His Name Was Art

By Ron Adams

    He grew up in a rough neighborhood and associated with gang members. His home life was far from ideal.
    He met a young girl whose family worshiped where I preached. He started coming to services with them. After some time he obeyed the Gospel.
    He was admonished to stay away from his old friends and he did so for a while. But on one occasion he was with an old friend and they committed a crime. He was sentenced to a year in prison.
    I visited him often and stressed that when he was released he needed to stay far away from such friends.
    After his release, he seemed to be doing better. That is, until I received a phone call telling me that he had been killed while robbing a gas station with an old friend. How tragic!
    Why am I writing this? To graphically impress on the minds of young people these truths:
    Bad friends will influence you.
    Do not be deceived: “Bad company corrupts good morals.” 1 Corinthians 15:33
    New ways of living must replace old ways, or you will revert to the old ways.
    “When the unclean spirit goes out of a man, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, and not finding any, it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ And when it comes, it finds it swept and put in order. Then it goes and takes along seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they go in and live there; and the last state of that man becomes worse than the first.” Luke 11:24-26

- F.Y.C. is a monthly publication by Ron Adams. Bible references are from the NASB except where another translation is referenced. Back issues are archived at http://ra10ar.com Be thoughtful and kind. All rights reserved. © 2016