My Grace-Full Life

A Lesson on Faith from My Great-Mommy’s Cast-Iron Skillet

BY DENISE HEIDEL

My mom recently gave me some of my Great-mommy’s castiron cookware. I don’t have a clue how old it is. Great-mommy and Great Papa were married in 1930, so I’m assuming she obtained it in the early years of their marriage, and more than likely, it wasn’t new then. I remember her using it…Greatmommy was an incredible cook. I was 14 when she died and even 30 years after her death, I still say her cornbread is the best I’ve ever eaten.

Here’s the problem…These cast-iron pieces have been in the hands of my grandmother. And that was a mistake. My grandmother hated to cook and she never followed the appropriate rules when it came to caring for her mother’s cast-iron cookware. Translation: Mamo washed them with soap and water.

My grandmother didn’t trust the decades of experience that cast-iron cookware could (and should be) be cleaned WITHOUT soap. She felt that if the pan wasn’t scrubbed with bubbles, it wasn’t clean. And in her efforts, she exhausted herself for no reason. And eventually (insert sounds of crying), she even put the cast-iron into the dishwasher. Bless her heart.

I know. The horror, right? I have a feeling that Mamo had some explaining to do to Great-Mommy when they were reunited in heaven.

The cookware was covered in rust and so, some friends of mine who actually know how to restore cast-iron kindly offered to help me out. I know how to maintain it once it’s properly seasoned again. After all, it’s not that hard. And the care of a castiron skillet has a lot to teach us about faith.

Just as the care of cast-iron isn’t complicated, neither is our salvation or forgiveness for sins. But we sure do like to make it hard.

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When we read John 3:16, it almost seems too easy. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” That’s it? We just have to believe in Jesus and we have eternal life? Where are all the rules about being a good person? What about random acts of kindness? They aren’t part of the process, because nothing we do can earn our place in heaven! Therefore, many doubt the simplicity of John 3:16 because they think salvation should be more complicated. They don’t trust how easy God has made it.

We are the ones who make it hard. Jesus made it easy: Believe in Him and His blood makes us clean. 1 John 1:7 says, “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.”

I understand the temptation to want to use a steel wool scrubber on our hearts. We know how ugly our sin is… but here’s the good news…so does God. We know how impure we are…but here’s the good news…so does God. We can’t fully understand how the simple choice to believe can make us clean…but here’s the good news…that’s how simple God made it for us. It’s simple. But not always easy.

We don’t need to earn anything and try to over- complicate the matter. As it says in my favorite verses, “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9).

So stop trying so hard and take God at His Word! He gave us these simple instructions thousands of years ago and they are true today. We need to trust that when we believe, we have been made clean.

Betwixt and Between

BY JEFFREY H. SYPOLE, PASTOR

“Jesus replied, ‘No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.’”

~ Luke 9:62

I believe the secret of the power of the Gospel is to be willing to go all the way with the Lord—putting your hand to the plow and never looking back. I believe people who are “on the fence” cannot enjoy the things of God. I believe when they try to get betwixt and between, they get into an awful mess and things don’t go well.

An experience at Boulder Dam back in the 1930s illustrates this point. The Boulder Dam, which is now called Hoover Dam, is a concrete arch-gravity dam in the Black Canyon of the Colorado River, on the border between Nevada and Arizona. It was constructed from 1931-1936. Its construction was the result of a massive effort involving thousands of workers and at a cost of over one hundred lives.

One day, a group of powder men had been working all night drilling holes in the mountainside to blast away the rock. They wanted to make the big shot before the day crew came on. At last, the holes were all dug, the dynamite was in, and the wires connected with the power line. The man who was to set off the blast was short of wire and there wasn’t time to send to camp for more. What wire he had wasn’t long enough to let him get beyond the danger zone of falling rocks. He saw a little cave in the mountainside and thought he’d push the button and jump in there. So, he pushed the button, the blast went off, he jumped in the cave—and there was a rattlesnake! He was betwixt and between. He couldn’t go in on account of the snake, and he couldn’t go out on account of the falling rocks. What could he do? He saw a huge rock at the cave entrance. In less time than it takes to tell it, he picked up that rock, dropped it over the snake and jumped into the cave. The snake tattled and rattled but couldn’t reach the man because it was pinned down by the rock.

I wonder whether some folks who say they are Christians really believe in the Lord or not. I don’t know whether they have been born again. Many are “on the fence.” They are betwixt and between. They are like that man in the cave and they will have to do something about it. If you are one of those, get hold of the rock of Christ Jesus that will save you. He can hold Satan down so that he cannot harm you. A decision must be made. Either we go all the way with the Lord or not at all. There is no in-between. This is imperative to experiencing the full and abundant life we all strive for. After all, in His presence is fullness of joy, and in His right hand, there are pleasures forever (Psalm 16:11). By loving the Lord with all your heart, you place yourself in a position of joy—joy that is there regardless of your current circumstances. I want that kind of full joy. Don’t you?

Loving God is always a day-to-day learning process. We learn more and more how to do it and keep doing it a little each day until we get better at it and more consistent in it. When we let the “Son” shine in our hearts, we will find the true meaning of life.

SUNRISe

Sunrise UMC UNITED METHODIST CHURCH

contemporary worship casual dress sharing the love of Jesus come and see.

1111 Lewisville-Clemmons Rd. (336) 712-8000 www.sunrise-umc.org After school care: Lynn Wagner (336) 624-2725 After school care: Mary Potts (336) 941-7328

Sunday sunday small group 9:30am brunch 10:00am worship celebration10:30am Genesis Kardia Monday 6:30 pm

4th Annual EZRA GOLDBACH FOUNDATION GOLF TOURNAMENT Friday, July 31, 2020

Ezra Goldbach’s family and friends are honoring his life by having the 4th Annual Golf Tournament in his memory at Pilot Knob Park Country Club in Pilot Mountain. We are excited to see everyone again this year and welcome anyone that hasn’t played before to join us!

Ezra Foundation Each year a scholarship will be awarded to an upcoming college student with academic merit that has goals for a brilliant future and has played on the high school golf team. In addition, The Ezra Goldbach Foundation has donated to many other local charities and underprivileged families throughout the community. Each year we have a goal to reach out and to help a school or family with needs.

Please mark your calendar for Friday July 31st for a fun day of golf in Ezra’s memory!!! There will be lots of food and hydration available! Prizes and giveaways too! All this and the incredible golf at P.K.P . We thank everyone in advance for being a part of this awesome day!!

DATE: FRIDAY, JULY 31, 2020 TIME: 8:30 & 2:00 SHOTGUN START FORMAT: CAPT. CHOICE/SCRAMBLE TEAM: (4) PERSON COST: $75.00 per person; GOLD, SILVER, BRONZE and TEE SPONSORSHIPS available. LUNCH: WILL BE SERVED FROM 1:00 – 2:00