“It’s a whole lot better to live outside the cage than inside it.” – Pastor Wayne Blackburn, Victory Church- GREATER > THAN [ FEARS] Series
The month of June is quickly coming to a close. If I had to encapsulate all of the experiences that Rebecca, the boys, and I have had into one word, it would be transforming. The constant confirmations we have received through sermons and everyday errands has been nearly overwhelming. Our family Bible studies have been in complete harmony with Pastor Wayne Blackburn’s (Senior Pastor of Victory Church) messages. The unified message has been this: prepare yourselves for something big. Our battles with the enemy in Tennessee were where we first heard the echoes of this message—indeed, the spiritual warfare our family faced was constant; the enemy did not want us to leave there alive—but now it is pounding in our ears. God intends to use this family to do something great for His glory. And through the unrelenting skirmishes, we have learned to better hear the Spirit’s voice and follow His leading. This resulted in a wonderful ministry opportunity teaching an amazing class of 11th and 12th graders for a year. The relationships we nurtured and invested in are still with us today. And we have learned to follow even when we can’t see the path: when we must step out of our comfort zones and walk by faith. Our family study of Abraham leaving everything he knew to go where God was leading him was brought to life right in front of our sons’ eyes as we set off for our own promised land. We knew that God was telling us to go, so we went.
The opening quote is from a series that Pastor Wayne is preaching called “God is Greater Than.” The goal of this series has been to impress God’s supremacy over all things, and incite his congregation to bolder service to our God. Sunday’s message was “God is Greater Than our Fears.” One thing that really struck home was when Pastor Blackburn expressed the importance of bearing fruit. “The consequence of not bearing fruit is dangerous,” he warned us. For if we do not bear fruit, we will be cut off from Christ and “cast into the fire. (Matt. 7:19)” To sit still and expect someone else to do the all the work is not an option. We can’t allow ourselves to get stuck in the mundane day-to-day pattern of life. The fruit of faith is action. As James said, faith without works is dead (James 2:26). And by “works” he doesn’t mean simply gracing a church with your presence every Sunday. Real faith—living faith—causes us to bear fruit. It presses us into action. It is the catalyst that drives us to do great things for God’s glory.
Before I close, I would to thank you for your prayers, dear brothers and sisters. Praise God, we made the move without any problems whatsoever, we are now members of a thriving church family, and we have settled into a lovely home which surpassed all our expectations! We are still becoming acclimated to the change in weather; learning the lay of the land; merging with the local community. But God has been faithful in every area of our relocation, and He continues to guide us through the remaining tasks we must complete. Please continue to remember us in prayer as we seek to do great things for the glory of God.
In Christ’s Perfect Love,
Dwight
The Parson
“Lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God.” – Ephesians 4:1
“Let us grow in every way into Him who is the head—Christ.” – Ephesians 4:15b
