The power of remembering. Memorial Day weekend is all about remembering. We remember those who have served our country. As I've reflected on that over the weekend, I've been reminded of the power of remembering. When we remember, our actions change. When we remember those who have fought for our country's freedom, it fills us with gratitude and changes our attitudes and actions towards God and others. In the same way, when we remember the gospel, our actions change. Let's remember today that Jesus, who is God, took on the nature of a human, made himself a servant, and submitted to death on a cross, was buried in a grave for 3 days, and then came back to life to free us from the power of sin and death. I love the attached picture of one of our members serving this weekend at the Paddock. The shadowed servant is perfect! We serve not to be remembered, but because we remember how Christ served us.
The Rowes welcomed home a new little one! This weekend, Tommy and Emma Rowe welcomed home a new little one! Let's bless them with some meals as they adjust to being a family of 3: https://www.mealtrain.com/trains/e34w82. More than that, let's be praying for them as they follow up with a specialist next week on an irregular mass.
The gospel gets clearer the closer you get to God's people. As I sat with our Love Shelbyville group making care packages for the women at Operation Care, I enjoyed catching up on each other's lives and hearing about what God was doing while at the same time hearing about the struggles. Later, I sat with a family new to CCC through our 101 luncheon and listened as they shared about next steps they are feeling convicted to take. Throughout the afternoon, I hung out with several CCC folks at graduation parties and listened to how God is sustaining them and shifting their hearts as we move into summer and beyond. As I later sat on Eric and Sherry's back deck and reflected, it was a reminder that the gospel always gets clearer the closer you get to God's people. It's in the minute details of our lives that God's grace becomes extremely clear - you reflect God's glory!
Sending people is exciting! This coming weekend at Christ Community, we will pray for and send 30+ people to Crossings Camp! We'll also commission those headed to Honduras to serve with Sparrow missions! The church is meant to be sent. It's exciting to send people for a couple reasons. One, you know that God is going to do something in those being sent. He's going to mold them and shape them through their experience of joining Jesus in going out! But two, it's exciting to send because we get the blessing of hearing about what God is doing beyond our walls. So come be a part of the sending this weekend - it will be exciting!
Summer relationships shape our future. This time of year, I'm always reminded that summer relationships seem to carry a weight and depth that's a bit different. So many of our most important relationships have been forged across summers in our past! With that in mind, let me challenge you to be intentional with the extra relational space summers provide. Who you spend time with this summer can matter for eternity if you will let it! Invite someone into your life who isn't walking with the Lord. Spend time with someone who can challenge you to walk worthy of Christ's love. May the phrase "Soak up summer" hit different this year!