I have started a teaching series this fall called Pilgrim's progress. It is a study of the book of Philippians, and as I have been studying the book for my sermons, I have discovered that it is one of Paul's most intimate letters written to any of his church plants. Many times as I have read over the different passages I can feel the love of Paul for his fellow faith family members in Philippi. This got me think about writing a letter to my faith family in many ways similar to Paul. So I have decided to write a four part letter to my faith family similar to Paul and then every year write another letter and see how my affection for them grows and also my understanding of where God is leading in my relationship with them. So here it goes, part 1 of the letter to my church family.
From your loving and affectionate Elder and "little" shepherd. To those who have faithful served our Savior and reached out into the world for the lost. Much grace, peace, and encouragement I send to you today as I write these words.
I am writing to you today with 4 different thoughts and points in mind. Ultimately I want to encourage you, strive to give you strength, and seek to lead you forward into the way of following and living for Jesus. I know we all live in a world that is broken and full of sin and my hope and prayer is that writing to you today will inspire more to live as you do in your walk and life in Jesus. Being lights in the lost community and showing the world what true love is to one another is a quality that I continually pray, so that together through, the power of the Gospel, we can strive to reach out together.
The first thing I want to write to you about, as the great Apostle Paul did, is to update you on where I am at and how I am doing spiritually as your leader. Being your Pastor over theses last few months has been a great joy and blessing in my life. God, through my service with and for you, has truly shown me His great power and amazing beauty. I have come to know the deeper depths of God grace in my life as He continues to refine and stretch me. There have been days and even weeks where I have felt totally overwhelmed and incapable of loving and serving you. But God has continued to remind me through His words that He has called and He is in control and nothing is every outside of His power. My affection for you, I know has come from Christ and I feel His warm welcoming love flowing through me every day to you. That is the only way I can explain the fact that I have continued to fall in love with you all more each day. Loving this body of Christ has been one of my greatest joys, greatest struggles, and richest blessings.
I know and have felt the fact God is in control and has great things in store for us becasue the darts and temptations of Satan in my life alone have been more than I was prepared for. Only through the grace, mercy, and power of Christ have I withstood many of Satan's attacks. Satan is ready and watching and does not want us or myself to succeed it loving and serving God. I continually pray not only for myself to withstand the attacks of the devil but all the more for you as you seek to live each day in the devil's playground. Only together, under the power and control of God, can we move in following God and resist the ways of the evil one.
I pray for you all daily and hurt when you hurt. I know as we seek the future, only together, will God lead us for His glory. Growing more like our Savior has been a joy each day as you have continued to stretch me with your questions, conflicts, and lives. I pray that I will continue to love you all the more and that God will give me the wisdom that only He can give as I seek to lead and guide us into the future.My love for you grows and I pray and trust the God of love that you, my dear ones will feel my love and compassion for you. Many of you have become my friends and as I walk with you it brings me great joy to live and love with you.
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