For the past 13 years I have had the privilege of living my life with a wonderful and special group of people.  The people of Northwood Baptist Church have been a great blessing to me and my family.  I was reading some cards and letters that I have received through the years and it has been really great to remember what an amazing journey God has allowed us to travel together.

There is only a small handful of the people left that we began the journey with 13 years ago.  Many have passed from this life into everlasting life and a handful have moved to different paths that God had marked out for them.  There are many that joined us at some point along the way and we are thankful for each and everyone.  I can honestly say that my life is better, fuller and stronger because of the people – each one of you!

God has now released us from Northwood and provided us with a calling to pursue the vision and passion that He has provided.  While a part of me is sad to be walking away from such a big part of our lives, another part of me is very excited about the possibilities of reaching out into the upstate with the powerful healing that can only come through the amazing grace of our loving Heavenly Father.

Some of us will continue to worship and grow together each week, some of us will continue to minister and serve together and some of us will run into each other at the Wal-Mart.  The beautiful thing to remember in all of this is:  All of us have the opportunity to listen for and yield to the voice of God.  I will tell you from personal experience, there is nothing like living at this place of yielding.  Yielding to His voice allows you to take steps that you could and would never take on your own.  Yielding to His voice allows you to step out of your comfort zone and into the miraculous.  Yielding to His voice is really the only way to live.

I want to say thank you!  Thank You God for relationship that makes everything possible.  Thank you Northwood for 13 years of amazing ministry – the Kingdom is sweeter and stronger because of our service together.  Thank you to my family for supporting me, even and especially when you often got the short end of the stick.  Thank you to my friends – past, present and future – I would not want to think of trying to do any of this without you.

Today we remember.  And before we lay our head on the pillow tonight – we look forward in faith, believing God for the miraculous and thankful that we get to be a part!  I love each of you and hold you in a special place.  Always remember and never forget – it’s all about G3!  (Giving God Glory!)

What is love?  This is the big question that a lot of people are asking and a lot of people think that they already have figured out.  The Bible gives us a good definition in 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 where it tells us:  “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.  It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.  Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.  It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.  Love never fails.”

We have been blessed with this great definition, but we still need something more.  We need to not only know what love is, but what it looks like.  How does love work?  There is another great passage of Scripture that says:  “16 This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. 17 If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? 18 Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.”  I John 3:16-18

I want you to notice three things that jump out of this passage to me about how we do love:

1.) Lay down your life for others!  Jesus gave His life for us and proof that we get that is that we give our life for one another.  Think about it – how can you lay down your life for your brothers and sisters?

2.) See a need, meet a need!  If you have material possessions?  We do have material possessions, so when we see a need, then wa are to have pity and do what we can to meet that need.

3.) Love – Really love!  with action and in truth!  Talk is cheap – it is easy to say: “I love you!”  We have to do more than say it, we have to do it.  We do love through the actions of our life and we do love through the truth of His Word.

What is love?  It’s what you make it, so make it right for God’s glory!

We all have a next chapter!  Here is a simple message as one chapter comes to an end and as a new chapter is getting ready to be written.  There is not better guide than God’s Word, so let these words make, shape, encourage and grow each of us to be all we were created to be.

“23 Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, 25 not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” Hebrews 10:23-25

1.) Hold Onto Hope!

2.) Push Forward To Love And Good Deeds!

3.) Don’t Give Up Togetherness!

4.) Encourage All The Time!

5.) Be Ready!