Everyone needs a hero. Growing up we had heroes. Maybe it was a basketball player or possibly a movie star. Perhaps your hero was more down to earth and local, such as a special relative, a teacher, or a Pastor. This person was someone we looked up to and possibly aspired to be like. The word hero is defined as “a person who is admired or idealized for courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities”.
As we emerge from winter, we enjoy seeing everything come back to life. The trees sprout leaves, the flowers blossom, and the grass turns green. What once appeared to be completely dead, reemerges from its winter slumber in all of its glorious splendor. If we didn’t know better we would think that God is bringing forth new life for the first time. However, we have experienced the seasons. We know that as winter approaches, all of nature falls into a death like state. However, we know that it will only last until Spring. Spring is a time of new creation, the bringing forth of something new, from what appears to be dead. This is a beautiful picture of what God does in a human life when a person commits their life to Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. This month we will explore the different aspects of the new creation we become when we accept Jesus Christ.
restored. When brass loses its luster, we say that it has become tarnished. We live in a world that has been tarnished by sin, sickness, and suffering. Only Christ can restore the luster to our lives.
As we approach Valentine’s day, it is universally recognized that the major theme of the holiday is love. The shape that symbolizes the holiday is the heart. Boxes of candy and even the shape of the individual pieces of candy take the form of a heart. The color that symbolizes the holiday is red. We send cards that include red hearts, asking others if they will be our Valentine.
As we begin this new year together, I would like to take some time to discuss our purpose as a church. When we are busy carrying out the responsibilities of life, we sometimes forget the primary reasons we do the things we do. Let’s take a few minutes to explore what God’s Word has to say about our mission and vision.