Church family,
One thing I believe we’ve done well as a church over the years is partnering in harmony with other local churches. We have consistently preached (and, by God’s grace, embodied) the conviction that we are a church that belongs to the Church, a body of Christ that is part of the Body of Christ. Our desire has always been to see people come to know Jesus and get connected to a gospel-centered church, even if that church isn’t Harbor.
But over the past few months, I’ve found myself praying some more “selfish” prayers for us at Harbor. I’ve been asking God to give us the privilege of introducing men and women to a relationship with Jesus, that we’ll have to figure out the logistics of baptizing new believers on a regular basis, and that we’ll be given the opportunity to walk with these new brothers and sisters (discipling them, loving them, and helping them grow) for many years to come, all for the glory of Jesus!
Church, I don’t just want to just invite you to pray this prayer with me, I want to invite you to prepare yourself for God to answer this prayer with me! If revival were to come, are we ready to deal with the wonderful repercussions of it?
Tonight, as we gather for this Thanksgiving dinner, we have a special opportunity before us. We get to welcome our neighbors into our church home. We get to show them what God’s love truly looks like. We will be afforded the opportunity to feed, to serve, to listen, to talk, to pray, and hopefully to share the wonderful message of God’s great love that’s found in Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord!
So as you’re cooking casseroles or mac & cheese today, I want to invite you to pray with me:
Pray that everyone who joins us tonight experiences the warm embrace of Jesus.
Pray that God opens doors for gospel conversations around the table.
Pray that our joy, our gratitude, and our kindness point others to the Savior we’re giving thanks for.
Pray that we will be ready to disciple new believers when revival takes place.
May we serve with eager and grateful hearts tonight, church family! May our hearts long for others to come to know Jesus and to join in the fellowship we share with Him!
I love you all dearly, and it’s an honor to serve alongside each of you! I’ll see you tonight!
Ryan