The Communion of Saints | A Sermon on Heb 12:1-2 & Rev 7:9-12

Introduction
Last week, I reminded you to put on the whole armor of God because there is a spiritual war happening beyond the veil of the physical world that we can see.  So much is happening beyond what we can see.  But today I also want to remind you that part of what we cannot see is a great cloud of witnesses cheering us on.

Imagine standing in a great stadium filled with a roaring crowd.
Now, I know we have a lot of football fans here at Pleasant Grove — you’ve been to those stadiums packed with thousands of people. But picture something far greater — ten, twenty, a hundred times larger. And this crowd isn’t cheering for a football team. They’re cheering for you — for us — brothers and sisters in Christ who are striving to do the will of our Father.

Abraham from Genesis is there. Moses from Exodus. Mary, the mother of Jesus. The twelve apostles — they’re all there, cheering for us. Isn’t that incredible? We’ve spent our lives looking up to them, admiring their faith and courage — yet now they are the ones cheering us on!

Martin Luther of the Reformation, Martin Luther King Jr. of the Civil Rights movement, John and Charles Wesley, Billy Graham — they’re all in that heavenly grandstand, lifting their voices for us. And among them are the saints of Pleasant Grove — people whose names you may never have heard, who worshiped in this church 150 years ago, dreaming of the ministry you’re living out today. They are in the glory of heaven, cheering for you now.

And then there are the saints we do remember — Sarah Brooker, T.W.W. Soby, Bonnie Sloan, Eddie Marlow, Sue McKenna, and so many others. I couldn’t possibly name them all; we’d be here forever. But they’re all part of that great cloud of witnesses, watching, hoping, and cheering for you.

Among them are former pastors of this church — Jack Gillespie, Dean Milford, Jack Summers — and even those early circuit riders who came on horseback, preaching in this very place, pouring their hearts into this congregation, loving you just as I have loved you. Now, they’re in heaven, still cheering for you. They haven’t forgotten.

This is the Communion of Saints.  It is the living, eternal fellowship of all believers in Christ–both those living in this life and those living in the afterlife.  Whenever we worship, they worship with us.  They care about us.   The Bible says they are cheering for us.

Hebrews 12:1
¹ Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. 

Revelation repeats the vision of the Communion of Saints in even greater detail: 

Revelation 7:9-12
⁹ After this I saw a vast crowd, too great to count, from every nation and tribe and people and language, standing in front of the throne and before the Lamb. They were clothed in white robes and held palm branches in their hands. ¹⁰ And they were shouting with a great roar,

“Salvation comes from our God who sits on the throne
    and from the Lamb!”

¹¹ And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living beings. And they fell before the throne with their faces to the ground and worshiped God. ¹² They sang,

“Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom
    and thanksgiving and honor
and power and strength belong to our God
    forever and ever! Amen.”

The Kingdom of God
The Kingdom of God is so much bigger than we can see or even imagine.  It is a multitude from every nation, worshiping the Lamb — a vision of ultimate unity and joy. 

For fifteen years, we have been on this journey together.  We have loved each other, challenged each other, encouraged one another, helped each other, and learned together.  We have worshiped side by side, and through it all, we’ve seen God’s hand at work among us.

No matter where I am—whether on earth or one day in heaven—I will always be cheering for you. Always.  I will continue serving as the pastor of Pleasant Grove Methodist in Dalton until December 31st. But even after that, though I may no longer be their pastor, I will always be their friend, their brother in Christ, and their biggest supporter.

And thanks to the gift of technology, I will still be able to keep up with them and even worship with them online from time to time.

Most importantly, I will always be their brother in Christ; and in Him, that bond is eternal.
In the meantime, we still have a race to run.  We still have a kingdom to build.

 

Hebrews 12:1-2
¹ Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. ² We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith.^[a] Because of the joy^[b] awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne.

Strip Off...
Hebrews says, “Strip off every weight that slows you down.”

When I first came to my church in Dalton, we had a program called Run for God.  For many people, it was the first time they had ever tried to run, and I was so proud of how everyone gave it their all. I went back and looked through some of the old Facebook posts from that time, and it was so encouraging to see the comments like:  “I’m out here trying to run for God… it’s a good thing I’m running for God, because otherwise I’d have quit already!”

