Friday evening after our ladies banquet, I felt a leading to ask our volunteers to pack up the leftover food into some “to go” pans.  I did a quick scan of folks that were still left standing around and determined how many and who they needed to go to.  I then sent some of the volunteers out to share these with the un-expecting guests that were getting ready to leave.

As I was taking care of a few last-minute details, one of the ladies that I had just met a few hours earlier, came up to me and said:  “Pastor, I need to share a blessing with you!”  I had no idea what she was going to say, but took her hand as she reached toward me, looked into her eyes and said:  “What’s that?”

She asked:  “How did you know that I didn’t have any food left in my house?”  I was puzzled, a little shocked and before I could respond, she spoke again:  “I came here tonight from Greenville to eat supper with my friend.  When I left home, I did not have any food left in my house and then right before I was getting ready to leave and go back home tonight, y’all come out and gave me this pan of food.”  She was sincere.  She was not asking for anything.  She genuinely wanted to know how I knew that she did not have food and needed food?

I told her:  “I did not know, but Jesus did and He loves you and will take care of us as we continue to love and trust him.”  She hugged me and kept saying “Thank You!”  I thanked her for coming and for sharing with me.

Now, who do you think walked away with the bigger blessing?  I don’t really know the answer to that question, but I can tell you how I felt!

I just want to say thank you to God for loving, forgiving, saving me and for allowing me to serve Him by serving others.  I want to say thank you to my spiritual family that helped to make it possible for me to get out of my comfort zone during the last couple of years to begin a ministry of building bridges of hope out of the church and into the community.  I want to say thank you to the volunteers that make all of the ministry possible and keep it going every day.

There is so much that we don’t know, but Jesus knows it all and as we continue to love and trust him, he will guide and direct us on an amazing journey of grace!

Back in the teenage days of my faith, there was a song called “People Need The Lord!” sung by Steve Green.  I have been thinking about the word of that song a lot lately.  It was such a true, humble and sweet reminder of the obvious that we tend to forget.

“Everyday they pass me by,
I can see it in their eyes.
Empty people filled with care,
Headed who knows where?”

So many of us in this world feel that we have been and are being passed by.  Our eyes are open, but our hearts are empty and our lives are filled and overflowing with challenge and frustration.  We are headed in a direction, but often it is taking us no where.

“On they go through private pain,
Living fear to fear.
Laughter hides their silent cries,
Only Jesus hears.”

We hurt and there is almost no one anywhere that has any idea why or how it really feels.  We are scared, afraid and filled with fear that is sometimes chased away by fear.  We pretend that everything is okay, we even try to convince ourselves.  We smile, laugh and play the game, but we know the truth and we think we are the only one, but Jesus hears not just the outside, but most especially the inside cry of our heart.

“People need the Lord, people need the Lord.
At the end of broken dreams, He’s the open door.
People need the Lord, people need the Lord.
When will we realize, people need the Lord?”

He is the way, the truth and the life – it really is just this simple!

“We are called to take His light
To a world where wrong seems right.
What could be too great a cost
For sharing Life with one who’s lost?”

Our job is to let Him light our lives and then carry that light and share it with everyone, everywhere and in every way that we can.  That light will illuminate the darkness and reveal the truth that the enemy has blinded us to.  The most important thing we can do after receiving the life He gives, is to share it with others.  This is the lost getting found.

“Through His love our hearts can feel
All the grief they bear.
They must hear the Words of Life
Only we can share.”

As we experience His love, we can hear, see and feel what others are going through and only then do we deserve the right to share with them the Words of Life that can change our lives and eternities.

“People need the Lord, people need the Lord
At the end of broken dreams, He’s the open door.
People need the Lord, people need the Lord.
When will we realize that we must give our lives,
For people need the Lord.”

He is the way the truth and the life – it really is just that simple!

“People need the Lord.”

“Courage is not the absence of fear but rather the judgement that something else is more important than fear”  – Ambrose Redmoon

It takes courage to respond to the threatening.  Everyday of our lives, there is the potential of someone or something attacking us with threat.  Often the threat locks us up and away with fear and instead of living life, we simply endure it.

We were not created to be bound in and by fear.  Our Creator created us to live strong and courageous lives.  In Joshua 1:7 it says:  “Be strong and courageous…”  And in Joshua 1:9 it says:  “Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

Tonight we are beginning a new Wednesday Evening Bible Study called “Courageous Living!” based on the movie “Courageous!”  I want to personally invite you to join us as we open our hearts and our Bibles to discover and obtain this most incredible gift that God has for us.

The “Courageous Living!” Bible Study will be every Wednesday evening during the month of February at 6:30 PM in the Fellowship Center at Northwood Baptist Church located at 888 Ansel School Road, Greer SC 29651

Join us this evening and learn to live a COURAGEOUS life!