Mike's Memo
Proverbs 16:1-4 “To humans belong the plans of the heart, but from the Lord comes the proper answer of the tongue. All a person’s ways seem pure to them, but motives are weighed by the Lord. Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and he will establish your plans. The Lord works out everything to its proper end, even the wicked for a day of disaster.” Verse 9 “In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps.” Verse 33 “The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the Lord.”
In times of uncertainty, we often wonder, "What's next?" I am guilty of not only thinking about what is going to happen next but also telling God what I want Him to do about the situation. Solomon tells us that we have all these plans and when they are upended, we forget that God is in control of everything. Me telling God what I want and how I would take care of any situation is nothing more than pride. Verse 18 states that pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall. Pride is me believing that somehow, I know more that God does. In order to avoid the sin of pride, I must look to God and let Him take care of what is next. I must step away from my wants and desires.
This is extremely difficult to do because we have been conditioned to believe that life is all about us. It is also difficult because we often surround ourselves with others who reinforce our ideas because they want the same things. In his study Experiencing God, Henry Blackaby states that we cannot know the truth of our circumstances until we have heard from God. To hear from God, we must wait on the Holy Spirit. He will quite often take God's Word and help us understand our situation and even use that Word to give us guidance and wisdom in the midst of whatever we are going through.
As we look to the future of Pine Street Baptist Church, I want to encourage you to wait on God and find out where He is working so that we can join Him in it. One thing I have learned about following Jesus is to expect the unexpected.
God has a plan and to borrow a line from the old television show The A Team, I love it when a plan comes together.
Love you, Mike
Church Facts & Figures for July
Sunday School Enrollment 321
Sunday School Weekly Average 199
Autumn Winds Weekly Average 11
New Church Members 1
Decrease in Church Members 1
Budget Tithes / Offerings $63,448
Hispanic Ministry Offerings $2,327.00