“How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching?”
Romans 10:14-15
God’s encouragement…
Reflecting on my journey with Jesus always brings joy to my heart. When I went to church as a little girl I remember reciting prayers, some of which I memorized. I liked singing, too. But I don’t recall much about the sermons. I can’t say whether this is a trick time plays, or I was too young to understand the words. But that changed for me when I returned to church after a decade’s long absence. As an adult in a time of crisis, I hungered for God’s word and comfort.
This brings me to the purpose of my post for this Thanksgiving season: to thank all who preach God’s word. Pastors deepen our understanding of the scriptures through their sermons. A sermon that touches our soul is an experience that has no other equivalent on earth. When a pastor explains a passage of scripture, one that proves God knows what we are going through, it is like bursting into a light-drenched meadow amid a dark journey. In the light, we can see God and know He has been with us throughout it. When this happens, we take a step on our faith journey that draws us closer to Him.
Our pastors often follow the pattern Jesus established as He taught. Using everyday situations, they teach us about the heart of God. Pastors connect the dots we sometimes miss when we read the scriptures on our own. When they weave in translations of Hebrew words that don’t have an equivalent in English, they ensure we don’t miss the important message of a passage. When they tie passages of scripture together to reveal the life of Jesus, we see how He transformed the lives of simple fishermen, hated tax collectors, marginalized women and children, reviled Samaritans—and others—into grace-redeemed kingdom-builders for His Father.
The scriptures feed and teach us today as they fed and taught Jesus’ first followers. We, too, grow in faith and bear fruit for the kingdom as they did. Romans says it clearly: those who preach play a crucial role in the life of all who experience God’s miracle of BELIEF. Thank you, Pastor Fields, Pastor Michael, Pastor Stephen, Pastor Scott, Pastor Micah, Pastor Nate…
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Image: original monochromatic color pencil drawing “Thanksgiving for Those Who Preach” by Robin Lybeck
