Sufficiency of Jesus Sermon story

This is posted here for those who wanted a copy of the story.

Illustration: "The Road of Life" – Poem Author unknown
At first I saw God as my observer, my judge, keeping track of the things I did wrong, so as to know whether I merited heaven or hell when I die, He was our there sort of like a president.
I recognized His picture but I didn't really know him.

But later on, when I met Christ it seemed as though life were rather like a bike ride. But it was a tandem bike
and I noticed that Christ was in the back helping me pedal.
I don't know just when it was that He suggested we change places, but life has not been the same since.
When I had control, I knew the way. It was rather boring and predictable. It was the shortest distance between two points.
But when He took the lead, He knew delightful long cuts up mountains and through rocky places at break-neck speeds, it was all I could do to hang on! Even though it looked like madness, He said, "Pedal!"
I worried and was anxious and asked, "Where are you taking me?" He laughed and didn't answer, and I started to learn to trust.

I forgot my boring life and entered into the adventure. And when I'd say, "I'm scared!" He'd lean back and touch my hand.
He took me to people with gifts that I needed, gifts of healing, acceptance, and joy. They gave me gifts to take on my journey, my Lord's and mine.

And we were off again. He said, "Give the gifts away; they're extra baggage, too much weight." So I did to the people we met, and I found that in giving I received, and still our burden was light.
I did not trust Him, at first, in control of my life, I thought He'd wreck it; but he knows bike secrets, knows how to make it bend to make sharp corners, knows how to jump to clear high rocks, knows how to fly to shorten scary passages.
And I am learning to be quiet and pedal in the strangest places, and beginning to enjoy the view, and the cool breeze on my face, with my delightful constant companion, JESUS CHRIST.

And when I'm sure I just can't do anymore, He just smiles and says . . .
"Pedal." --Author Unknown

Bonus Material Pt 2

Well some folks were asking for this quote which is a good one. It is from John Ortberg's book If you want to walk on water, you've got to get out of the boat.

Greg Levoy calls the common cold of the soul ' To sinful patterns of behavior that never get confronted and changed, abilities and gifts that never get cultivated and deployed-until weeks become months, and months turn into years, and one day you're looking back on a life of deep intimate gut-wrenching honest conversations you never had; great bold prayers you never prayed, exhilarating risks you never took, sacrificial gifts you never offered, lives you never touched, and you're sitting in a recliner with a shriveled soul, and forgotten dreams, and you realize there was a world of desperate need, and a great God calling you to be part of something bigger than yourself- you see the person you could have become but did not; you never followed your calling, you never got out of the boat'

Sermon bonus material

This a clip showing Fantasia's 'turning point' in her church.
From a movie on her life.