You could hear the struggle, but also the determination and joy behind it. Running is hard work—and so is walking in faith. Some people couldn’t run, but they got out there and walked. They were walking for God. And you know what? If you can’t run, walk. If you can’t walk, crawl. Whatever it takes—just keep moving forward for God.

But the writer of Hebrews says, “Strip off every weight that slows you down.”  Imagine trying to run a race with a 50-pound bag on your back, your arms full of boxes, maybe a few grocery bags too. How far do you think you’d get? Probably not very. It would be exhausting—maybe even impossible.

That’s what happens when we try to run the spiritual race while carrying things that weigh us down. The passage says especially sin, because of course, there are things in our lives we know we need to let go of—things we ought not to do, things we know aren’t right. We’ve got to lay them down, like the old hymn says, so we can run freely and effectively.

But notice—it doesn’t just say sin. It says, “Every weight.” There are things that aren’t sinful, but they still slow us down. They still keep us from running the race effectively. It’s like dragging an anchor while you’re trying to run a marathon.

So what are those things?
Maybe it’s worry—carrying anxiety that God never meant for you to bear.
Maybe it’s fear—hesitating to follow God’s call because you’re afraid.
Maybe it’s busyness—being pulled in so many directions that you can’t focus on what really matters. Not everything you do is bad; it just may not be what God wants you to do.
Maybe it’s comparison—constantly looking at what someone else has, how they look, or how they serve, instead of running your own race.

Like Amy said earlier, it’s easy to want someone else’s “nose”—or their talents, their gifts, their circumstances. But God made you to run your race, not theirs.

So let’s strip away anything that slows us down—sin, fear, distraction, comparison—and fix our eyes on Jesus. He’s the one who set the course before us, and He’s waiting at the finish line with open arms.

Eyes on Jesus
Verse 2 says:  "Keep your eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith."
Jesus is the reason “Love Lives at Pleasant Grove”. 
Jesus is the reason so many saints have come from our pews.
Jesus is the reason Pleasant Grove has endured through so many trials over the years ans continued to be a vital part of our community.
Jesus is the reason this church will continue to be a beacon of love and hope for years to come.

I will be leaving at the end of this year to go serve where Jesus is leading me.
But the mission of God continues here at Pleasant Grove.
The same Spirit who brought us together will continue to lead you.
And my sincerest hope for you is that you will continue to follow Him with your whole heart. 

Closing Ceremony
[Invite everyone to take the hand of the person next to them until we are all holding someone’s hand…]

Pastor:  We stand as one body — saints together, past, present, and future.
As I prepare to go where God is sending me,
and as you prepare to receive what God will do here next,
let’s bless one another.

Congregation:  Lord, we thank You for every saint who has run the race before us.
Thank You for the love we have shared, the prayers we have lifted,
and the lives You’ve changed here.

Pastor:  Bless this congregation as they continue their ministry.
Strengthen them in faith, guide them in hope, and unite them in love.

Congregation:
And bless Pastor Chris as he prepares to go serve another part of Your body in January,
that together we may keep running the race You’ve set before us —
so we all gather together at Your throne in eternity.  

All:  Amen.

 

"Following God" | A Sermon by Guest Speaker, Amy Harris

This week we have a guest blogger post.  Amy Harris shares her struggle with fear and uncertainty as she stepped into a new church role. Though she prayed for closed doors if it wasn’t God’s will, every door opened—including support from her husband. She reflects on Hebrews 11, James 1, and Isaiah 55, teaching that true faith means trusting God’s character and promises, even without full understanding. Growth requires stepping out of comfort zones, facing fear, and obeying despite uncertainty. She encourages the congregation not to miss God’s blessings by hesitating but to follow His leading with trust and confidence.

-------------------------------------------------------- 

Chris asked me several weeks ago to type something up for the newsletter about how excited I was for my new role at the church. Then, two weeks ago, he said, “Oh, can you preach on the 31st?” So, I figured—why type a few paragraphs when he’s given me twenty minutes in the pulpit and I can just talk and talk and talk?

If I’m being completely honest, I couldn’t write anything for the newsletter because “excited” was not the adjective that I was feeling. Stressed, frustrated, confused, unsure—those sounded more accurate, but probably not what he was hoping to accomplish with my brief article.

And if you’ve stopped by and asked me how things are going, I’m not one to sugarcoat things. If my words didn’t come across as my honest thoughts, my face surely did—I have no control over my facial expressions.

