There is much going on in the world that will change the environment we as the church have enjoyed in this country for centuries. Although the political and culture environment is changing, the Gospel does not change. The Great Commission to the church has not changed. In Matthew16, Jesus tells the disciples that He will build His church and the Gates of Hell will not prevail against it. That is a promise that we can trust even when things don't seem to be going our way. It relates to what we read in Psalm 46. If you struggle with getting down about the headlines, I encourage you to feed your soul with the Word of God which reminds us not to put our hope in the things of this world, but to fix our hope and our faith firmly upon Jesus Christ.
As I have pondered the “Pastor's Pondering,” I've decided that I need to select a theme and go with it for several months. Now the difficult part is selecting a theme. I've got a number of areas in which I would like to share teaching with you. Most of these areas are theological in nature, which maybe intimidating for some, but I assure you I will do my best to encourage you with good theology that you can put into practice. Theology is for our use, not simply for our knowledge. So keep your eye's peeled for theology coming your way in the very next issue of the Tapestry.
One other thing I would really like to address with everyone is the issue of Sunday school. If you are not attending Sunday school, I would like to challenge you to consider why that is and whether or not that is a legitimate excuse. If you are attending Sunday school I would encourage you to invite those that are not. Sunday school is not a requirement for membership and in that sense it is optional. However, there is much in Sunday school for your profit spiritually. We are currently in a study of our doctrine of the Sabbath in the Adult Sunday school class and are planning a great study of the first section of the book of Genesis in the Fall. I do hope you will seriously consider joining us for our times of study together in Sunday school. The blessings of being here are best known by those who make it their practice to gather together for the teaching of the Word. I hope you will come join us Sunday mornings at 9:30.