First, I wanted to apologize for not getting emails sent out to you on a regular basis. I certainly appreciate more than ever how Pastor Carl could articulate and send a devotional email almost daily. And I know that all of us appreciate an encouraging word and a devotion to get our day going in the right direction.
As many of you may know, each May our children’s ministry hosts a 5K run. This event is used as a fund raiser to help support kids who need financial assistance to pay for camp. We have been able to help countless kids be able to attend camp and have seen many of those make life changing decisions for Christ. I think it was the 3rd year that we had the 5K, that I decided that I would train really hard and wanted to beat the results of some of the kids who were running. I remember starting in January and by May I was in pretty good shape, or at least I thought I was. The day of the race came and I after finishing with a pretty decent score, I realized that at least 20 of the kids who ran it were faster than me. The aggravating part was most of those admitted they never trained. They just were younger and faster. In the end, it was a fun day and we were able to raise a good amount of money for the scholarship fund, so eating a little humble pie wasn’t so bad.
The Apostle Paul compared the Christian life to a race in Hebrews 12. “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” We clearly have a race to run. This race is run in our daily lives, at our jobs, in our homes, and in the social activities in which we participate. This race may be easy for some, like those kids who beat me in the 5K, or more difficult for others. Whatever your race looks like, remember what verse 2 says - that we are supposed to fix our eyes on Jesus. What a great word of encouragement! Knowing that if we keep our eyes focused on Him, He will help us finish our race.
As a church we are also in quite a race right now. It’s easy to get discouraged and wonder what is going on and when the new pastor is coming. The great news is that Jesus knows and He has a great plan for Hyland Heights. We just have to fix our eyes on Him. While we are running this race let’s continue to move forward and reach people. Dr. Wheeler has been encouraging us to reach at least three people and to take opportunities to bless people. We can and should be making a difference every day. I for one am determined to run this race with my church family and know that God has a great plan for our future.
Let me encourage you to be involved in a couple of things coming up. First, TODAY is Give Back Day at I Scream you Scream. The children’s ministry will receive 10 percent of anything you purchase today at the ice cream shop. They will also have a donation jar where you can make direct contributions to our ministry.
The family fun day at the ministry land is this coming Saturday. The event will run from 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM. It will feature trout fishing, inflatables, skeet shooting, 3D archery and lots more. The cost is $5.00 person. Mark and Dan Witt will be sharing a message in the afternoon.
Lastly, as I mentioned in the beginning, our children’s ministry has been hosting a 5K for the past several years. This year our race is set for May 18. We are doing a color run, which has been a huge hit and a lot of fun for all ages. But we need more participants. If you enjoy walking or running you will have a great time at the 5K. The race registration fees help support our scholarship fund. The deadline for getting a free t-shirt is tomorrow so register today! You can sign by going to this site - https://runsignup.com/Race/VA/Rustburg/ColoredUp
I hope you have a wonderful week and remember to run your race today with your eyes set on Jesus.
Serving His Kids with a Passion,
Rev. Michael Summy