Now, let me stop here and make a statement: I’m not leaving my job. This isn’t my resignation sermon. If you only pay attention every now and then, or if I lose you after the first few minutes, you could walk away thinking I’m done. So, call it a spoiler alert—but that isn’t how this chapter ends. This isn’t even the true subject of today’s message; it’s simply my inspiration for it.

Called Into Something New

Have you ever felt called into something and you knew 100% it was meant to be? No reservations, just peace, excitement, and certainty? I have. I can remember multiple times when God gave me a beyond-a-shadow-of-a-doubt “yes.” Those are good, those are fun.

But this job opportunity was not that kind of experience for me. I had reservations. I was hesitant, uncertain, and full of questions. This new role meant big changes—my weekly schedule, my finances, my workload, and my commute (and yes, traffic on Cleveland Highway at 8:00 a.m. nearly drove me insane!).

I began praying very specific prayers: “Lord, if this is not Your will, close the door.” I prayed that before Chris even took the job description to the HR Committee. But the HR Committee approved it. Door one open.

Then the Finance Committee agreed the position was important and trusted God to provide funding. Door two open.

Finally, I thought my husband would close the door. He doesn’t like uncertain change any more than I do. But when I asked him, instead of “No,” he simply texted, “I think you should change.” God wasn’t closing doors—He was holding them wide open.

So why was I still questioning Him?

Faith Tested

I realized I trust God completely when things are out of my control. But when I do have a say—when choices affect my family, time, and finances—I hesitate.

Yet Hebrews 11:1 says: “Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see.”

Faith is more than believing God exists—it’s trusting His character and His promises. Even when we don’t see the outcome, we walk by faith. Hebrews 11 reminds us of people who died still believing God’s promises without seeing them fulfilled. Sometimes our faith isn’t even for our blessing—it’s for someone else’s.

Isaiah 55:8–9 says: “My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord. “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways.”

A lack of understanding does not excuse a lack of obedience.

Growing Through Trials

James 1 says: “When troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow.”

Faith is like a muscle—the more you use it, the stronger it gets. The more you obey God’s call, even when uncomfortable, the easier it becomes to live faithfully.

Fear is the number one barrier to following God. We want guarantees before we take the first step. But growth comes when we step forward without a guarantee—when we get comfortable being uncomfortable.

One month into this new role, I still don’t know exactly where God is leading. But I know this: He opened every door, and He has a plan.

Conclusion

I love Jesus. I love my church. You, my church family, are one of the most precious parts of my life. Your encouragement, kindness, and prayers mean more than I can say.

And because I listened to God’s voice, I get to be part of growing the ministries of Pleasant Grove Methodist in ways I never imagined. I don’t know what that will look like yet, but I know I won’t miss His blessings—because I said “yes.”

So I ask you:

• What areas of your life do you need to stop overthinking and start following God’s direction?

• Is He calling you out of your comfort zone?

• Is fear keeping you from His blessings?

Don’t miss what He has in store for you. Ask Him. Seek His guidance. Be still and listen. And remember—He will never call you anywhere He won’t also go with you.

I was On Your Mind - A Heartfelt Youth Sunday Sermon by Abigail Mullis and Amy Harris

This past Sunday was Youth Sunday at my church.  It is a time when the middle and high school students lead worship.  As part of this service, my 18-year-old daughter, Abigail, shared a heart felt message followed by a message from her youth pastor, Amy Harris.  I share their messages with you here.

Abigail's Message
This is my last Youth Sunday, which is crazy. I’m a little nervous, so stick with me. I hope you can take away even a little something from my message today.

That song I sang earlier is called "On Your Mind" by John Mark Pantana. If you’re ever looking for Christian songs that aren’t on the radio (because those aren’t my favorite, if I’m being honest), ask me for some—I’ve got some good ones. I decided to sing this song a month ago because it’s about this wonderful thing called prevenient grace. It’s the idea that God is looking out for us before we’re born, before we give our lives to Him, and even before the world began. He had you in His heart. That is incomprehensible, but I see it consistently in my life.

I’ve had the privilege of growing up in a single church, which is really remarkable because most kids of Methodist pastors don’t get that opportunity. I’ve been here since I was three years old, and that’s crazy to me. I’m very grateful for it because you’ve all helped me grow in my faith and made me who I am.

