By Clint Percefull - Children's Minister
The new year is upon us and now is the time some people begin making new years resolutions. These ideas of self betterment vary greatly from person to person with varying degrees of success. Whether you typically participate in such a practice or ignore it all together, one thing we can all agree on is that we would love to see Jesus’ love proclaimed more.
One of my favorite services we have is the candlelight service held on Christmas Eve. This year a few things really stood out to me during this service. The first is the idea of persistence. The end of the service has everyone spread out through the worship center, everyone holding an unlit candle. The lights are dimmed and then a single flame begins to be passed from person to person. After my candle was lit it was my turn to pass the flame to the next person. A thought hit me during this exchange. I would be very persistent in handing the flame to the next person. I would not easily give up. How often do we tell someone about Jesus and then easily give up if they don’t listen? So for this year I will be persistent.
Another insight came in the fact that each person received a flame. This flame did not diminish from person to person, in fact each flame was just as strong as the one who gave it. The more we give ourselves to the mission of spreading the gospel, the stronger our witness will be. This year I will be more active in growing God’s kingdom.
The final insight came as I watched the worship center get brighter and brighter as the flame was passed from each person. However, I noticed there were several people still in the dark, waiting to receive their flame. How many people right here in our city are sitting in the dark without Jesus just waiting for someone to reach out to them? This year I will be more vocal in sharing the light of Jesus.
Regardless if you participate in the typical New Years Resolutions, I challenge you to join me this year in being more persistent, active, and vocal.
Clint