BEGINNING - 9/28/16

TO THE EVER-FAITHFUL CREW LIVING REAL LIFE,

It all begins with a letter.

Before a word can have meaning, one letter must follow the first. But it begins with a letter.

So I begin with this letter to you. And another will follow.

The power of a letter can change everything. For a woman I know named Amy in Chicago, changing a D into an H, changed her title from DOPE dealer, to HOPE dealer. She lives in the same neighborhood, relates with the same people, but now offers the hope of Christ instead of something to numb the pain for another day. It’s beginning to change her neighborhood. There are many who are now drug-free, experiencing God’s love, because a letter changes everything.

For me, a letter changed everything. It was Paul’s letter to the Philippians where he writes, “The One who has begun a good work in you will carry it on to completion.” I didn’t believe at the time. I was a Freshman in High School. Although I was already a Christian, I walked my school hallways, lonely, pretending to have purpose, searching for what it was I was supposed to do and be in life. My youth pastor wrote these words to me in a letter, and it gave me hope.

So, now I offer you, as a group, a letter each week, which I will find a way to post each week, to encourage you. I will pray for you as I write, in hope that it will lead you to write letters back, or to each other or another leader as we pursue purpose in Christ together this year.

Tonight, we will hear a song called King of Love by I am They. Please hear this line again from the song: “On the mountain high or in the valley low, the King of Love my shepherd is.” Tonight, we read in Scripture that we are created by God, and in God’s image, to reflect God in all we do as a moon is a reflection of the sun. Nothing more. In whatever place we find yourself tonight, remember that the foundation of who you are has nothing to do with how well you’re doing in school. Take that off your mind for a moment. It has nothing to do with the way you look. Nothing to do with the status of your friendships. Nothing to do with whether you feel proud or ashamed of your choices this week. Forget it for now. Who you are is created by God who knows you will face these things, cries with you, forgives you, and continues to call you His own creation. He is proud and never ashamed of what He has created.

And he promises to carry on to completion that which he has begun as a good work. Actually, Paul had it wrong. When he created Adam and Eve, God finally said it was VERY good.

I know this is the hardest thing to believe about ourselves.

It is also the most important for us to believe about ourselves, now and always.

Jesus came to give you life, and give it to you abundantly.

The world will lie to you about who you are. But a letter changes LIE into LIFE.

You are God’s Beloved Child. He is pleased with you.

Peace In Christ,

Brett Shoe