My freshman year at Lamar High School, I vividly remember that I couldn’t bench press a 125lbs and boy was I discouraged. However, my ‘determination was greater than my discouragement’. Therefore, I ask my mom and dad for a weight set and when Christmas came boy did I started hitting dem boys everyday before and after school!!! Now, fast forward to the end of my freshman year, my max bench press was 250lbs and at the end of my sophomore year my max bench press was 300lbs. Here’s the kicker guys, I only weighed 125lbs and some change!! I will never forget when Coach Evans left his 5th period History class just to personally award my 300lbs club t-shirt. So what does this have anything to do with this morning’s devotion?? No, I am not bragging nor I am living in the past and I hate to answer a question with a question but are you living out your Christian life to the MAX? I get it the ‘weight’ of this world can be extremely and exhaustingly overwhelming however, maxing out the fruits of the spirit listed in Gal 5:22-23 will certainly assist in conditioning you to achieving the goal of becoming a fully devoted follower of Christ! Which by the way, is how we live out our Christian life to the MAX! Saying ‘Yes’ to Jesus secures our salvation but it is only the beginning to living out our Christian lives to the MAX. Beloved, God is working a extraordinarily magnificent work in each of our lives and make no mistakes whatever He starts, He brings to perfect completion. Well, at least for me that’s my conviction and at the end of my life I am not looking to receive a ‘t-shirt’ as I will be eagerly with great anticipation listening for my

MASTER to say, “’Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let’s celebrate together!’” (Matt 25:23)