Dear Church,
How has God been a good Father to you lately? Personally, He has forgiven me. He has provided for my family. He has given me guidance. He has challenged me. He has restored me. He has given me rest. He has protected me. He has listened to me. He has encouraged me and shared His strength. Because of God the Father’s goodness to you, how are you responding? I’ve been able to forgive. I’ve been more generous. I’ve been more inclined to listen. I’ve been able to communicate the things He’s taught me. I’ve been able to help others trade anxiety for His peace. I’ve been able to pray for those I disagree with. I’ve shared His grace with those who are driving me crazy. In Luke 6:45 Jesus says, “A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.” Boy, this is a challenging verse because I don’t always speak what’s good – and when I trace back where those words come from, I realize my heart has not stored up, treasured, God’s goodness. To put it another way, I find myself declaring things that have nothing to do with the gospel – but here’s the good news, because Christ has come and died in my place, for all our sin, and rose again – I can come to my senses and hit reset with Him at any given moment. I can humble myself. I can ask for forgiveness. I can pray for and serve those who don’t deserve it. I can persevere when I’m tired. I can do and say things that can only be explained because of God’s unfailing kindness to me in Christ. What are you dwelling on these days? I encourage you to take time to remember, rest in, and proclaim (in word and deed) the goodness of our Father, who never changes. “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.” James 1:17 With that in mind, this last week it was a blessing to see a cavalcade of cars rolling by Maxine Marrow’s place to wish her well. It was also awesome to see wheelbarrows full of food being taken from the church to the food bank. And, it was encouraging to hear about people inviting friends and family to worship with us on YouTube or the church website. God has a plan for us and those around us in these sad and uncertain times – to know His salvation from our sin, and into His glory. May our good Father continue to draw you, bless you, and go before you. Because of Christ, Pastor Gunnar |
Pastor GunnarGunnar began serving as pastor at First Baptist Church, Elma in July 2012. He and his wife Corrine – and their three children Trinity, Eli, and Ian moved to Washington with a vision to help build a vibrant community of people who know the truth of God’s love for them in Christ, and express that love as they gather, and go out into the world. A veteran of youth, college, and young adult ministries for almost twenty years – Gunnar enjoys being in God’s Word, obsessing over sports, and spending time outdoors with his family. Archives
May 2020
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