So here we are! We are finally in the situation we have been preparing for over the last few years. Our mission to seek and save the lost (Luke 19:10) is progressing through this expansion of the church building and the Southeast Institute of Biblical Studies. Our expectation is that many lives will be touched and souls saved here in Karns and around the world.
This, of course, has its difficulties. For instance, our normal Sunday morning schedule is disrupted with two morning services and the long trek to the multi-purpose room. Looking on the bright side, the multi-purpose room is much closer to the restrooms!
As always, but especially now, we need everyone to be here and not forsake our assembly (Heb. 10:25).
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law (Galatians 5:22-23, NASB) .
We need the fruits of the spirit on display in each and every one of us, especially love, patience, and kindness.
Patience here isn’t just being good at waiting for time to pass, it’s about putting up with hardship for however long that hardship lasts. We aren’t talking about the patience of Job here; our situation is not even in the same ball park. We will have problems but in the big scheme of eternity, these problems are extremely inconsequential.
Let’s each be sure we are:
with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love, being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace ( Ephesians 4:2-3, NASB).
For the elders, Gary Woodall