observations from our church's 10th birthday celebration

Jude 1:25  NLT

All glory to him who alone is God, our Savior through Jesus Christ our Lord. All glory, majesty, power, and authority are his before all time, and in the present, and beyond all time! Amen.

This past Sunday was a great day for the church, The Community Fellowship, as we began our 10th birthday celebration.  Several pieces reminded me of how God has worked throughout these years and how He is preparing our future.

It really is all about God.  All glory and honor belongs to God for our lives and for the difference that the church family has been able to make.  But the future has even more glory ahead for our God.

Sunday morning I recalled for us a verse God gave us as the church began. 

Isaiah 43:19  NLT

For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it? I will make a pathway through the wilderness. I will create rivers in the dry wasteland.

It remains true to this day.  Something new happened when the church began and more new is ahead.  We have to keep our eyes open.  We have to share as much as possible the story God has given each of us.  By telling the stories more people will come to know God.

As this past Sunday went forward we moved to lunch and our first worship service at our new campus.  Before and after I preached I stood in behind the stage, and my mind began to run through happenings of the past.  I thought through the purchase of our new building and how it has come together.  It hit me once again that the reason for the new building is not for more people to worship in the building.  The reason is so we can meet needs of more people and share Jesus with them.

I was overcome with emotion and grateful that Sean Hubbard joined me to pray.  This is not about me or about a group of people.  This is about God and for His glory.  To do all we can to tell His story makes the most sense.

1 Corinthians 9:22  NASB

To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak; I have become all things to all men, so that I may by all means save some.

These 10 years have been incredible.  This coming Monday we will begin to put a roof on one of the buildings at our new campus.  We believe that God is working in huge ways, but it is also true that if God doesn’t show up that we are going to fail.

My prayer is that we will lift Jesus for all to see.  My prayer is for God to provide the resources and the help to go to the next step and the next.

John 12:32  NLT

And when I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw everyone to myself.

God gave us purpose as a church… The Community Fellowship exists as a body of believers that desire to demonstrate the love of God to our community through any means possible.  We believe that the church is to be the most creative institution on earth because we have the greatest message to share, that Jesus alone gives salvation. 

Understanding those two points we choose to do all we can to get the attention of our community, and while we have their attention to tell them about Jesus.

Let’s hold tight to the promises of God, the direction He gives and continue to make a difference in the lives of the people we encounter in Martinsville and Henry County, Virginia and beyond!