Oct. 12, 2010
For Immediate Release
Dr. Eric A. Johnson, pastor of Greater Galilee Church to “bounce back up” from life. |
By Caleb Harris, student news writer
CAMPBELLSVILLE, Ky.—“You can take whatever life gives you and bounce back up.”
Dr. Eric A. Johnson, pastor of Greater Galilee Church of Louisville, Ky., addressed the students, faculty, staff and coaches of Campbellsville University at the weekly chapel service recently.
Johnson is an author, moderator of the Central District Association of Baptists and instructor of theology at the CU-Louisville Center.
The message of his brief sermon was enduring the blows that life sometimes throws and persevering through those complications.
Using personal excerpts from his Texas childhood and more widely known examples such as the tragic death of Emmett Till and the affects on his mother, Mamie Till Mobley, Johnson painted a clear picture of striving in the face of adversity.
He began his speech reminiscing about his time spent in seminary school. He said that the number of hypocrites that he encountered while trying to learn the word of God was astounding. Speaking about his plane ride from school back to his Texas home he said, “It didn’t matter how high the plane was, because of the lowness of my soul.”
Johnson said he remembered his mother looking into his eyes and knowing something was bothering him. When his mother asked him what was the matter he responded, “I don’t understand how people can claim to be carriers of the gospel and live such bad lives.” His mother explained to him that though what he was experiencing was an injustice, he must not let it bother him to the point where it derailed him from his path. She told him to know it, realize it, but keep on pushing on.
One of the colorful illustrations that Johnson painted for the audience was one about his childhood dog. He said he would often knock his dog, Joe Palooka, to the ground, but no matter how hard or how much he hit the dog he would always manage to get back on his feet.
Johnson reminded listeners that we as Christians must approach life and its hardships with the same relentlessness displayed by his childhood dog. “Take life’s best knockout punches and bounce back like Joe Palooka, and always be determined to complete your destiny in him.”
Johnson also pointed out that God has given us the perfect outline for what our lives are supposed to be like in his inspired word, the Bible. He compared it to a puzzle. He said we do things in life that just do not fit the spaces provided by God. The puzzle of God has a definite shape and will not be compromised for our pleasures and wants that we consider needs.
“When we get to the end of our journeys we want to be where he wants us to be, when God declares it your time to go will your puzzle look like the picture?” Johnson said.
All chapels are open free of charge and are televised live on WLCU (Comcast cable channel 10) and are streamed live on the Internet.
Go to Campbellsville.edu, click on the media tab, select WLCU-TV and follow the prompts to live video streaming.
Campbellsville University is a widely acclaimed Kentucky-based Christian university with over 3,000 students offering 63 undergraduate programs, 17 master’s degrees and five postgraduate areas. The website for complete information is Campbellsville.edu.