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 Last week, I was replacing the blades on my lawnmower when I realized I needed a 3/4” socket. I have a socket but for whatever reason my rachet did not want to work correctly. So, being the ingenious mechanic that I am, I just grabbed my pliers. I assumed I could take the pliers and do what the rachet would do and remove the nut with the socket. Well, you can imagine how well that worked out. (Don’t judge me, I am sure you have tried the same thing, with little luck.) I am not alone, we all have tried to make something work, even though we know that is not how it should be done.

As the holidays arrive, I think we sometimes do the same thing. As Thanksgiving is on the verge of being here, and Christmas is right around the corner, don’t try and make the holidays become just a “short cut.” What do I mean by making the holidays a short cut? I am often guilty of just “getting by” through the holiday season. I know that is not the right attitude, but truthfully, I sometimes do. I sometimes focus on all the tasks involved getting ready for company, decorating, and worrying about the costs. So,
rather than enjoying the company, imagining the kid’s excitement in the decorations and being conscience of the cost, I lose the entire purpose of it.

Substituting the pliers for the rachet might work but it doesn’t fit the real purpose of the job. The purpose of the job is to repair, or perfect what the job is supposed to do. The holidays are not just to get through or cause stress, they are to remind us of the real reasons for the celebration.

Thanksgiving is this month, and we all know as Christians we are all supposed to be thankful, and I think for the most part we usually are. But the holidays should remind us why we should be thankful. The Bible also reminds us not to take those things for granted. So, what are you thankful for? Obviously, I am thankful for my family. I am thankful for being your pastor. I am thankful for living in the United States. I am thankful I am healthy. Those are all things I am thankful for; however, I left something off my list.

Hebrews 12:28-29 says,
28 Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, 29 for our “God is a consuming fire.”

This passage points out that our list should first include our relationship with the Lord. We have received the greatest gift ever given in Jesus Christ. He has given us everything, but maybe most importantly-our salvation. This love and grace should allow us to be thankful and grow in our walk with him. As we come into the Holiday season, particularly Thanksgiving, when you list the things you are thankful for, don’t overlook the greatest thing, our salvation. If we are not careful, we forget how much it is worth and what it cost our savior. So Happy Thanksgiving and remember “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.” (Psalm 107:1)

In Christ,

Brother Alan

 As we continue our journey through the first four chapters of Acts, we see a powerful picture of what God can do through ordinary people. The Holy Spirit empowered the apostles to boldly preach the gospel, perform miracles, and remain faithful even when they faced persecution. Their courage did not come from their own strength, but from their trust in the Lord and His promises.

One of the themes we see throughout these chapters is worship through obedience. In Acts 4, Peter and John refused to remain silent about what Jesus had done. Even when threatened, they boldly proclaimed the truth, and the result was that God was glorified and people praised Him for what had happened. This serves as a reminder that worship is much more than the songs we sing on Sunday. True worship is trusting God enough to step out in faith, follow His leading, and give Him glory for the results.

This has also been the focus of our new youth series as we explore what it really means to worship. We are learning that worship is a lifestyle of surrender, obedience, and praise. If you are a parent of our youth, I encourage you to ask questions to your kiddos and let them see you worshiping God in all circumstances because He is Awesome and all Powerful!!!

We are excitedly preparing for our cantata next month. The choir has been working with the Holy Spirit and using the gifts God has given them to share the good news of Jesus. Our prayer is that through every song and every testimony, lives will be touched, hearts will be encouraged, and God will be glorified. We also would like to introduce some new songs this month which are called Same God and Battle Belongs, that I will put a link down at the bottom of this newsletter. May we all have the courage to step out in faith and, like the believers in Acts, find ourselves praising God for all He has done.

Much Love Yall,
Tyler