Dear Friends in Christ, Some time ago I noticed that my car was pulling left. Even when the road was smooth and straight the car would veer left as if it had a will of its own. It got to the point where I had to compensate by pulling right in order to keep it in the middle of the road. It was obvious that I Dr. Davis Chappell had an alignment problem. When you continue driving a car that is out of alignment, what happens? You wear out the tires and wind up on the side of the road. The same kind of thing can happen in our faith journey. Life is full of twists and turns that often take us in a direction we never intended to go. We try to correct and compensate only to discover that we are out of balance. We have an alignment problem. In Luke 12:31, Jesus speaks of seeking first the kingdom of God. That means bringing our lives into line with God's purpose. Staying centered. Keeping first things first. Its easy to get consumed by secondary things. So often we are driven by the crisis of the moment. We all have problems with alignment. There's an old expression we often used in the past. "Keep it between the lines." It means don't veer off the path. Stay focused. Be vigilant. Aligning our lives with God's kingdom keeps us between the lines of God's grace. When Christ is our compass, our lives reflect a particular priority. Our use of time, talent and finances reveal that we give right of way to God.
Finally, it was good to welcome new members Audrey Buffington, Jonathan and Courtney Sanders, Bill and Phyllis Jager, Jimmy, Kristin, Jacob, and Anna Porter,Olivia Rosato, Savannah Wagner, Connor Stutts, Olivia Estes, and Harper Clark. Welcome to our church community. I look forward to seeing you in worship this weekend. The peace of Christ be with you all!
Davis