Garth Heckman

The David Alliance

[email protected]

Have you heard the story about the man who

- Was a wrestler. 300 matches only lost one

- He fired guns at the white house

- He stood in front of live fire during a war

- He was a licensed bartender

- He was arrested for dueling

- He held seances where he worked

- He was accused of being to ugly for his job

- And he was our 16th President!

Abraham Lincoln.

Outwardly: Rough, awkward, poorly dressed frontier lawyer. Many thought he was too simple for leadership.

Inwardly: Brilliant thinker, deeply compassionate, and one of the greatest U.S. presidents who carried the weight of ending slavery.

He did so many great things in his life as president we often forget much about his life and his foibles!

• • Psalm 51:17: "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise."
• God's Power in Weakness:
  God's strength is often made perfect in our weakness.
  • 2 Corinthians 12:9: "But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me."
• Examples in Scripture:
  The Bible is filled with examples of flawed individuals used by God:
  • Moses, with a speech impediment and a past of murder.
  • David, an adulterer and murderer.
  • The Apostle Paul, a persecutor of Christians.
  • The disciples, who frequently misunderstood Jesus and abandoned him during his crucifixion.
• God's Purpose Through Brokenness:
  God can use our past experiences, even those of pain and brokenness, to bring comfort and healing to others.
  • 2 Corinthians 1:3-4: "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God