Romans 8.28 - And we know that for those who love God, all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. 

Lonnie Jones tells the story about his epiphany he had with this verse. 

He says he was out with some friends one night and they were playing the scribble game on the tablecloth. The scribble game is where you draw different scribbles and then Lonnie says he would try to make an actual picture out of it. His friends got a kick out of it. 

Several weeks later, Lonnie was over at the same friends house watching a football game and his friend says, hey, let me show you my son's room. 

We walked into the back of the house with her brand-new bedroom much for their son Joshua She said "Our neighbor had an emergency and they took their oldest child to the hospital and we kept their youngest child in Josh's room for the night.

And while she was in there by yourself she got a red magic marker walked all over this room as high she can reach, all four years old of her. She scribbled all over this whole brand-new room. She said we can paint this room… or we can turn you loose it was some markers will have some original Lonnie Jones artwork.

He says I started exploring this room. There was a curve on the wall that made a beautiful brachiosaurus grazing on some tropical plants from a volcano is almost perfect vertical line became the blade of the light saber Star Wars character standing on a giant mushroom. He said he wasn't sure not if it was the Holy Spirit of the marker fumes, but he had an epiphany about Romans 8.28. 

Lonnie says, "See, sometimes I take my marker because I'm rebellious or sinful, and I mark on that wall. Sometimes evil comes in, take my marker, and writes on my wall. Sometimes my wall gets marks on it because I'm lazy or careless. And I'm standing here looking at this MESS, and God says, 'Let me have your marker.'" 

And if I give my marker to God, God isn't a cartoonist. God is a world-painter.
 
God makes rainbows and sunsets. God makes seascapes and snowscapes. God, the ultimate artist of the universe, takes that mess that either I made of that evil made and God makes it make sense. That's what Romans 8.28 teaches. 

Have you given your preverbal marker to God this evening? Or do you clutch your own marker with white knuckles? 

If tonight you need to give something to God, you can do that. We can pray for you. If you need to give your life to become a child of God, you can do that tonight. 

Come right now and make a change while we stand and sing.