I want to start with a verse that I’ll keep coming back to—1 Corinthians 13:13: “Three things will last forever: faith, hope, and love. And the greatest of these is love.” Pleasant Grove has embodied this verse for me. After all, where would I be without the love of my church?

Sherry Dickon’s love of prayer has inspired me. David’s love of music has pushed me and nurtured my own love. Angel and Sally have a zest for life that I deeply admire. There are so many of you who cared for me during Sunday school classes and children’s programs, even when I was the only one there. That might seem small, but it meant a lot to me that you showed up, even when it might have felt pointless. I’ll never forget weekends with T.W. and Margie, who cared for me like surrogate grandparents. Emily Andrews looked after me on weekends when my parents went on date nights. Elaine McDonald gave me a book of prayers after my first Youth Sunday sermon because I talked about how anxious I was, and I still read it almost every day.

And Deborah—I can’t forget her. She’s my Sunday school teacher, even though I’m the only one in her class. She takes me on rides and is basically my grandparent. We don’t just do Sunday school anymore; we talk, and it’s the most wonderful thing.

But my biggest thank-you goes to Amy. She makes me laugh every time I see her, tells me crazy stories from her life, and writes messages that touch my soul. She shows me the love of God in a way no one else has. She’s always there to listen and talk, free of judgment, and she speaks pure love.

God put this church, and the majority of you, in my life when I was three years old. Even then, I was on God’s mind. But soon, I’ll leave. In a couple of months, you’ll have new Abigails to raise. I thought I’d give you some advice on how to love others the way you’ve loved me—not just children, but everyone who needs love. Everyone needs love. Being a loving Christian is how we shine our light into the world. True, unbounded, unexplainable love is what sets Christians apart. Yes, we’ll fall short, but when we let God into our hearts, we are changed. In my experience, that makes loving God much easier.

2 Corinthians 6:6 says: “We prove ourselves by our purity, our understanding, our patience, our kindness, by the Holy Spirit within us, and by our sincere love.”

Love is more than an idea or virtue; it’s a way of life. It means loving everyone, even if they dislike you, disagree with you, or show you no love in return. When I have a hard day, I wear a cross necklace my parents gave me for my 15th birthday. It reminds me to reflect on how people see me and how God calls me to love.

1 Corinthians 13:1-3 says: “If I could speak all the languages of earth and angels but didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy gong or clanging cymbal. If I had the gift of prophecy, understood all of God’s secret plans, and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains but didn’t love others, I would be nothing. If I gave everything I had to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it, but if I didn’t love others, I would have gained nothing.”

We often approach witnessing the wrong way. It’s not about telling people what God is, what Jesus did for them, or why their thinking is wrong. It’s about showing what God did for you and how He changed you. Show how God loves you through your actions. Empathetic, sincere love touches the soul.

1 Corinthians 9:22 says: “When I am with those who are weak, I share their weakness, for I want to bring the weak to Christ. Yes, I try to find common ground with everyone, doing everything I can to save some.”

Love is our most powerful tool. It’s not about being perfect; it’s about being human. When we truly love freely and generously, we see the world through God’s eyes. 1 Corinthians 13:11-12 reminds us: “When I was a child, I spoke and thought and reasoned as a child. But when I grew up, I put away childish things. Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God knows me completely.”

God knows us completely, including our shortcomings and darkest secrets, yet He loves us. Humans are beautiful in their flaws, and we are made in God’s image. How wonderful is God’s plan to reach us in a way we can understand?

So now it’s your turn. If you ever question your impact on this world, remember 1 Corinthians 13:13: “Three things will last forever: faith, hope, and love. And the greatest of these is love.” I love you all so much, and I’m so grateful to have experienced your love for the past 15 years of my life. Thank you.

After Abigail spoke, her youth pastor spoke.  Here is what Amy Harris said:

Amy's Message
Well, I think I didn’t really need to give a second sermon, and I definitely should have let Abigail go last this time. But I did prepare a message, so you’re going to listen to it!

Today is one of my favorite Sundays of the year. I get here, and I’m a frazzled mess. Jeremy and David are up there trying to say, “We’ve got this—you can just walk away from all things technology.” That’s for their benefit, not mine, because I don’t know what I’m doing. They’ve got it under control. I get here, I’m a mess, I’m running around, and then it all falls into place because we are honoring God this morning. These young men and women show up, and they lead, and I love it. I absolutely love it.

