I am so excited that I could just do a cartwheel!!!! (But I won’t, and you’ll thank me for that!) Why am I so giddy? Because this coming Sunday morning, our church will be coming together for one special service. We’ll be observing baptism and the Lord’s Supper and will be following our service with a dinner on the grounds. This is special because our church general has two morning services. The challenge with that is that not everyone gets to see everyone else. As a result, it can be easy to feel a division within the body. This service will be a chance to get our entire church family, all 200 strong, under one roof. It will be a celebration of all that the Lord has done in our midst over the course of the past year. We have so much to be profoundly grateful for. We have experienced rapid growth, welcoming over 25 new members, 12 by baptism. There is a passion and excitement among our body that is almost palpable. Simply put, the Lord is moving in a mighty way and is growing our body, spurring us to action along the way!!!
There is something to be said about doing life with a community of believers. Man wasn’t made to be alone. That is why God, in His infinite wisdom, created woman to be His partner and helpmate. In much the same way, God gave us the church not only as a way to serve Him and bring Him glory on a corporate level but also to serve as sources of support and strength to each other. I like what Paul says about the church in Colossians 3:16-17:
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him. (NIV)
This why the church exists! We exist to teach one another and to hold each other accountable in this thing we call life! We also come together to praise the Lord and express our thanks to Him as a body united in the Word that dwells in all of us. Because the Word resides in us as a believers, we have an obligation to display that at all times, particularly as a corporate body. I’m so thankful that I get to worship, serve, laugh, and cry with the faith community of University Baptist Church! I honestly cannot imagine doing life without them.
What about you? Who are you doing life with? It was the poet John Donne that once said “no man is an island”. True words!!! In the same way that man was not meant to be without a spouse, man was also not meant to be without spiritual support. We will never make it in this world without the love, accountability, and support that comes from a community of faith. Do you have such a community? If not, can I encourage you to find one in your local setting? Step out on faith and find one that you connect with. If you’re looking for the perfect one, keep looking, but I can assure you that if you allow Him to, the Lord will lead you to the one that He wants you to serve in. If you are already in a community of faith, do you let them know how much they mean to you? Do you truly appreciate them, or do you take them for granted? Allow me to be share my feelings to much church family.
To my faith family at University Baptist Church, please always know how much I love you. It is indeed the privilege of my life to shepherd you and to do life with you. You will never know how much joy you bring me and how much you all mean to me. I need you all just as much as you need me. God is currently doing something in our midst that is kind of leaving us all speechless, but I promise you that as long as we continue to look to Him, the best is yet to come. I can’t wait to worship with you all on Sunday!
Until Next Time,
Pastor JP
