|
From
the January, 2004 edition of The Chapel newsletter
by
Mike Hepler
How Firm a Foundation
We are so blessed here at The Chapel in North Canton. We have a wonderful staff of leadership, a beautiful building from which we can both worship and serve our Lord, and a great community in which to grow and impact others for Christ. Opportunities are teeming all around us, and God is answering many prayers. He is allowing our church to grow in numbers as well, which is another blessing.
With these special blessings from God upon our collective ministries for Him here at The Chapel, I’d like to take this opportunity to just encourage each of us, as individuals, to be involved somewhere in the area of discipleship. Though none of us ever arrive at the end of the discipleship journey, we can still turn and reach out to the person who is just behind us on this journey and pull him or her along side. Learning how to be more like Jesus and showing someone else how to follow Him is a part of the mission statement here at The Chapel. By doing this we are obeying what Christ told us to do in
Matthew
28:19-20:
“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
A strong foundation in a church is related to the spiritual maturity of its congregation. We must strive to ever press onward as individuals to be more like Him and less like us. And when (and notice I said “when”) Satan attacks, we can be like the house that was built upon a rock as opposed to the one built upon the sand
(Matthew
7:24-27).
Jesus taught us so much about how to live life in Matthew chapters five through seven. His lessons leap off the pages — they are so relevant to our lives in 2004. In chapter 7, verse 24, He says,
“Therefore, everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.”
Our leadership is strongly committed to discipleship. As we begin this new year of life, join me in prayerful support of the efforts being made to make discipleship successful here at The Chapel in North Canton. We all benefit, both individually and collectively, because to be more like Him is “in His will for us”, no matter who we are.
Yours in Christ,
Mike Hepler
Back
to The Deacon's Desk main page |