What an honor and a privilege it is for our young men and ladies to have the opportunity to represent Christ in such a bold and public way. Not everyone is made to be in front of crowds, and some of these guys and gals are way out of their comfort zones this morning. I’m so very proud of them.

I’ll start my message with an easy question for each of you: What is God’s ultimate will for your life? Where does He see you in 10, 15, or 20 years from now? Everybody good? Got it all laid out? Okay.

God’s will is not a topic that can be covered in a 15-minute sermon. My scripture research alone took two hours because the entire Bible lays out God’s will for our lives. I’ll start with, and put a lot of focus on, the story of Jonah this morning.

I had a lot of fun digging into Jonah this week, and, unfortunately, we can probably all relate to Jonah at some point in our lives. Jonah was a prophet, and one day God called him and told him to go preach to Nineveh because the people there were very wicked. Jonah hated this idea because Nineveh was one of Israel’s greatest enemies, and he wanted nothing to do with preaching to them.

(Side note: When I was much younger, I had a part-time job at the White Wing Christian Bookstore—do you all remember when that was around? At the time, the VeggieTales movie Jonah had come out, and we played that on repeat. That was my favorite movie! The silly fish—do you all remember them? I loved it. Anyway, back on topic.)

Instead of traveling east to Nineveh, Jonah tried to run away from God in the opposite direction and headed west by boat to Tarshish. The boat was full of pagan sailors, so God sent a great storm upon it. The men on the ship were terrified. They prayed to their gods and threw cargo overboard to try to lighten the ship and prevent it from sinking. Jonah, meanwhile, was asleep through all of this. The sailors went to wake him and shouted at him to pray to his God. Jonah had already told the men that he was running from God. Together, they decided that Jonah was to blame for the storm, and Jonah told them the only way to stop it was to throw him overboard.

These pagan men didn’t want to do that. They tried rowing harder and faster to get out of the storm, but it only grew worse. Finally, they sought forgiveness from Jonah’s God and threw Jonah overboard. As soon as Jonah hit the water, the storm stopped. Then God sent a big fish (some call it a whale) to swallow Jonah and save him from drowning.

While in the belly of the fish, Jonah prayed to God for help. He thanked God for not abandoning him. While Jonah never truly repented, he did praise God for His mercy. For three days, Jonah sat in the belly of the fish. Then God had the fish spit Jonah out onto the shores of Nineveh. Where else would our God send him?

A second time, God spoke to Jonah and told him to go to the great city of Nineveh and deliver the message the Lord had given him. So Jonah half-heartedly preached a five-word sermon to Nineveh. (You should be so lucky this morning!) He warned them to repent before the city was destroyed in 40 days. Surprisingly, the people believed Jonah’s short and sweet message. They turned from their wickedness, and God had mercy on them, sparing the city from destruction.

Jonah, however, became angry and bitter because God didn’t destroy the Ninevites, Israel’s enemies. Jonah sat to rest and watch to see what would happen to them. God provided a vine to give him shade, but the next day, God sent a worm to eat the vine. Now Jonah was sitting in the hot sun, complaining and wishing to die. God scolded Jonah for caring more about a plant than the 120,000 people of Nineveh.

Have you ever been in a situation where you were called to issue a warning or message, but the recipients were so terrible and rebellious that you didn’t feel they deserved it? Jonah is a perfect example of how human stubbornness can’t change the will of God. Yet God can still use the most resistant hearts to build His kingdom.

The entire story is almost like satire. Everything that should be isn’t, and everything that shouldn’t be is. The man of God is angry and disobedient, while the pagan sailors and the wicked Ninevites are repentant. But when you desire to know God, you realize this makes perfect sense. We don’t serve an ordinary God. We serve a God full of surprises and miracles.

Then you have the heroes of the Bible who never second-guessed their role in God’s plan. Take, for instance, the woman at the well. Jesus broke down social barriers when He met her. She had a sorted past, yet she immediately followed Jesus when she learned who He was. She went back to her town and told others about Him—this man who knew everything about her and still offered her the opportunity for forgiveness and eternal life. Through her, hearts were changed after just one meeting at a well with Jesus.

Consider Mary, the mother of Jesus. When Mary learned she would be the mother of God’s Son, she could have been put to death. Yet, according to Luke 1:38, Mary responded to the angel Gabriel with, “I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true.” She was willing to accept the risk because she trusted God. Every Christmas, I’m reminded and inspired by Mary’s selfless faith.

