One year ago today, my pastor and spiritual father died. Dr. Cecil Sewell led me to faith in Jesus, baptized me, conducted my wedding, and conducted my dad’s funeral. He was always there when I needed him. His loss leaves a huge void in my life.
But in death we can see our God. The prophet reflected, “In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord” (Isaiah 6:1).
Oswald Chambers offered an interesting perspective on the death of our heroes. He said, “Our soul’s personal history with God is often an account of the death of our heroes. Over and over again God has to remove our friends to put himself in their place.”
Recovery Step: Have you lost someone important in the last year or so? Use this as an opportunity to look to the God of the universe as you never have before.
Author: Mark Denison
Mark and Beth Denison, married for 36 years, launched There’s Still Hope as a national movement to call men and women into lives of sexual integrity. Their ministry offers 90-day recovery plans for addicts and one-on-one and group coaching for addicts and their spouses. TSH also produces resources for pastors and churches to confront the porn epidemic that is destroying so many lives.
Dr. Denison was a senior pastor for over 30 years, NBA chaplain, and board chairman at Houston Baptist University three times. With a Master’s Degree in Addiction Recovery, Mark is a certified PSAP and active member of the American Association of Christian Counselors.
Mark has written four books on recovery: Porn in the Pew, 365 Days to Sexual Integrity, A 90-Day Recovery Guide, and 40 Days to Porn-Free Living. His latest book, Jesus on the 12 Steps, will be released later this year.
