This past Sunday was a marvelous time of offering worship to our God and encouragement to one another. One of our members called me Sunday afternoon just to say what an uplifting morning it was! And I agree. The Lord is blessing us with new members and fresh calls to serve Him. There is a noticeable energy that is bringing renewal, re-engagement and recommitment. Are you feeling that too? Have you re-engaged? Have you recommitted? I have a feeling that if you do that, you will feel the renewal as well!

This coming Sunday promises to continue in that same mind-set as we share together our “Kick-Off Sunday.” Yes, I know it’s the first weekend of NFL football. I know this because my beloved Cowboys are at the time of this writing undefeated!! But the NFL is not the only thing that’s kicking off…

We have new classes that begin this Sunday. Our auditorium class will be led by Wayne Gregg and Charley Belch as they look at the “Marks of a Christian.” Phil Garner and I will teach in the New Classroom and cover a study of 1 and 2 Thessalonians entitled “Glory and Joy: Paul and the Thessalonians.”

And Sunday we begin a new class led by Charley Branch and Phil Stapp for our young singles and young marrieds. They will meet upstairs in room 304 and will be sharing “First Steps: Finding Your Place in God’s Story.” In addition we have wonderful classes for our middle school and high school teens, and terrific classes in our Journey Land program for our young children.

There is every reason for you to be here in class at 9 AM, ready to be encouraged and challenged by studying God’s Word with fellow believers!

During our sermon time we will discuss a new name for God, “The God of Starting Over.” Have you ever wanted to just start over? Maybe it was your job; maybe your relationship with your spouse, your children or parents; maybe it was a friendship.

Maybe it was your faith. Maybe it was your relationship with God.

Guess what? YOU CAN!! One of the great things about our God is that He offers a chance to start over every single day. Each moment brings a new opportunity to do the right thing, and the right thing begins with reaching out to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us, as this passage from Titus chapter 2 declares.

¹¹ For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. ¹² It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, ¹³ while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, ¹⁴ who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good. (Titus 2:11-14)