“Shotgun!”

Today’s Passages – Luke 14 – 16; Proverbs 1

Second Milers also read – Psalm 1 – 5; Memorize Jude 22

Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 47:1

Read last year’s post – “Soulwinning” from Luke 14 – 16

“But when thou art bidden, go and sit down in the lowest room; that when he that bade thee cometh, he may say unto thee, Friend, go up higher: then shalt thou have worship in the presence of them that sit at meat with thee.” – (Luke 14:10)

When I was a youth director I used to get a kick out of watching the teenagers fight over the front seat of the van. They would race to the van all shouting “Shotgun!”, which apparently meant the front seat alongside of the driver. I remember taking the time to teach them from this passage and others like it that we should really be fighting over the back seat and not the front. I was kidding about the fighting part, but those kids took me literally and began to race, trying to beat one another to the back of the van. I think those crazy teens just loved to fight!

What is it about our old fallen nature that we must insist on getting the preeminence? We want the front seat of the car; we want the closest parking spot in the shopping center. We will actually fight over these things. It’s craziness. I have often thought it funny that people who will walk for miles in an exercise program won’t walk an extra twenty feet in a parking lot.

We need to get over ourselves, and just accept the fact that we are just a small part of a big world made up of now 7 billion people. The universe does not revolve around us, it revolves around Christ. Our goal is to give Him the preeminence:

“And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.” – (Colossians 1:18)

One of the best ways for us to give the Lord the preeminence in our lives is to give Him first place, and then to put other people before ourselves. There is an old acrostic that illustrates this principle very well:

J – Jesus

O – Others

Y – You

JOY

Soul Winning

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October 29, 2021

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Phil Erickson

Pastor Phil Erickson has been the pastor of Jersey Shore Baptist Church since January of 2002. Having grown up in Ocean County, Pastor Phil has always had a burden for the south Jersey area. After graduating from Bible College in Longview, Texas, he and his family moved to Galloway Township with the vision of digging in and serving the Lord and the people of Atlantic County. Pastor Phil and Cindy Erickson have been married since 1985. They have four children and ten grandchildren. Their oldest son, Phil Jr. and his wife Katelyn are serving the Lord in Egg Harbor Twp., NJ. Their oldest daughter, Melissa, is married to Wesley Clayton who is in the Air Force and is currently stationed in New Mexico. Samantha, their third child, is married to Justin Mears and they are both serving the Lord at the church in Galloway. Hannah, the youngest, is married to Lucas McCollum, and they are also serving here in Galloway. In preparation for ministry, the Lord led him through a variety of educational experiences that have equipped him to serve the Lord and His people. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Georgian Court University, a Bachelor of Biblical Studies in Pastoral Theology from Texas Independent Baptist Seminary (formerly Texas Baptist College), a Master of Religious Education in Bible from West Coast Baptist College, and a Master of Biblical Studies from The Crown College. More recently, he completed a Graduate Certificate in Biblical Counseling and a Doctor of Ministry degree from Veritas Baptist College. He is thankful for these opportunities to study God’s Word more deeply, and counts it a privilege to use whatever knowledge the Lord has given him for the building up of His church. In addition to pastoring, the Lord has given Phil the wonderful privilege of teaching as an adjunct professor at Vision Baptist College in Berlin, NJ and Veritas Baptist College.