This week, my soul is really full. In fact, I am overwhelmed with God's kindness and find that the Thanksgiving holiday is perfectly timed for many reasons. Here's why. It is our habit as a church to schedule baptisms on the 4th Sunday of the month. Most of the time, we have two or three people who publicly profess their faith in Christ. These baptisms are always an encouragement to all of us. This coming Sunday, it looks as if there will be 13 people who will be publicly professing their faith in Christ. Have we done anything differently? Not really. This is the fruit of many people sharing Christ, doing Bible studies, having good gospel conversations, and praying. This is all part of a church that loves Jesus and loves his Word, which creates an atmosphere that embraces the careful proclamation of that Word. There just seems to be seasons where there is more fruit than others. Brothers and sisters, whether the season is a little more fruitful or a little more barren, our calling to joyful faithfulness remains the same.

In planning for the Thanksgiving Eve service, we have identified four people who will be sharing testimonies that evening. Sometimes the things that happen in our lives are little more under the radar and sometimes they are a little more dramatic. Sometimes the people that we disciple and encourage struggle and keep struggling, while at other times they struggle and then get it. As I think about the stories that these people will be sharing, I am overwhelmed with gratitude for God's faithfulness in their lives and can't wait for you to share in that. I know that many of you are traveling and/or receiving family in and making plans for a great time together. But I hope that if you can at all make it, you will plan to be at our annual Thanksgiving Eve service. We will be observing the Lord's Table that evening as well.

Between this Sunday and next Wednesday, the Lord will only add to whatever is already on your plate and in your cup so that no matter what the Lions do, your Thanksgiving will be a good one.

Grateful,

Bob

Sunday's text: Acts 18:1-17 (again)