I will start by saying thank you. Thank you for welcoming Kristina and me into your lives. We arrived with little notice, you didn’t know we were coming and we only found out a day or two before you. But you welcomed us with smiles and open hearts and we both really feel welcomed here. This is a great community and you are fantastic folk. So, thank you for receiving us so warmly.
I have a job to do while I am here, so, I want you to know this about me. I base much of what I know about God on Jesus and what he said and did. I believe Jesus really lived, He really died and He really was raised from the dead, and I won’t water down that message, ever. That knowledge has shaped my life in many ways and I believe that when others
know it, it will help them too.
We are in the middle of Lent, a season of the church when we remember Jesus’ sacrifice and resurrection by sacrificing something we enjoy and replacing it with a time of prayer, service, and study. In worship, I recently encouraged you to read the book of Romans, one of Paul’s letters of theology. He starts his letter by saying he is authorized to proclaim God’s word and acts. He goes on to say, Jesus, God’s son, was identified by the Holy Spirit, and through the work of the Holy Spirit, Jesus was raised from the dead! And then in Chapter 1, verses 6 and 7, he says, “Through Him we receive both the generous gift of life and the urgent task of passing it on to others.” That is our task, especially during lent, to sacrifice some of our personal time and enjoyment so we can make opportunities to share the good news with others.
To continue quoting Paul, “I thank God through Jesus for every one of you.” This is a wonderful church, with a great reputation and a fantastic future ahead of you. I thank God for the opportunity to be here with you at this time.
Blessings to you all, Pastor Dave
