Muddy Water

Have you ever run across a pond or creek that was so muddy that you would dare not jump in? The muddy water is scary because you cannot see the bottom or what is in front of you. A few years ago I was doing a triathlon where the swim portion was in the Ohio River. There had been a huge flood in Upper Ohio and it had dumped tons of garbage and mud into the river. I remember two days before the triathlon, I went down for the Gatorade practice swim and the water was murky and dirty. It was so polluted that you could see garbage and dirt floating around the banks. Luckily because of the rapid water it washed a lot of the mud and garbage down stream before the race. But I was still a little worried about that muddy murky water. Have you ever heard the statement "Don't muddy the water"? Sometimes with our words we can make things more confusing even when we are trying to explain something or clarify a question. Many times we are scared to share our faith because we are scared that we will muddy the water rather than lead someone to clarity. Many people refuse to teach Sunday School or Bible Studies because they are scared that they will not have all the answers. Some others are scared that there may be someone that is smarter or more Biblical literate than we are in those studies. Sometimes people are even scared to share there faith because they are scared that they will muddy the water. This Sunday we will learn some things that will give us the confidence to share our faith without fear that we will muddy the water. I promise this message will be clear as mud.