From the Pastor – October 2008 

     It’s so easy to make snap judgments about others, isn’t it? Though we may try our best to see others through eyes of grace, fully understanding that they’re still works in progress, just as we are, it can happen so quickly that we barely recognize it. In the blink of an eye, we size someone up according to their gender, their clothing, their race, and maybe what we consider their level of attractiveness. Based on all that, we form expectations about who they are.

   Sometimes, if we take the time to get to know those people, we discover that they are indeed like we thought. Other times, however, they offer us a surprise; we find ourselves completely amazed at their depth, or character, or even life experience.

   Unfortunately, we don’t just do this with other people. All too often, we do it with God, as well. We think we know God based on a “picture” someone else has come up with.  We are quick to guess God must be aloof, disinterested in our lives, or worse yet, angry and vengeful.

     However, if we take the time to know God, we may well be surprised.  We may just find that God truly is good, loves us more than we can imagine, and longs for a relationship with us.

   For the next couple of months, we will have the chance to encounter God in a variety of fresh ways. We’re about to embark on a forty-day study called “Irresistible Invitation: Responding to the Extravagant Heart of God,” and through individual devotions, our midweek discussions, and related sermons, we’ll all grow in faith together.

   Don’t miss this church-wide opportunity to grow in your faith and to experience new levels of relationship with God. There’s no telling what we can find when we’re willing to take a closer look.

Pastor Tony