What difference can just a ‘little’ make? Consider this at 211 degrees water is very hot, but at 212 degrees – just one degree more, water boils and when it boils it makes steam. And with steam you can power a steam engine and a steam engine can move a train! That’s a lot of difference from one little degree.
If you are a sports enthusiast then you are aware that a mere fraction of a second can make the difference between a gold medal and a bronze medal in Olympic track events. Athletes train for months (even years) to improve just ‘a little’.
How about us as God’s people are we willing to put forth the effort to improve our relationship and our service for Christ ‘just a little’. If we all do just a little more we might very well be surprised what an impact it could have on our walk for the Lord and our impact as a family of faith. The challenge before us this year is to do a little more in 2024. We’re not asking for a gigantic commitment of time or energy (though God may lead you to do a bit more), we just want all of God’s people to set their sights a little higher this year than last.
Just think if you would commit to just ten minutes more time in prayer each day by the end of 2024 that would total 3,660 minutes (this is a leap year) or a whopping 61 hours. Do you think 61 hours of prayer might make a difference? That was a rhetorical question. OF COURSE IT WOULD!!!
For about $1.64 a day or $11.48 a week our church could support another missionary family to take God’s word to a foreign field. It’s hard to buy lunch at a fast food restaurant for $11.48 these days.
Just a little could make a big, big difference. If just twenty member invited one person a month to church, by the end of the year that would be 240 people would have received an invitation to hear the gospel. If just one of those people trusted Christ, Jesus says it would be worth more than the whole world!
It is my conviction that God saved you on purpose for a purpose! Are you investing in God’s work to discover your purpose? It might take just a little more.
To help you begin this New Year right we are going to begin a new bible study together on Sunday Evening at 6:00 called the Foundations (in Genesis). This will include a video message from Ken Hamm, perhaps the leading Creation Scientist of our day. I think that you will find that creation, far from being anti-science is completely scientific in nature. I believe it was A W Tozer who stated “if you can accept Genesis chapter on verse one as literal, then everything else in the Bible is not only believable but to be expected.”
We will also be engaging in a study of the book of Ecclesiastes on Wednesday night to discover the ‘Meaning of Life’. Taken together that is two major questions in our world today: “Where did I come from?” And “Why am I here”? The Good News is… the Bible has the answer! Join us won’t you?Check out the calendar page for updates or further additions to our schedule around the church, if you need more information feel free to call the church office at 636-947-0367 or send us anemia through the contact us tab.
May 2024
May: A Milestone Month
Once upon a time in a church I pastored, I came up with the bright idea of calling May ‘Milestone Month’. We planned to celebrate several milestones: Mother’s Day, Baby Dedication, Graduate Sunday to name a few. To announce the theme and keep it before the people I designed a banner and illustrated it (I thought) with a prominent ‘Milestone marker’. However, on the first Sunday a member came to me and asked rather seriously, “Pastor why is there a tombstone on your sign?”
I was disappointed that I had failed to accurately convey the idea of a milestone, but it did get me to thinking… If we dwell too long on the milestones we pass they can become tombstones as we settle down in complacency with past achievements.
It is good and appropriate to celebrate reaching various goals in our journey; yet we must always press forward to new horizons. This was Paul’s attitude when he wrote – “I count not myself to have apprehended; but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before I press toward the mark of the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus (Philippians 3:13-14). It’s fine to celebrate – just don’t settle short of the end of the race! PRESS ON!
During the month of May we will be finishing up our study into the secrets of the Vine; how to go from fruit to more fruit to much fruit in our service for Christ. We are also continuing our study in 1 John called ‘What a Fellowship’ on Wednesday evenings at 7;00.
This month we will celebrate our hardworking mom’s and those graduates who have persevered to reach the goal of completing their studies. On Sunday morning May 27th we will have one service for the day – our 11:00 worship service – which will conclude with an observance of the Lord’s Table. I hope that you can join us for all of the special events of the month. If you have any questions feel free to call the church office for further information.
Yours for a Memorable May,
Pastor Steve Parks