From the Pastor's Pen

JOY IN SERVING

Thousands of bags, over 120 volunteers, a lot of pizza & hot dogs and 2 dumpsters later...our church is starting to sparkle again. THANK YOU to all who served during our two Saturdays of Spring Clean-Up. You made a big difference!

First Assembly of God is currently rallying around 4 cornerstones of Christian faith: Prayer, The Word, Giving and Serving. The Spring Clean-Up provided a very tangible way to serve. We served the Lord by offering ourselves and our time to His kingdom. We served each other by working together and helping one another. We served our church by cleaning and caring for the facility that we all share. We served our community by donating hundreds of items to local charities, schools and organizations.

Serving is so great because it takes our eyes off of ourselves. As we serve we begin to see the world through the eyes of Jesus. After all, He came into the world not to be served, but to serve (Mark 10:45). Jesus demanded nothing, asked for nothing and owned nothing, but the clothes on His back. His detachment from the things of this world gave Jesus the freedom to serve others.

This detachment is precisely why it is healthy to give things away that we no longer need (or throw them away if need be). It releases our grip on this world and refocuses our attention on what is important, namely: Serving God and His People! So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up (Gal. 6:9).