When we seek to live with Christ as the Alpha and the Omega we approach the world under the umbrella of the Gospel, and in doing so our view of life and situations are changed.

          A psychologist at Northwestern University led a study that analyzed how people told their life stories.  He found that the life stories tended to follow one of two patterns: a redemption sequence or a contamination sequence.  In the redemption sequence, the person telling the story is able to find good things that came out of bad circumstances.  For instance, "My girlfriend broke up with me, and I thought it was the end of the world.  But then I met Sally, and she and I have been happily married for twenty years."  Contamination sequences, on the other hand, are stories where no good comes out of them.  "My girlfriend broke up with me, and it was the end of the world."  The study found that those people who had the most redemption sequences in their stories had the more positive impact with their lives.  They had a desire to reach out and help others.  They wanted to invest in creating a better future for the next generation.  But the people who listed the most contamination sequences in their life story were far less successful in creating a positive impact.  They were less likely to concentrate on creating a meaningful legacy for their lives.  

          In other words, needless anxiety about life produces a sort of self-fulfilling prophecy. The more we worry, the less likely we are to see God’s hand at work and to experience God’s blessings.  We begin to see the world as only picking on us.

          From Pastor Randy's Sermon on Nov. 25
 
          How do you see Christ the King shaping your life?