FROM THE SBC PRESIDENT
Jesus—The Center of It All BY ED LITTON
I
had walked with God for many years before I truly learned what it means to place Jesus at the center of it all. As a young pastor and church planter, I experienced God’s abundant blessings on my life and ministry. God had blessed me with a growing family. I was shepherding a thriving church. And I was being given many opportunities to use the gifts God had given me. But success was not the greatest teacher in my life. Like a lot of people, I learned more from pain and loss than I did from joy and triumph. In 2007, my life was changed forever when my wife, Tammy, was tragically killed in an automobile accident. Losing Tammy brought the most devastating pain I’ve ever experienced. Each day was an immense struggle, not only to care for myself but also for my children and my church family. It was in those dark days that I learned to place Jesus at the center. Every day was difficult. But each morning when I opened my eyes I did the only thing I knew how to do: get alone with God and seek His face. I had long since developed the habit of a daily quiet time to start my day. But something changed in that season. Even in the middle of the deepest pain, my heart was warmed by the love of Jesus. He met me there in that season, drew me close, and ministered to me in a way that changed my life forever. And from that time forward, I resolved to keep Jesus at the center of my life and ministry. Placing Jesus at the center of it all is more than a tagline. It is the call of God upon each of our lives. Colossians 1:15–20 testifies about the preeminence of Jesus. He is before all things. He is the
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SBC.NET | SUMMER 2022
Placing Jesus at the center of it all is more than a tagline. It is the call of God upon each of our lives. Colossians 1:15–20 testifies about the preeminence of Jesus. He is before all things. He is the center of God’s plan of redemption. And He is to be at the center of all that we are and all that we do. center of God’s plan of redemption. And He is to be at the center of all that we are and all that we do. For many months I’ve prayed that this reality would mark this year’s gathering of our Great Commission Baptist family in Anaheim. May we—individuals, churches, and our entire convention—strive like never before to place Jesus at the center of it all.
