A Look in the Rear View Mirror
Encouragement for your heart and mind on what God is doing from Pastor David
Our odometer has recently registered an additional 3300 miles.
Cañon City, Kansas City, Ames, Deerfield, Racine, Bailey’s Harbor, Cloquet, Sioux Falls, Colorado Springs.
God’s protective grace was with us every mile of the way. Even when that pickup truck nearly side-swiped us somewhere in South Dakota on a curvy two-lane.
Here are the wonderful realities God reaffirmed for us on our recent trek through the mid-west.
#1 THE MATCHLESS ENCOURAGEMENT OF GOD’S PEOPLE
God’s people – committed disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ – are the best. At each stop they eagerly lifted our spirits back to God time after time after time. It really is true that when a child of God, you and I have “family everywhere.” We connected again with Craig and Julie, Paul and Linda, Jon and Colleen, Paul and Joanne, Roger and Vicki, and Ilene (whose husband was lost to cancer in January, and is now with the Savior).
I often end letters I write with “2 Timothy 4:22 – The Lord be with your spirit. Grace be yours.” Vicki, from her beautiful home set in the woods of Door County, Wisconsin, presented us with a beautiful framed stitching of that verse. What an encouragement!
Cañon City, Kansas City, Ames, Deerfield, Racine, Bailey’s Harbor, Cloquet, Sioux Falls, Colorado Springs.
God’s protective grace was with us every mile of the way. Even when that pickup truck nearly side-swiped us somewhere in South Dakota on a curvy two-lane.
Here are the wonderful realities God reaffirmed for us on our recent trek through the mid-west.
#1 THE MATCHLESS ENCOURAGEMENT OF GOD’S PEOPLE
God’s people – committed disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ – are the best. At each stop they eagerly lifted our spirits back to God time after time after time. It really is true that when a child of God, you and I have “family everywhere.” We connected again with Craig and Julie, Paul and Linda, Jon and Colleen, Paul and Joanne, Roger and Vicki, and Ilene (whose husband was lost to cancer in January, and is now with the Savior).
I often end letters I write with “2 Timothy 4:22 – The Lord be with your spirit. Grace be yours.” Vicki, from her beautiful home set in the woods of Door County, Wisconsin, presented us with a beautiful framed stitching of that verse. What an encouragement!
When committed to Jesus and His Word,
the churches in the world
are the hope of the world.
#2 THE IMPORTANCE OF THE CHURCH
As Pamela and I attended the IPM (Interim Pastor Ministries) conference at Trinity International University in Deerfield IL, we were reminded that Jesus loves His church. His love was fully expressed on the cross when He died in our place to meet the death-penalty requirements for our sin. But his love continues to be expressed in how He provides leadership for His body through the many couples we met at the conference, who are doing “interim work” in scores of churches.
There’s nothing like the church in the world. When committed to Jesus and His Word, the churches in the world are the hope of the world.
Do you believe this for our church, the Free Church of Cañon City? Only the church has as its passion the proclamation of the gospel (“good news”) about Jesus. We know that the world’s only hope – indeed our city’s only hope – is for God’s grace to change people from the inside-out through people believing in the gospel. Laws, social initiatives, self-improvement programs ultimately fall woefully short.
“I am not ashamed of the Gospel,” Paul wrote to the Romans. “It is the power of God for salvation for everyone who believes” (Romans 1:16).
#3 THE HOPE FOUND UNIQUELY IN CHRIST
Along the way, we met many people who are struggling with losses in life. Pamela and I met with a friend over 40 years, who lost her husband to cancer just 5 short months ago. It was difficult for me to see Ilene without her beloved friend and husband, Dr. Jay (DDS). Hard to see her well up with tears as she retold the story of his physical diminishment and sudden passing. Jay was a very godly man, a deeply spiritual leader in the church and asset to the community of Grand Forks.
How could he not still be at Ilene’s side?
What we clutched on to together was the hope we have in Christ. He conquered the grave. Which means Jay is in the presence of his Savior, no doubt as a new “witness” in the cloud urging us on to finish the race he completed (cf. Hebrews 12:1-3).
Indeed Ilene took great comfort in this. The hours we spent with here were priceless. Sunday, as we drove south out of North Dakota, God’s provision of eternal hope had become even more precious to us.
COME…WORSHIP EACH SUNDAY
For all the right reasons. To receive the matchless encouragement of God’s people. To reaffirm the critical importance of the church. To revel together in the life-sustaining hope found in Jesus.
It’s good to be home.
It’s also good to find in the rear view mirror all the things that truly matter.
As Pamela and I attended the IPM (Interim Pastor Ministries) conference at Trinity International University in Deerfield IL, we were reminded that Jesus loves His church. His love was fully expressed on the cross when He died in our place to meet the death-penalty requirements for our sin. But his love continues to be expressed in how He provides leadership for His body through the many couples we met at the conference, who are doing “interim work” in scores of churches.
There’s nothing like the church in the world. When committed to Jesus and His Word, the churches in the world are the hope of the world.
Do you believe this for our church, the Free Church of Cañon City? Only the church has as its passion the proclamation of the gospel (“good news”) about Jesus. We know that the world’s only hope – indeed our city’s only hope – is for God’s grace to change people from the inside-out through people believing in the gospel. Laws, social initiatives, self-improvement programs ultimately fall woefully short.
“I am not ashamed of the Gospel,” Paul wrote to the Romans. “It is the power of God for salvation for everyone who believes” (Romans 1:16).
#3 THE HOPE FOUND UNIQUELY IN CHRIST
Along the way, we met many people who are struggling with losses in life. Pamela and I met with a friend over 40 years, who lost her husband to cancer just 5 short months ago. It was difficult for me to see Ilene without her beloved friend and husband, Dr. Jay (DDS). Hard to see her well up with tears as she retold the story of his physical diminishment and sudden passing. Jay was a very godly man, a deeply spiritual leader in the church and asset to the community of Grand Forks.
How could he not still be at Ilene’s side?
What we clutched on to together was the hope we have in Christ. He conquered the grave. Which means Jay is in the presence of his Savior, no doubt as a new “witness” in the cloud urging us on to finish the race he completed (cf. Hebrews 12:1-3).
Indeed Ilene took great comfort in this. The hours we spent with here were priceless. Sunday, as we drove south out of North Dakota, God’s provision of eternal hope had become even more precious to us.
COME…WORSHIP EACH SUNDAY
For all the right reasons. To receive the matchless encouragement of God’s people. To reaffirm the critical importance of the church. To revel together in the life-sustaining hope found in Jesus.
It’s good to be home.
It’s also good to find in the rear view mirror all the things that truly matter.
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