Good afternoon,
In my mind, the only acceptable frozen precipitation is that which cancels nothing, causes no accidents, freezes no pipes, and doesn't threaten a loss of power. Also, the frozen precipitation can't be cold.
Now that you know the vital information that I don't approve of today's weather, you should know that we're hopeful tomorrow's temps will get above freezing so that nothing will be affected for Wednesday night. If that doesn't happen, we'll certainly let you know. But we're eager to press on in our respective studies (Wisdom Wednesdays, How to Eat Your Bible, and Practicing Affirmation). The Lord used Andy in leading the latter last week.
Saturday night many of the teenagers will be heading to the Johnson's new place for pizza and games. Then, this weekend many of South Woods' homes will be opened to others for the sake of fellowship, prayer, and encouragement. In all of those cases, so many of you clearly see that the resources you've been given are good gifts from the Lord to be stewarded for His honor. Our homes might be found in a cul–de–sac, but they don't merely function as cul–de–sacs; they're conduits for blessing others.
In a similar vein, statements that reflect 2022's financial giving have been mailed out. That's yet another way this church body stewards and redirects the resources they've been given for the advance of the gospel and the good of God's people. Chris and I were telling David just last week how faithful the benevolence offering has been for years now.
Part of this is because the Lord's made us aware that "all good things come from above" (Is the song in your head?). We looked at that challenging but clarifying passage (James 1:13–18) on Sunday morning. If you missed it, you can read (all 6 pages!) or watch it here: (Consider the Source, James 1:13-18)
This coming Sunday we'll continue in Romans 14 in our Bible Study Groups, and I'll press on in James 1 with yet another compelling image, that of the person that looks at his or her face in a mirror and immediately forgets what he or she looks like. It's a fascinating picture of being a hearer but not a doer of the word. And yet, as we've seen, James loves to contrast ideas, so he'll also point us to the blessing that comes to those that look intently into the law of liberty (what a phrase!).
Verse 18 can get lost in the middle of all of those memorable images, but be reminded: The Giver of all good things chose––freely––to bring us forth (to give us life!) by the word of truth, the gospel of His dear Son. Soli Deo Gloria.
Matt
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