Live Free with Josh Howerton - A Changed Life Changes Lives | Ep. 415 | Friday, September 6, 2024

Episode Date: September 6, 2024

When we encounter God, our lives undergo miraculous transformations. As our hearts and lives are altered, we feel a calling to share our stories so that others may also experience the gifts of healing, peace, joy, and love that we have found in Jesus. Who do you need to share your story with today? For more information, visit lakepointe.church/dailydrive

Thanks for tuning in to today's Daily Drive with Lake Point Church, a daily dose of God's Word for your morning drive. When the word, not the world, becomes the majority of your week, your life will start to change. For that reason, our prayer is that God will speak to you through today's devotional. For more digital content to feed your faith, visit lakepoint.combe. And now let's dive in to today's devotional. Well, it is Friday, and I hope you've had a great week. My name is Bro, and we've been looking at some one-on-one encounters that people had with Jesus. And this week, we have been unpacking this story that finds Jesus reaching out and touching this humble man who was dying of leprosy. It was a disease that had lumped him into the category of the untouchables.

But Jesus touched him, and his life would never be the same. Now, Jesus asked him to keep what had happened to him under wraps, but the guy just couldn't. I mean, do you really blame him? Because when God has changed your life, when Jesus has infected you, it's hard to keep that quiet. It's hard not to want to touch the world the way Jesus has touched you. Let me tell you about my friend Eddie. I met him after church one weekend. He came with his brother asking for prayer.

It was only like his third time in a church, and he wasn't sure he believed any of it. His brother and sister-in-law have been inviting him for years, but he would stiff arm him every time. He was a likable guy, but very self-centered, chasing a lot of stuff. and by worldly standards, he was very successful. But something in his life had changed. He'd been diagnosed with cancer, and there wasn't much hope. He finally came with them one weekend, and God started softening his heart. He reluctantly came forward to ask for prayer.

And we stood there and talked for a while, actually hit it off right away. Ever stood with somebody immediately, it felt like it was an old friend, and I told him that Jesus was a healer. And even though he doesn't choose to always heal people physically, there's a deeper healing than only he can bring. and I told him about my life how he healed me from an addiction to self and approval. And I told him that Jesus had replaced my greed with gratitude and my envy with contentment, my anxiety with peace.

And we huddled up and we prayed together. And we decided to stay in contact. A few weeks later, his brother texts me and I asked if the three of us could meet for lunch. I'll never forget. I sit around a round table and Eddie was right across from me. And he gets real choked up. He says, I want to give you an update on my cancer. and he said, the doctor's never seen something like this, he said.

My cancer's completely gone. And I can still remember looking across the table. I just saying the first thing that came out of my mouth, I don't know why I said it other than the Holy Spirit put these words in my mouth. I just looked at him and I said, dude, what are you going to do with a gift like that? And he looked back and I don't know, man. Think about it that way. Well, long story short, he took those words to heart.

and he gave his life to Jesus and I got to baptize him. And like I said, he was already a likable guy, but he turned into a love machine. He began to walk with humility. He was asking for forgiveness from friends and family. He became good friends with his ex-wife and her new husband. Started being the kind of dad. His girls had always needed him to be. I mean, it was like that.

Remember that old Tim McGraw song, lived like you were dying, except he wasn't skydiving, Rocky Mountain climbing or going 8.7 seconds on a bull named Foo Manchu. He started serving. He started giving himself away, giving his resources away. He got infected by the touch of Jesus. And he became this super generous guy who helped a ton of people. He was always bringing coworkers and clients and his girls at church with him. I mean, this guy turned into a light.

Well, just short of a year later, the cancer came back. And this time with an aggressive vengeance. And he lasted only a month or so. And I can remember being at his bedside while he was out. I was guessing he could still hear me and understand me, even though he's unconscious, and I told him I was so honored to know him. I was so proud of the way he allowed Jesus to transform his life. And I kissed him on the forehead, told him I'd see him soon, and that's the truth.

I will. Days later, I got to do the celebration of life service. It was incredible how many people showed up. The chapel held over 1,500 people. Every seat was taken, and people were standing all the way down the sides and across the back, and we opened the lobby doors, and people saw. sat in the lobby so they could hear. And so many people told stories of the way that he had touched their lives. And we cried and we laughed and we worshipped God. It was so moving. And about a month

prior when he knew he was in his final days, he had his brother make DVDs of a message that meant a lot to him. And everybody there on the way out, got a copy of a sermon on the way out the door. Eddie, he just took that gift of healing. And he let Jesus heal him where it really matters. And then he began to touch people in the same way he had been touched by the love of Jesus. I've had this quote from Ian Watson hanging over my office desk for many years. He writes, we live on a contaminated planet. It is contaminated on every level. It should have been quarantined from heaven. No reasonable God would go near it with a 10-foot pole. But Jesus is no reasonable God. He became a human being and took on your uncleanness in

mine. But instead of the world infecting him, he infected the world. And with his immaculate infection is still spreading. So what do you say we push back on this whole cancel culture with love? Let's take the gift that we've been given and let's pass it on. Jesus called you and me the light of the world. He said, blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be known as the children of God. So I just want to encourage all of us today, this weekend, there will be people waiting for someone. to touch them. Let's look at them through the grace healed eyes, to look at people the way Jesus did and be sensitive to the people that God puts in our path today. Let's always refuse to label people as untouchable, and let's just be the hands of Jesus in this world. I'll see you back

here on Monday. Have a great weekend. Thanks for tuning in today. For more biblical teaching and worship, join us for our church online live weekend services on Saturdays and Sundays. For more information about all the digital ministries of Lake Point, visit lakepoint. compt. Church slash daily drive. Also, if this podcast was helpful to you, would you be sure to rate, review, and share this podcast to help get the word out.