What's Your Logline?

John Newton was one of the worst types of people you could imagine. After the death of his very godly mother, John was placed on merchant ships with his father until he was impressed into service on a British warship. Finding his service there boring and intolerable, he defected, and was soon after recaptured and publicly flogged and humiliated. At his own request he was transferred into service on a slave-trading ship where he was an abused servant of the captain. An old friend of his father rescued him and made him captain of his very own slave-trade route. One day while drunk, John placed himself on the block to be sold. He was purchased by a black woman who kept him drunk and made him walk on all fours while being led by a dog collar. Everything seemed to be going wrong for this man, until one day when he sobered up. John began to remember the scripture that his mother used to read. He knew in his heart what he needed. . . a Savior! God rewrote the logline of John Newton’s life, which he then penned so eloquently in the song we sing so often, Amazing Grace. The logline that was once written “WRETCH, LOST, and BLIND” is now, “SAVED, FOUND, and SEEING!”

 A “logline” is the one sentence summary of your script. It answers the question: What is your story about? No matter how many plot twists and turns a story can always be summarized down to one sentence. As we take a look at the screenplay that is Saul’s life we find a man who grew up knowing everything there is to know about the Bible. He sat under the greatest teachers of his day. Yet, this brilliant Pharisee is one who God calls in 1Timothy 1:15, “the chiefest (or foremost) of sinners.” He traveled the country MURDERING Christians because of their faith. BUT, God had a different plan. He took the murdering and malicious Saul and transformed him to the modest and ministering Paul. 

If you were to write a logline for your life, what would it be? If we were honest with ourselves and summarized our entire life in one sentence, would it be good or bad? Maybe today your logline is filled with drama and disaster, but it doesn’t have to stay that way! God CAN and WILL rewrite your logline just like he did for Paul and John Newton. The only condition is that we must turn over all author, director, and producing rights to our creator. Not only will you be much happier with your story, but your story will change the lives of countless others. The lives and ministries of Paul and John are still affecting lives today. We have no idea of the negative impact we will make if we do not allow God to edit our story. Turn your logline and life over to God TODAY so that you too can say: 

Amazing grace! (how sweet the sound) That saved a wretch like me!
 I once was lost, but now am found, Was blind, but now I see. 
The Lord has promised good to me, 
His word my hope secures;

He will my shield and portion be,
 As long as life endures.