January 12th, 2023
by Raydean Stuckey
by Raydean Stuckey
Have you ever noticed that some public roadways seem to always be under construction? Just when one part gets updated or finished, the orange cones and blinking lights pop up in another section. And when it is finished, it seems like the cycle continues back to the original stretch of road.
Nobody likes driving through a construction zone. Doesn’t it always feel like those concrete barriers are way too close to your car? Not to mention the reduced speed limits and signs threatening jail time if you speed, the bottle neck on traffic can delay a commute or trip and cause frustration. But a finished roadway that desperately needed construction or expansion...everyone loves that. Many times, the improved roadway and ease of travel makes us quickly forget the stress or pain of working through the construction.
Life can be like that sometimes, too. If we are honest, all of us have areas in our lives that we either aren’t proud of, can’t seem to change, or long to be different than they are today. Beyond that, many of us see things in this world that break our hearts that we wish were different, but don’t think we have the power to do anything about them.
In the Old Testament, the book of Nehemiah is like a roadmap for God-honoring change. Nehemiah served as a cupbearer to the king of Persia. But after hearing about the destruction and frankly the slow construction and limited progress of restoration in Jerusalem, he decided to take action and do something about it.
This weekend, we begin a series called, “Life Under Construction.” Maybe you are intentionally under construction while working on areas of your life that need change, or a certain stretch of “road” in your life isn’t really changing, but has had the orange cones out for some time. Either way, change is necessary. God has something better for you than where you are today. There is growth ahead, if only we knew how to get there. That is where this series comes in.
I believe that God has real, lasting change on the horizon for each of us. But it will take a God-honoring approach and perhaps some inspiration from Nehemiah to get there. As we work through Nehemiah’s story in the next 5 weeks, I am prayerful that the life change we have been longing for can come within reach. I hope to see you Sunday as we launch this series with a message titled, “When enough is enough.” Take a look at Nehemiah chapter 1 in preparation.
Last weekend, I was honored to share our “State of the Church” message for 2023, and in it shared that we will soon be expanding and building on our Shiloh Campus. God has already been moving in this process. Please join me in praying in advance for God to provide the wisdom and provisions we need to accomplish a God-sized vision to reach our Ones into the future. If you missed the message, you can catch it here.
I’m excited to see you Sunday, church!
Yours & His,
Chris VandeLinde
Nobody likes driving through a construction zone. Doesn’t it always feel like those concrete barriers are way too close to your car? Not to mention the reduced speed limits and signs threatening jail time if you speed, the bottle neck on traffic can delay a commute or trip and cause frustration. But a finished roadway that desperately needed construction or expansion...everyone loves that. Many times, the improved roadway and ease of travel makes us quickly forget the stress or pain of working through the construction.
Life can be like that sometimes, too. If we are honest, all of us have areas in our lives that we either aren’t proud of, can’t seem to change, or long to be different than they are today. Beyond that, many of us see things in this world that break our hearts that we wish were different, but don’t think we have the power to do anything about them.
In the Old Testament, the book of Nehemiah is like a roadmap for God-honoring change. Nehemiah served as a cupbearer to the king of Persia. But after hearing about the destruction and frankly the slow construction and limited progress of restoration in Jerusalem, he decided to take action and do something about it.
This weekend, we begin a series called, “Life Under Construction.” Maybe you are intentionally under construction while working on areas of your life that need change, or a certain stretch of “road” in your life isn’t really changing, but has had the orange cones out for some time. Either way, change is necessary. God has something better for you than where you are today. There is growth ahead, if only we knew how to get there. That is where this series comes in.
I believe that God has real, lasting change on the horizon for each of us. But it will take a God-honoring approach and perhaps some inspiration from Nehemiah to get there. As we work through Nehemiah’s story in the next 5 weeks, I am prayerful that the life change we have been longing for can come within reach. I hope to see you Sunday as we launch this series with a message titled, “When enough is enough.” Take a look at Nehemiah chapter 1 in preparation.
Last weekend, I was honored to share our “State of the Church” message for 2023, and in it shared that we will soon be expanding and building on our Shiloh Campus. God has already been moving in this process. Please join me in praying in advance for God to provide the wisdom and provisions we need to accomplish a God-sized vision to reach our Ones into the future. If you missed the message, you can catch it here.
I’m excited to see you Sunday, church!
Yours & His,
Chris VandeLinde
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