From the Pastor’s Pen – May 2007

As I have preached on God’s love these past few weeks my heart has been moved. I never grow tried of this great subject; it is truly amazing that God would love sinners. More amazing is that He would send His one and only “unique” Son to die for sinners. This simple phrase, “God loved the world” reveals so much that the mind is almost startled at this incredible truth. These precious words are not to be taken lightly. They are to be mediated upon and lead us to greater thoughts of God and move us to worship and serve Him faithfully. Another truth that it should lead us to is evangelizing the lost. We should desire for others to know of God’s love for them. Jesus told us to begin in Jerusalem; in other words in our own hometown. We need to first pray for the salvation of our family, those that are lost need to here about the love of God. Parents, teach your children of God’s love, make sure they are at church to hear about God’s love, make sure they know that God has revealed His love to them in many ways, even though they are unconverted. We need to pray daily, but also corporately for God to bring an awakening in our church and save our children. Wednesday prayer service needs to be taken more seriously here at Grace. Do we really believe God hears our prayers? If so, then why are we not meeting more faithfully together every Wednesday to pray for the salvation of our children and ask God to call some to be missionaries and preachers? We also need to pray for our community and seek to reach those who are lost. God’s love should lead us to go into Samaria. From our beginning our desires was to plant churches. I believe we need to pray that this will happen soon. With gas prices sky rocketing it is becoming very expensive for some of our members who travel long distances. We need to seek God’s will about planting a church in southeast Mississippi. A final aspect of God’s love should lead us to pray for God to send missionaries to other nations. God has sent Isaac to us and now we are discussing the possibility of sending him out as our missionary. We need to make this a matter of prayer. We need to have great wisdom and knowledge to under take such a task. There is much to learn from those in ARBCA and they are willing help us in many ways.They have seminars on planting churches and sending forth missionaries, and in the future we will seek to take advantage of these. As you see, this great verse that speaks of God’s love should move us to action in each of the situations that I have mentioned. If we have experience God’s love, then we should have a great desire for others to know of God’s love and experience it as we have. Let us be mindful of this truth and make our love evident to all. As John states: “Beloved, let us love one another; for love is of God; and everyone that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.” Let it be evident that we love God and love others.

Growing in my love for you, Pastor Thomas Winn