I am preparing for the message at the Abbe Road Baptist Church of Elyria. It is right here in our area in northern Ohio. It caused me to think back over the fifty-nine years of preaching that the Lord has allowed me. After pastoring wonderful church families for many, many years, the Lord brought us to Baptist Church Planters where I would have the privilege of serving as the vice president for many years. Traveling to preach on the weekends was just part of the precious ministry.

Where I was preaching and when it happened has now escaped me. But I can vividly remember a man coming up after one of my family conference preaching/teaching session and saying, “Thanks for coming to our church, Dr. Mike. Does your car play CD’s?” I know this dates how long ago this took place. After telling him it did, he handed me a CD of southern gospel music and told me, “You have a long drive home, and I want you to have some music to listen to.”

I thanked him very much for the gift and later, on the drive home, I listened to his CD. One of the songs was by Bill Gaither and sung by George Younce. “Thanks to Calvary” is the title and it so beautifully tells the story of a man going back to the places he used to go and now, thanks to Calvary, he doesn’t go there anymore. It goes on to speak of the child who used to be afraid of him. George, with his deep voice, sang about not being afraid of him any longer because you have a new daddy now. I don’t remember right now any of the other songs, but oh, how I loved that because for decades it has been my privilege to see the transformation that comes into the lives of those who place their trust in the Lord Jesus to be their Savior.

Listen to this! “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17). Perfect? Not yet! But I have been an eyewitness to the change that comes about in the lives of men and women, boys and girls, who have a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus.

So as you go about your day: If you know Christ as your Savior, you are not the same person you used to be. I am amazed at God’s grace. How about you?