Well, we are gearing back up for our next season of our study in the gospel of John. This Sunday morning will be (I pray) a very exalting review of John 1-4 as we refresh our hearts and minds on the question, “Who is Jesus?”. I encourage you to prepare for this message by reading chapters 1-4 of John’s gospel. If you have the mind to, you may want to begin journaling this season of your life and begin by writing the question “Who are you, Jesus?” at the top of the page and keep a running list of all that is said of Christ in John 1-4. In fact, if you are struggling for daily devotional material, I would encourage you to go through John a paragraph at a time, taking notes and at the end of each devotion, writing down your answer to the above question.

I really enjoyed our last series (it stretched me). I just believe the time was right for us to look at the essentials of the church with the ministry plan / strategy in view. I hope and pray that the church is understanding that. One way you can reinforce your understanding of this ministry plan is to go back through the website, now that we have taught on each area and see what ministries are applied within each area of the ministry plan. You’ve probably noticed that the foyer is also organized in this way with our passion statement in the middle. This is not to exalt the statement or the means to accomplish the statement. This is all designed to help us be biblical as a community of redeemed sinners.

As fall “creeps” in, my soul is refreshed at the thought of God’s goodness in bringing us to UBC and my love for you all. With that, I am reminded of the reality that many in our body are hurting and going through great difficulty. Let me share with you one of my most treasured passages (particularly during our short season of miscarriages):

Though the fig tree should not blossom,
nor fruit be on the vines,
the produce of the olive fail
and the fields yield no food,
the flock be cut off from the fold
and there be no herd in the stalls,
yet I will rejoice in the LORD;
I will take joy in the God of my salvation.
GOD, the Lord, is my strength;
he makes my feet like the deer’s;
he makes me tread on my high places.
Habakkuk 3:17-19