Good morning and happy Saturday. I hope that you had a great Thanksgiving and that you are recovering from your food coma. Gluttony is one of the sins that is not only overlooked, but it is encouraged in Baptist life. BTW, it is totally fine to wear sweatpants or anything with elastic waistbands to church on the Sunday immediately after Thanksgiving. That is in the official rule book.
Over the last week, I received three different notes that were very encouraging. The first one was from a youth that we have been ministering to for a while. Bethany handed out blank cards and envelopes as part of our Sunday school lesson. The card that I received was rather unexpected. The note that was written was very nice and rather meaningful. Another note I got was from the wife of a man whose funeral I did on Monday. She wanted to express her gratitude. Lastly, on Thanksgiving, a college student sent a note to several of us. We have known him since he was just a kid at the apartment complex. He wanted to thank us for helping him become the man he is today. All of these, plus some other notes I received on Thanksgiving, made the week rather special. I feel blessed that I can minister to people at various stages of their life and make a little bit of an impact.
For those of you that are reading this email, the same could be said of each of you. In a wide variety of ways you are impacting the lives of the people around you. You family, friends, neighbors, people at church, co-workers, etc. are all enriched because you are in their lives. Whether you are always aware of it or not, because Christ is in you, you are reflecting Jesus to those you encounter. The more you grow in your faith, the more that you become like Jesus, the greater the impact you will have on the lives of the people around you. It is one of the blessings of the Christian life.
So, please allow me to say “thank you.” I praise God that you are making a difference in this world. Not only that, I am grateful for the impact you have had in my life. Because of you, my life has been enriched. Because of you, I am challenged to be better in so many ways. Thank you for allowing God to use you. May He continue you to guide you in all things.
15 For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all God’s people,16 I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. (Ephesians 1:15-16)
I hope to see you tomorrow.
Pastor Larry
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