Philippians 3:14   I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me  heavenward in Christ Jesus.

     Following Jesus is a great adventure in life.  As we live by faith in Christ, he leads us to impact those around us in a positive measure and he creates opportunities for us to grow as his people.

     Think of how much more this is true when the adventure of following Christ is done together as a group.  How much more opportunity to grow and impact those around us will God lead us into when we serve him together?  My feeling is that God has much in store for us as a church in this year ahead.  Therefore I have set as a theme for the church “The Greatest Adventure,” with Philippians 3:14 as a key scripture.

     God wants us to press forward in this year.  We are going to be challenged in personal relationships, missions involvement, spiritual growth and outreach to our neighbourhoods.  As a church body we can rise to the challenges ahead and seize God’s opportunities for the benefit of God’s Kingdom, our church family and ourselves personally.

     Get ready for a year of “The Greatest Adventure”.

 

Jesus extended an invitation to his disciples to “Come follow me.” He meant it. He literally invited them to leave their nets, their tax stall, their current job and become his followers. They spent time with him learning about the kingdom of God and doing the work along with Jesus. I’m sure that it was an amazing 3+ years that ended all to soon.
Yet even the disciples experienced the presence of Jesus after he left them through the person of the Holy Spirit. Jesus promised to be with them always and so they continued to follow Jesus by the power of the Holy Spirit. They changed their world because they continued to follow Christ.
You and I are at the same place today. Jesus is not physically with us so that we can touch him or hear his teaching directly from his mouth. But here we are following Jesus by the power of the Holy Spirit just like the early believers. God has not changed his tactics nor his desire to see his followers change their world. Christ is in you and he is the hope of glory.
What should we do then? We should follow Jesus like the disciples did. We listen to what the Spirit is saying to us and go forward in faith believing that God will use us to change our world. It is an awesome privilege to follow Jesus.

Every year there are people who dread the milestones of life that will inevitably come. Another birthday which pushes them over the hill or a another visit to the doctor who tells them they are not getting any younger. But there are also people who look forward to the milestones and anticipate the good things that will happen. It's exciting for those who are graduating or for those who buy a new home or have a baby.

So which type of person are you? Are you dreading the new year or are you excited for what will come?

As a church we should be excited. The things that God wants to do this year have never been done before. The depth to which God wants to teach us new things and demonstrate his goodness in the world as well as in our own lives, is far deeper in relationship than we live at today. There is much to look forward to.

It is time for each us us to take a hold of the days we are given, pray for God's direction and pursue godliness like never before. This will be a year to be remembered when we remember to make the most of it.

Wishing you the best God has to give you in 2009

Pastor Rod Fair