail clean. He'd begin to smoke cigarettes and have a drink or two a day. Then he'd start back on the drugs. Soon he knew he'd be stealing to support his habits and end up back in jail. I knew how Jim had lived and I knew that Jim was going to die. But I also knew that "the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 6:23). Now all I had to do was to tell Jim God's story. "Jim, I know how hard your life has been. I know that your doctors have told you that you are going to die very soon. But did you know that you can expect to live?"
-- Conroy