Good things happen when you’re in the right place.

Verse for the week: But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it…. to prepare God’s people for works of service…” Eph. 4:7-13

It’s all about grace:

Grace received – as we connect with God

Grace shared – as we connect with each other

Grace extended – as we connect with our community

Good things happen when you’re in the right place. That’s one of the things I told my son Brandon this year during football season. It paid off for him.  What’s true on the field is also true in life. Good things happen when you’re in the right place. Yesterday morning all who were at Grace were in the right place to receive a powerful word from God through Pastor Dwayne.

Last night I was grateful to God not because the Steelers won the Superbowl, (the only team in history to win 6), but because of what happened at half-time.  Coach Bryan Johnson from NEHS shared his story with us. I couldn’t help but reflect on the events that led up to this. Last summer Grace church left the building. We heard of a need in our community and we met it.  God used a new assistant principle (Matt Slight) and some new paint on the walls at NEHS to establish some new relationships. This act of extending grace opened the door for Pastor Dwayne to become the chaplain to the NEHS football team. He and I both had the privilege of speaking to the young men on the team about Jesus. One week Cindy Coday cooked enough lasagna to feed an army for the team meal (which they devoured!).  These acts of service sent a message to the NEHS community that Grace church cares about them.  It put us in the right place to be a witness to those yet to know Jesus, and an encouragement to those who already do follow Him. Coach Johnson fits the latter category. Like many of those who attend Grace, he is an educator who takes Jesus to the public school. He is an ambassador for Christ at NEHS and he is a brother in Christ.  If Grace Church had not been intentional about getting out into the community and serving, I don’t think Coach Johnson would have been with us last night. I don’t think Pastor Dwayne would have been the chaplain for the football team. I don’t think the NEHS football team would have cared much about what we had to tell them about Jesus.  Good things happen when we’re in the right place. That place for us, my church family, is not just inside the building on Sundays.  It’s out in the community where we work, serve, and seek to reach those who have not yet found this great life in Jesus that we enjoy. I pray that God’s grace would be yours in abundance, and that He uses each of us to carry His grace to our community this week.

Pastor Steve