Dear friends,
We had rain this weekend. I measured 3.27 inches here at our place. The 5k fun run was held Saturday morning after a one-hour rain delay. The streets were a bit muddy, but it didn’t dampen the spirits of the participants. Reports were that 75 runners were entered. Good times.
Did you know that Christians are called to enter a race? It is true, when a person trusts Jesus Christ as his or her Savior, that person is not called to sit on the sidelines and cheer others as they run by. We are called to do the work that God has planned for us.
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do” (Ephesians 2:8-10).
The apostle Paul wrote of the race God had called him to run. In the book of Acts he wrote to the church, “However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace” (Acts 20:24). To Timothy he wrote, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith” (2 Timothy 4:7).
Paul’s goal was always to run a good race, and he encouraged his readers to do the same: “Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize” (1 Corinthians 9:24). I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:14).
“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers” (Galatians 6:9-10).
Above all, we as believers are tasked with proclaiming the Good News of Jesus Christ, and the salvation He has provided. Let us not grow weary in that to which we are called.
In Christ,
Pastor Jerry
sandhillspastor 