Vansandt says we need more Godly life

What it means to live a Godly life is being lost in today’s society, according to Van Vansandt, the speaker yesterday at Central Church of Christ’s annual Friends and Fellowship Luncheon.

The free lunch, attended by hundreds in the community, includes a brief inspirational message which Vansandt delivered. He is the preacher at Atlas Church of Christ in Killen, Ala., and has been the guest speaker at Central’s annual gospel meeting, which ends tonight.

‘For us to act like God’s people, it goes deeper than the outside,’ said Vansandt. ‘We need to have a stronger hold on what Godly living is all about.’

To illustrate this point, Vansandt told a story of a basketball game he attended in Jackson, Tenn. He said during the game, a grown man began yelling at a 16-year-old player.

Vansandt said the man was hollering discouraging comments at the teen and he found those remarks disturbing.

‘To use my worst grammar, ain’t nothing good gonna come from that,’ said Vansandt. ‘But that’s what it’s like when fools are in charge. In my lifetime I’ve seen how Godly people have lost their hold on Godly lives.’

Vansandt said maintaining strong Christian values is important for adults as well as children because young people so often learn by example from their parents.

A 1984 graduate of Freed-Hardeman University, Vansandt has been a full-time preacher for 25 years. He and his wife, Maryanne, have two children.