We all love talking about the things that bring us joy. We share our stories about hobbies, favorite restaurants, or grandchildren. We post photographs of fishing trips, meals, and places that matter to us. And we tell stories about the people and experiences that shape our lives.
In the same way, we should also be quick to speak about the Lord. We tell stories of who He is and what He has done because His work in our lives is too great to keep to ourselves. That is what happened in Mark 5 when Jesus transformed the life of a man tormented by demons. Jesus said to him, “Go home to your friends and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you” (v.19).
This is the pattern we see throughout Scripture. Again and again, God’s people are called to remember and to tell. The psalmist writes, “We will not hide them from their children, but tell to the coming generation the glorious deeds of the Lord, and his might, and the wonders that he has done” (Psalm 78:4). The stories of God’s mercy and power are meant to be shared so that the next generation may know Him.
That is something we want to cultivate at CPC. We need to tell the stories of how God is at work in our lives, in our church, and through our supported missionaries. These stories help us know Jesus more deeply, connect more meaningfully with one another, and find encouragement in our Faith.
To that end, on the third Sunday of each month we will hear brief testimonies and stories of how God is at work through our members and through our mission partners. When Sara Southard shared a few weeks ago, I was especially thankful for her faithful leadership in Children’s Ministry. Hearing about how God is moving in the lives of our children was deeply encouraging. Jesus reminds us, “Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me, receives not me but him who sent me” (Mark 9:37). John Piper reflects on this verse, writing: “That is simply staggering if you believe it. Receiving a child in the nursery in the name of Jesus is to receive God Almighty into the nursery.” What a staggering truth - that to welcome a child in the name of Christ is to welcome God himself.
I look forward to hearing more testimonies of God’s goodness in the months ahead. May they strengthen our faith and help us continue to declare His glorious deeds to the next generation.
In Christ,
David, Senior Pastor