The disciples also stand as examples of faith. They walked away from their livelihoods, their families, and everything they had known to follow Jesus.

We know that even when we live outside the will of God, He is faithful. He is a God of second chances. Adam and Eve were the first example of God’s faithfulness and His desire to see no one perish. They disobeyed His direct order and lied about it, yet God forgave them. David broke half the Ten Commandments in one fell swoop: coveting, abuse of power, adultery, treachery, and even murder. Still, God forgave him.

Jesus shares the parable of the prodigal son—the ultimate example of an undeserving second chance. This reminds us that unconditional forgiveness is a cornerstone of Jesus’ love for us. Peter, who followed Jesus closely, denied Him three times to save his own life. Yet, Jesus forgave him.

When we fall out of step with God’s will, we have the option to fall right back into it, as if we never left. That’s the beauty of serving a forgiving God.

We talk about God’s will like it’s difficult to understand. We sing, “Thy will be done,” and we pray, “Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” But then we hesitate when we’re called to carry out difficult tasks. We forget that:

• The will of God will never take you where the grace of God cannot keep you.
• The will of God will never take you where the arms of God cannot support you.
• The will of God will never draw you where the riches of God cannot supply your needs.
• The will of God will never take you where the power of God cannot endow you.
• The will of God will never take you where the love of God cannot enfold you.

We tend to think of God’s will as something outward, requiring extraordinary steps to complete tasks. But in reality, God’s will for our lives is about transformation—of mind, body, and spirit. It’s saying goodbye to the old me and hello to the Holy Spirit-filled me. Without this transformation, we may never fully understand the specific calling God has for us.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 spells it out: “Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.”

Following God’s will isn’t just about daily actions; it’s about a heart and mind transformation. When we follow Paul’s advice to always be joyful, never stop praying, and be thankful in everything, our hearts are focused on being who God wants us to be. When we’re focused on God, we hear His direction more clearly. There’s less room for the world’s voices to distract us. If we are focused on Him, we’ll recognize His voice, and there will be no mistaking His instructions.

There’s a story about a young woman trying to decide where to go to college. She prayed about it and found Amos 4:4, which begins, “Go to Bethel.” Excited, she thought God was leading her to Bethel College. But if you read the rest of the verse, it says, “Go to Bethel and sin.” This is why it’s important to live a life focused on God’s voice. If we’re not focused on Him, we risk misunderstanding His direction.

Where is the will of God leading you today? Are you, like Jonah, reluctant to take that step God is calling you to take? Are you running in the opposite direction?

I recently came across a pastor named J. John. He told a story about a man who wanted to become a missionary. The man worried about how to provide for his family while pursuing his calling. J. John suggested finding ten people to donate a tenth of his annual income. But God also told J. John to give the first tenth himself. Reluctantly, he did. Today, that missionary has traveled across Europe, established multiple ministries, and has a staff of 35 people. J. John now proudly says, “I did that. God directed me, and I followed.”

God wants you to use your blessings to bless others so you can say, “I did that. I followed God’s directions.”

Where is God leading you today? Are you always joyful? Always praying? Thankful in all circumstances? Not for all circumstances—because sometimes life is hard—but in all circumstances, knowing God works through all things for good.

As we sing our last song today, I invite you to come to the altar. Lift up our young leaders, our youth ministries, and our children’s ministries. Our church has gone through enormous transitions, and I feel like we’re ready to grow. But we can’t grow if our children’s and youth ministries aren’t thriving. They are the future of Pleasant Grove.

Come to the altar, pray for these ministries, and see what God can do—just through your prayers.

Proverbs Day 3

Read Proverbs 3
There is more than one way to skin a cat (but who would ever want to skin a cat!) There is often more than one way to do things, but wisdom is doing the right thing at the right time in the right way.  We often know how to do something (or can figure it out on our own), but the truly wise person seeks and follows God's way because it is always the right way. It takes humility to admit that your way is not the best way, but there is great wisdom in laying aside your own plan in favor of God's will. Listen to my paraphrase of Proverbs 3:5-6.

Don't depend on your own understanding. Instead, trust the Lord completely at the very core of your being. Always seek to follow God's plan and give Him credit for everything and He will lead down a clear path.

Prayer
"Lord, help me to be humble and set aside my own plan in favor of Yours. Show me Your will and give me courage and wisdom to trust You and do things Your way. Amen."