Out of Town

In case you have not discovered this yet, I am out of town this week! I have the pleasure of performing a wedding ceremony for a former student of mine in New Jersey and then I will be spending 6 days with my mom and brother in Lancaster, Pennsylvania and Philadelphia. I am looking forward to some time to receive a little TLC from my mommy and to have some face-to-face time with my brother and sister and their families. Thank you, Garden Ridge for allowing me this opportunity to get away like this once in a while.

Deeann and I (and Whitney, also) consider ourselves quite blessed to work with the church family here and we hope to see the Lord work through this church family (ourselves included) in powerful ways that bring about bountiful harvests of spiritual fruit so the communities around us will sit up and notice how real our God is and the beauty and value of trusting in His ways.
Next week we will resume our series on covenant. We will be jumping ahead to the book of Exodus to consider a model found throughout the Scriptures of Covenant—Grace—Empowerment—Intimacy. I will share how covenant is just the foundation of what God is truly desiring—a bond of intimacy with each of us! I will attempt to show how covenant leads to an outpouring of grace and a desire to empower, which result in deeper intimacy.

This morning, my dear friend and one of my favorite ministers on staff (he is ranked way up there with another minister on staff) will be filling in for me. Thank you, Philip, for your willingness and desire to proclaim God’s word and for the talents you possess. May God bless this church family with a powerful and enriching time of worship and fellowship so you are each well-equipped to face the challenges of the week ahead.

In conclusion, I will express my gratitude for the outpouring of love and appreciation Deeann and I received from this church family last week. We are moved by your generosity and expressions of appreciation. We hope you understand the joy we have being here with you and the quest we are on to walk the path of God with you for as long as He desires us to be together. We are overwhelmed by your kindness. Thank you!

-Scott