An attorney named Marty, while working out in a gym, became friends with a fellow who was there lifting weights. The attorney's new friend, Vernon Grounds, turned out to be a professor, seminary president, and counselor.<\/p>\n\n
The attorney's marriage was crumbling. His wife wanted a divorce. After a while he decided to talk with Vernon. As the two discussed things, Vernon had him draw up a list of options on a piece of paper: 1. Stay in the marriage. 2. Separate temporarily. 3. Divorce.<\/p>\n\n
Then, since desperate events had driven Marty to consult his new friend, Vernon urged him to add Number 4. Suicide.<\/p>\n\n
Then he said matter-of-factly, "And, of course, there is murder."<\/p>\n\n
Not many things can shock a practicing trial lawyer, but this got his undivided attention. He began to object. "That never entered my mind."<\/p>\n\n
"Come now, Marty. You mean to tell me that a lawyer, who's spent as much time in the courts as you have, does not know someone who will kill for money? Surely the thought has crossed your mind."<\/p>\n\n
The attorney said later, "Vernon may as well have clubbed me with a baseball bat. He was right\u0097, the name of such a person was instantly in my mind."<\/p>\n\n
"Write it down," he said.<\/p>\n\n
Then Vernon took the list and said, "Can we agree that, as Christians, murder is not a viable choice?"<\/p>\n\n
Marty nodded.<\/p>\n\n
"Can we also agree as Christians that self-murder, or suicide, is not a viable choice?" They went on to discuss the Christian alternatives.<\/p>\n\n
The whole exchange was so shocking that a decade later the attorney reflected, "I was in dire need of a serious dose of reality, and Vernon knew exactly how to deliver it."<\/p>","protected":false},"author":30,"featured_media":0,"template":"","tax_ctp_audience":[],"tax_ctp_authors":[],"tax_ctp_categories":[165],"tax_ctp_format":[171],"tax_ctp_illustration_types":[411],"tax_ctp_multimedia":[],"tax_ctp_point_editor":[],"tax_publications":[140],"tax_ctp_tags":[3572,3666,3672,3697,3698,3823,4375,4425,4459,4504,4769,4792,4977,5105,5199,5279],"tax_ctp_topics":[378,382,390],"class_list":["post-48880","sermon-illustrations","type-sermon-illustrations","status-publish","hentry","tax_publications-ct-pastors","tax_ctp_tags-choice","tax_ctp_tags-conflict","tax_ctp_tags-confusion","tax_ctp_tags-counsel","tax_ctp_tags-counseling","tax_ctp_tags-divorce","tax_ctp_tags-light","tax_ctp_tags-marriage","tax_ctp_tags-mentoring","tax_ctp_tags-murder","tax_ctp_tags-reality","tax_ctp_tags-relationship","tax_ctp_tags-sin","tax_ctp_tags-suicide","tax_ctp_tags-truth","tax_ctp_tags-wisdom"],"acf":{"scripture_references":[{"first_verse":null,"add_second_verse":false,"second_verse":null},{"first_verse":null,"add_second_verse":false,"second_verse":null},{"first_verse":null,"add_second_verse":false,"second_verse":null},{"first_verse":null,"add_second_verse":false,"second_verse":null}]},"yoast_head":"\n