We had a tremendous Lord’s Day at Salem First.  You did it again!  We made it hard for you to attend because of the parking adventure, BUT YOU JUST KEEP SHOWING UP!  WOW!  Your dedication touches me, our staff and most of all, JESUS!

We had a chance to be reminded by God’s Word that WE are a Fellowship of formerly LOST PEOPLE… who have been REDEEMED and RECONCILED to God, and that He is making our CHURCH a beautiful DWELLING PLACE for Himself.

We were reminded that God will, at times, use TRAGEDY to get our attention. What a great conversation with MARTY Lupoli!  Thanks for loving him! Now, watch how God is going to use him.

Our NEW SERIES begins this Sunday – “Out of The Seats and Into The Streets.”  This is going to help keep us focused on being a MISSIONAL CHURCH – A church with a vision and purpose. 

Ephesians 2:10 is true about YOU…He didn’t create you to be a chia pet…but an instrument used for His glory.  I challenge you to MEMORIZE this verse as we get into this series.  We will never do what God wants until we see who He is!

AND…we will never discover who God is apart from reading HIS word.  I challenge you to spend this MONTH of February reading the Bible.  I believe that if you’ll commit to this that you’ll hear His voice clearer during this month than you’ve ever heard Him before.

When a person understands WHO God is and WHAT God’s done…surrender is a natural result.  A person who is completely surrendered to God CANNOT sit still when He clearly says to move.

I’ll close with a quote from C.S. Lewis that has rocked me deeply: “Indeed, if we consider the unblushing promises of reward and the staggering nature of the rewards promised in the Gospels, it would seem that Our Lord finds our desires, not too strong, but too weak.  We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea.  We are far too easily pleased!”

We serve an amazing God…and He is offended NOT when we ask BIG…but when we don’t ask at all! He still AMAZES me!  See you Sunday!

Pastor D