Letter From The Pastor

“I always thank my God as I remember you in my prayers, because I hear about your faith in
the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints. I pray that you may be active in sharing your
faith, so that you will have a full understanding of every good thing we have in Christ.”
Philemon 4:6

I cannot tell you the number of times I have recalled and recited the opening line of this
passage, “I always thank my God as I remember you in my prayers…” Countless times I have
said the same of you – this beautiful community of faith that calls me ‘pastor.’ But it was the
final verse of this selection that caught my attention today, as if for the first time. Note the
words of the Apostle Paul when he encourages Philemon to actively share his faith. He speaks
of a marvelous side effect, if you will, from the regular active sharing of our faith: that the
sharer would have a full understanding of every good thing we have in Christ.

Could it be any clearer that the Gospel is a rich treasure both to the one who shares it AND to
the one who receives it? It is the power of God unto salvation for everyone who believes
(Rom. 1:16) and that is sufficient reason to proclaim it fearlessly to those who are yet in
darkness so long as God gives us breath. However, in a “but wait – there’s more” moment,
Paul tells us more about the value of this treasure we hold dear. Rehearsing it regularly and
declaring it often helps us come to a more full understanding of every good thing we have in
Christ. It’s precisely why we rehearse it often in our worship services, and it’s why we should

be rehearsing the Gospel often in our homes and Bible study groups.

There is a song that pleads “May I never lose the wonder, the wonder of the Cross…”
Rehearsing the Gospel is one sure way to keep that from happening. Join me in becoming
active in sharing our faith, would you? And as we grow in our understanding of every good thing we have in Christ,
may our joy be filled to overflowing.