Hello Advent Family,

The other day one of the younger kids from the school was talking to me.  He asked, “Pastor Dave there is a lot of work to do in the church do you get tired of doing it all yourself?”  I explained to him that I don’t do it all in fact my job is to try and do none of it.  He looked at me with wide eyes and then I showed him the following passage from Ephesians 4.  Let’s look at it together today

11 So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, 12 to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. 14 Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. 15 Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. 16 From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.

I explained to this young boy that my job is to equip or help prepare God’s people to do the work of the church.  The church really only functions well when everyone is fulfilling a role.  Serving, loving, giving, teaching others, and above all sharing their faith with the world.  According to Paul, churches will grow when every supporting ligament does its part.  My prayer is that we will all be activated and watch and see what God does in and through our lives.

In His Grip,
Pastor Dave