A New Season for VBC

You may remember our lesson back in October on Ephesians 5:15-18 when we talked about making the most of every "season" of our life. You may also remember that I shared with you that I had received an email from a lady in our class who was concerned about our recent drop in attendance. I read a portion of my reply to you in class on November 2, 2008. Since there were some of you who may not have been in class on that day, I'd like to share with you that portion of my reply to the email. I pray that God will use it to speak to your heart and that it will cause you to pray even more for each other and for our church.

"I think last Sunday's Life Connections lesson was so timely for what's going on in our church right now. While the application was to us as individuals, I think it can apply to the church also. Victory is in a new season...Victory has an opportunity to fulfill God's purpose in this season. But Satan also has a plan...he wants to cause disunity, discouragement, and dissatisfaction. Remember Satan is an opportunist. He's seizing the opportunity, so we've got to seize OUR opportunity...we've got to "buy up" every ounce of opportunity that God is giving VBC in this season. We've got to find out what it is God wants us as members of VBC to do, AND THEN DO IT!! It may cost us something as a church to fulfill God's plan. It may cost us some members who aren't on board with the plan God has for us. It may be that we have to mourn for friends who might no longer be a part of our fellowship. Yes, it's been a long grieving process for many of us. We hadn't finished grieving for T.J. and Cindy when we lost Jenny and all the others who left with Mike. And there are others that we've lost along the way since then. But either God's Word is true or it isn't. It says that He is working and moving in our midst. Either that's true or it isn't. I choose to believe that it's true and I can take heart in a wonderful promise from God..."Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning." [Ps. 30:5] Some nights when I can't sleep and I toss and turn much of the night, it seems like morning will never come. BUT IT ALWAYS DOES!! I'm waiting anxiously for the joy of the morning!! And when it comes, it's going to be awesome!!"