Known For Our Parking Lot

It's Monday morning and I wonder if you're in need of a pick-me up. Here are a couple.

1. God's word to us is one of power, power for change. "I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes..." (Romans 1:16a)

The Good News or "gospel" is an agent of change for salvation. It is sent for the salvation of people who have to go through Monday mornings. It is sent for the salvation of marriages that had a bad weekend. It is sent for the salvation of families that are going through particularly horrific times.

The Good News of God is that you and your life are on His screen for salvation. Take a moment and thank God that He's in the process of bringing salvation into every aspect of your life.

2. God's kindness leads to repentance. "Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, tolerance, and patience, not realizing that God's kindness leads you toward repenatnce?" (Romans 2:4)

Sometimes we think of God's default mode as one of judgment and wrath. That doesn't seem to be the case. He longs for all to come to repentance.

However, we musn't mistake His patience for neglect or approval of a life lived self-centeredly. He is patient, with the hope that we will come to repentance (which simply means, "turning around").

Any area in your life right now where you need to turn around?

At this moment I'm sitting at the computer in the front classroom of the church. If I sit here long enough, I'll see a vehicle or two drive into our parking lot simply to turn around and go the opposite direction onto Jackson Rd. It happens several times every day. We're close to an exit/entrance for I-94. Probably many of them were speeding down the road one way, missed an exit, and caught the first chance they had to do a u-turn.

Not a bad image of what the church is all about, right?

Maybe you're going at break-neck speed one way, (in a relationship, a habit, an attitude, priorities, whatever), and you realize you've "mised it". Good news! You can turn around!

The Gospel of God is the power for salvation and is brought to full effect as God patiently leads us to repentance. May God lead you to powerful U-turns in your life today!

Grace & peace