This has been quite a year! Certainly a number of exciting things have transpired, but moving into “The Next Chapter” has to rank right up there with the best of the best things that have happened. It has been nothing short of remarkable to see what God has brought together. In the process, I’ve had confirmed again the importance of following Him.
As we all know, it’s easy to live our lives thinking we’re following God when in fact we’re not paying much attention to Him at all. That’s not to say we aren’t committed to Him, or don’t believe in Him and His work. But when it comes to the day-to-day activities of our lives, or even the plans that we make for the future, all too often we see a whole lot more of us than we do of Him.
In the case of The Next Chapter, those of us who have been intricately involved in the planning process have done our very best to let God set the pace, not trying to tell Him what to do, or set His agenda for Him, at any point. The result has been that we have all gotten to see, and be a part of, a very peaceful, yet thrilling, work of God. He is the one calling the shots, beckoning us all to follow Him into the future He is breaking open for us. While there’s going to be lots of work for each of us, we want to make certain as we do it, we’re always following Him. That’s the way it’s supposed to work!
In just a few weeks, we will start our new teaching rotation. I am probably more excited about this than anybody. I’m looking forward to sharing the load with another who loves God’s Word, and has been called to declare it boldly. As we do this, it’s going to give our congregation the opportunity to be stretched in new ways as they now come at God’s truth from two different perspectives https://salud-hombres.com. Surely that is one of the ways God is going to help us be a truly multigenerational church. I treasure your support and prayer during what will be a season of adjustment and change for us, all for the glory of God.
As you pray for the church, ask God to clarify your specific role in what God is doing in and through it. In the organism known as the church, nobody is called to be a by-stander, cheering others on from the sidelines. Each and every one of us is called to do something significant for the Lord through the local church. As a great pastor Bill Hybels once said, “There is nothing like the local church when it’s working right. Its beauty is indescribable. Its power is breathtaking. Its potential is unlimited. It comforts the grieving and heals the broken in the context of community. It builds bridges to seekers and offers truth to the confused. It provides resources for those in need and opens its arms to the forgotten, the downtrodden, the disillusioned. It breaks the chains of addictions, frees the oppressed and offers belonging to the marginalized of this world. Whatever the capacity of human suffering, the church has a greater capacity for healing and wholeness. Still to this day the potential of the church is almost more than I can grasp. No other organization on earth is like the church. Nothing even comes close.” So, what role will you play?
With it being a Presidential election year, with the troops returning from a war, and hopefully the economy beginning to pick up, God has positioned us exactly where He wants us to be to meet the new challenges of 2012 with a whole new design and sense of purpose. What a blessing to be a part of what He is doing!
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, from Betty and me