Minister Scott McCown

Minister Scott McCown

PARRISH, Ala. (BNc) — Scott McCown, minister with the Parrish congregation, spoke the gospel to management of a car dealership in Jasper Tuesday, Feb. 5.

The Public and Community Relations Liason from Scott Crump Toyota in Jasper called him the day before with an invitation to lead a devotional with the management staff.

She had produced the congregation’s television program before working with the dealership and “she immediately thought of me as someone she appreciate and thought would lead the devotionals,” Scott said.

So promptly at 8 a.m., Scott sat in a conference room with eight managers and the owner of Scott Crump Toyota.

Scott had asked some fellow preachers for devotional ideas. When he shared with the managers how some of the preachers suggested he talk about honesty, they laughed.

He mentioned that Exodus 22:25 crossed his mind since it discussed not charging interest and that someone suggested preaching about not taking advantage of the poor and widows. More laughter.

Scott then told them that owners and managers of one of the highest-volume used car dealerships in the area and state are members and deacons at the Parrish church, and they suggested he tell them, “God said to shut down.”

With that light-hearted banter, Scott says he then told them he had a different message, and then shared the following:

Scott Trump Toyota

Scott Trump Toyota

“If you go back to the service department on most any day, you will find cars that are broken down because the owner did not follow the basic instructions for maintenance. Some fail to do so because they do not know the instructions. They have not taken time to read the owner’s manual. Others fail to do so by choice because they do not think it is important. Some know they should, but they forget. In other cases someone has given them bad advice and said some other schedule is just fine.

“The Bible is our manual written by our Manufacturer. For our lives to be all they can and should be, we must follow those instructions. Remember God as our Creator knows us better than we even know ourselves! It is important that we follow his instructions!

“Here are some instructions from the Manual we call the Bible:

“Matthew 22:36-40, ‘Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?’ And he said to him, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.’

“Colossians 3:22-23, ‘Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.’

“There are three observations we need to learn that apply not only to our spiritual life, but our life as a whole, even as managers and salespersons:

1. Respect God.
2. Respect all that God created.
3. Respect your work.

“If we apply these to all we do, we cannot help but be successful in life. They even apply to car sales and service repairs.”

Scott closed the devotional with a prayer. Mr. Crump and his dealership manager invited him back at any Tuesday.

The invitation to lead this devotion came as a result of the Parrish church’s daily television program, “Search the Scriptures.”

“I do not know what will come of this devotional. I do know that God’s Word can prick the hearts of mankind. My prayer is that through these devotionals the Seed will find good soil,” Scott said.

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