Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
We really can’t blame people for missing what happened in the small town of Bethlehem over 2,000 years ago. Who would have thought that the Lord of heaven and earth would come into the world as a child born in a stable?
We are about to close the book on 2023. Today you might find yourself remembering some of the triumphs and trials of the past year. Even if you have had some wonderful successes in the past twelve months, you can probably remember some low points as well.
I heard a great idea on the morning news this week. Get a glass jar. Set it on a table where you see it regularly. Every day as they happen, write down all the things that happen to you each day that make you grateful. And there will be lots in the course of a year. Then, at the end of 2024, open your jar and remind yourself of all the things that have made you grateful throughout the year. There will be many more than we realize!
As you enter a new year, I hope you can remember that God’s plans have always been to prosper his people. He can transform ordinary events and difficult trials into key moments that help his plans to prosper. He is not out to harm us, but the dark moments we experience can be part of the most important lessons to help us grow nearer to him.
Remember that we often overlook the many good things that God brings to us, while dwelling on the bad things that happen….just happen! Not by design, but by happenstance.
God has a way of saving his world that we may find hard to understand. He introduced his Son into the world and brought about our salvation in a way that could easily be overlooked—and yet he has changed the world, and his kingdom keeps growing. That same God comes into our lives and draws us into his plans for a hope-filled future!
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As we enter this new year, my plan is to focus a few Sunday’s in February on outreach. Like most churches, we haven’t had an intensive program for outreach in many years. It’s my plan to re-introduce a friend – to-friend outreach into our culture. That may sound daunting, but word of mouth is the way most churches grow. Are we trying to grow? Obviously, saving more souls for Christ is our ultimate goal, but signs of doing that are often shown in church growth. We’ll explore this together!
Include Jesus in all that you do! Love your neighbor! Do no harm! Love God!
Have a great and glorious year!
Pastor David