A blessed way to begin a new year

I cannot begin to describe how much yesterday's service meant to me. It was the first worship service of 2022. We began by baptizing a young woman who had recently asked Christ into her life. At the end of the service we dedicated her baby to the Lord, and during the invitation an individual came rededicating his life to Christ. I can't think of a better way for a church to begin a new year. God is working in our church, and I believe this Sunday was only the start of some great things that will take place in the life of the congregation and the community it serves.

We are offering six small groups that we plan to begin in a couple of weeks. These will run for approximately 10 weeks. Some of these are discipleship groups such as a men's gathering to study a book. Some are designed as side-doors into the church where people from the community will have the opportunity to gather around some common interests, get to know some of our members who share those interests, and learn more about our beliefs. This is the first time the church has attempted something like this so we don't know how well it will be received, but we are not afraid to try new things.

In my message yesterday I spoke of how Rehoboam allowed the gold shields to be taken from Israel and replaced them with shields made of bronze. Many of us allow the same thing to happen in our lives. We allow the enemy to rob us of the gold God wants for our lives and replace that with bronze substitutes. One of the substitutes I addressed was that we have speed but not direction. We rush around doing many things, but we seldom stop long enough to ask if we are doing the right things. This is a matter of understanding our purpose. What is God's vision for our lives? We should always be moving toward the fulfillment of God's purpose for our lives, both individually and as a church. That purpose, that mission, for the church is to fulfill the Great Commission.

This is why the service yesterday meant so much to me. A young mother found Christ in her life, not in the baptism, but a few weeks earlier when she prayed inviting Him to be her Lord and Savior. A baby was dedicated to the Lord, and as was pointed out, the mother and the church were both making a commitment to help that child find Christ for herself when she became of age. Another individual took a step towards deeper discipleship in his life. Small groups are being developed for both evangelistic and discipleship efforts. This is a church that is moving forward with purpose, that understands its primary mission, and is pursuing that mission.

My prayer is that at the end of 2022 the church will look back and see the fruits of its efforts in changed lives, transformed homes, and growing disciples.