If you drove through Lisbon Falls, Maine, about 10 or more years ago, you may have found yourself stopping by the Kennebec Fruit Company, a corner store owned by Frank Anicetti, a local legend who was made famous nationally by Stephen King’s, 11/22/63. Anicetti passed away in 2017.

If you go to Lisbon Falls today, Anicetti has been memorialized through the renovation of his store, now a restaurant called “Frank’s Restaurant and Pub.” Stop in and visit with the locals, and they’ll tell you about a man who had one thing on his mind… Moxie soda.

Anicetti was a big fan of the drink, served it in his store, believed that the world was full of two types of people (those who liked Moxie, and everyone else), and always encouraged any new visitor to try the beverage.

Moxie was one of the first national beverages to be successfully marketed in New England, and it provided Anicetti with a great amount of nostalgic joy. Anicetti is a big part of the reason why, every year, Lisbon Falls hosts the “Moxie Festival.”

If everyone has one gift they give to society, Anicetti’s was Moxie soda. His love for the drink and his enthusiasm for its support were captured when Stephen King included him as a minor character in 11/22/63, a novel about a man from Lisbon Falls who goes back in time to prevent the assassination of John F. Kennedy.

We call people like Frank Anicetti a “one-trick pony.” Well, not really. We like Frank, and found his obsession with a mediocre beverage to be endearing. Usually when we call someone a “one-trick pony,” it’s not a compliment.

It’s something we call people who have a high-level of expertise in one thing, and are useful for little else.

Which brings me to my question… “Am I a one-trick pony?”

If you’ve listened to me preach, or really have had any sort of theological discussion with me, you may have noticed (or at least I hope you’ve noticed) that I always bring the discussion back to the Gospel.

The Gospel, of course, is defined in 1 Corinthians 15:3-4 as how Jesus “died for our sins, according to the scriptures, was buried, and rose again the third day according to the scriptures.”

I believe that the Gospel is the central message of the Bible, and that every passage is either declaring the Gospel, illustrating the Gospel, points to the Gospel, or is recording events that set up the Gospel.

I believe the Gospel is the power of God unto salvation, that by placing one’s faith in the Gospel one is saved, and that every true Christian doctrine stems from the Gospel.

For example, I believe that marriage is to be a picture of the Gospel. The relationship between a husband and a wife should be an illustration of the relationship between Christ and His people.

I believe that Christian parenting should reflect the relationship between God and His children.

I believe that doctrines on giving, forgiveness, grace, and mercy, all are rooted in the Gospel.

I believe that Biblical teaching on how to conduct business and how to manage relationships should be rooted in the Gospel.

I believe this, not only because it’s true, but also because if you remove the Gospel from any Christian teaching, you will wind up with a legalistic system which will breed Pharisaism. We’ll become like the Sanhedrin of Jesus’ day.

Furthermore, if you remove the Gospel from Christian teaching, our religion becomes hard-hearted very quickly.

Therefore, I aspire to be like Charles Spurgeon, who famously said, “I take my text, and make a bee-line to the cross.”

Christianity is a religion of forgiveness, redemption, reconciliation and restoration. All of this is possible only because of the Gospel. When we lose the Gospel, we lose forgiveness, redemption, reconciliation and restoration. And when we lose those things, we lose hope.

So, if being obsessed with the Gospel makes me a one-trick pony, I’ll gladly wear that label, then I will retire to my living room with a freshly opened bottle of ice-cold Moxie soda. (Or, since they don’t have that in West Texas, I’ll settle for Diet Coke.)

May God bless you as you walk with Him today.