Put Down Your Stones

Today’s Passages – John 8 – 9; Proverbs 9

(Second Milers also read – Psalms 41 – 45; Memorize – Psalm 100:4)

Read this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 119:105

Click here to read last year’s post on this passage – “Believe It – He’s the Great I Am”

“So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her. … She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.” – (John 8:7, 11)

Preachers have a difficult job. They are commanded by God to preach the Word; and as we all know well, preaching involves a great deal of reproving and rebuking. The problem is that the preacher who may be reproving and rebuking others through the Word of God is also a guilty sinner himself. Recently, I was told about a person who had fallen into sin. My first reaction was that I wanted to sharply rebuke this person; but then God began to remind me of how often I have failed; maybe not in the same area, but guilty nonetheless.

I have decided that I am going to put down my stones. Oh, I will still preach the Book; but I will try to stop preaching it with a self-righteous tone of superiority. I am guilty myself. The older I get, and the more I grow in the Lord, the more I realize how far away from God I really am. My flesh is still alive and well, and though I try to crucify it often, it still resurrects itself and wreaks havoc with my spiritual walk. You see, If I received my just reward there would be a pile of rocks on top on me. Let’s try to be as compassionate as we can with people who are weak in their flesh just as we are. Let’s try to edify and strengthen each other; and encourage each other to walk in the Spirit so that we will not fulfil the lusts of the flesh. Let’s stop condemning each other. There is going to come a day when I will need some compassion from the people around me; but I fear that I will only reap proportionately to what I have sowed. Let’s put down our stones.

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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.