Tonight's Devotional is by Nelson. 💙
Psalm 103:17, 18: But the love of the Lord remains forever
with those who fear him.
His salvation extends to the children’s children
of those who are faithful to his covenant,
of those who obey his commandments!
I was overjoyed to see that so many of you wanted to sign up for the benefits plans that I described during yesterday's message. Praise God for His awesome benefits!
Many want to know what's next now that you've expressed your interest In signing up for these wonderful benefits. The truth is, it's very simple: Take the next step in your faith journey.
Everyone is at a different level in their walk with God, but no matter the level that you're on right now, the next step for all of us is to continue to get closer to God. We must always be moving forward...towards God. We cannot ever stop trying to get closer to Him!
What does that mean for you? Perhaps for you, it is to take the first step in being part of His team and find ways to grow in your faith. You might want to join a Bible study. Ask if a prayer port could be started in your home or with your family or friends over zoom. Make coming to church every Sabbath a commitment so that you are learning and being strengthened by worshipping and fellowshipping with your church family. Not only does this grow your faith, it grows your ability to withstand and endure the tough and stormy times that will come in this life. God created us for connection and The Lighthouse at Riverside is a wonderful place to connect to some of the kindest, most caring people you will ever know!
Perhaps you've been doing these things already, and your next step Is to prepare for baptism. This makes your connection to Christ and to the church family official. It unlocks next level benefits for each of us, as the verse above declares.
For those who are already members, or have already been baptized elsewhere and need to make your membership official, you may also have some questions. You may be wondering what you can do next to keep moving forward, because you understand that no matter where you are in your journey with Christ, we must always keep moving and learning in our walk with Him. To you, I might suggest to find a way to get involved more significantly. Perhaps it's time to put your spiritual gifts to work in order to make the church stronger and a greater blessing to more people.
For ALL of us, regardless of where we are, I recommend finding ways to bless others! Volunteer to deliver a day of a Week of Love. Volunteer to send cards and notes to those who are sick or going through a rough time. Take note of who is missing during worship each week and reach out with a call or a text. Know this: anything you do to bless others will bring blessings into your own life. It's a Biblical principle we can count on.
If each of us is willing to keep moving forward and take the next steps in our own faith journey, it keeps the church moving forward and able to bless more and more people. This is what pleases God! ☝🏽 I know we ALL want to be part of that! 😇
God bless you and welcome to the team! My name is Nelson and I am here to help in any way I can!🙂