Is this not the fast that I choose? "(Is. 58:6)

Well, it is the start of a new week and after yesterday's message at church, I am both healthily convicted and excited about being intentional and responsive to the needs of those around me. If you were not able to be at church last night, Joel preached from Isaiah 58 about the fundamental responsibility of Christians to minister to the poor, the needy, the less fortunate, the orphans, the widows (you can listen to a podcast of the sermon here). In other words, we are to love and care for our neighbors as Christ did...and if we need clarification on who our neighbor is and what this looks like, go read Luke 10:25-37. One of the most vital parts of the message last night was the realization that such sermons and passages in Scripture should not guilt us into action. Guilt alone condemns and offers no framework for lasting, heartfelt change. Rather, we should reach out to the the poor and needy as a response to the Gospel. Our outreach and ministry should be an overflow of the mercy that Christ has extended to us, as we wallowed in our sins and had no merit or reason to be shown love and mercy. If we as Christians, if I as a wretched sinner saved by grace alone, allow this to sink in, we would have no problem at all extending this same mercy and love to "the least of these". And to keep in mind that this outreach is supposed to cost us, for giving something that costs us nothing is not true sacrifice. It may require stretching, discomfort, time, money, and many more ways of dying to self. I pray that the Lord will allow these truths to give us a holy conviction, and transform our hearts and lifestyles to more closely align with his.

Yesterday we had several more families and groups sign up to provide and share a meal at the Family Homeless Shelter on Tuesday nights. For more information about this weekly opportunity, read this. If you are interested in signing up for a Tuesday night, you can either leave a comment or email me at dwight@rccbirmingham.org. Right now, this is what the signup schedule looks like:

2/24: The Klings and Davis's
3/3: Eli, Ryan, Kate, Amanda Blake
3/10: The Brooks and deVilleneuves
3/17:
3/24:
3/31:
4/7:
4/14:
4/21:
4/28:

Have a great week and may we today embrace all that the Gospel means to us!