Last week I made a quick trip to Arkansas to see my granddaughter graduate from preschool. That’s right. Preschool! Let’s see…800 miles and 12 hours in the car to Arkansas on Monday…Graduation on Tuesday…800 miles and 15 hours in the car back to South Carolina on Wednesday. Wednesday was one of those days. I left Conway, Arkansas at 5:00 a.m. hoping to arrive in Columbia in time for Bible study. At 6:30 I had driven 90 miles when my battery light came on followed by several other lights. A minute or two later I was sitting on the side of the interstate waiting for a tow truck to take me to someone who could replace my alternator and battery. Have you ever been stranded on an interstate? There was a guard rail three inches from the right side of my car. Those big rigs were passing by at 70+ miles per hour within four feet of the left side of my car. Whew! Three hours and $482.27 later I was back on the road again. It certainly is odd that a $300.00 job costs almost $500.00 when you’re away from home and you need help as soon as possible. Anyway…The trip was worth more to me than all the money in the world. Too many people have lost sight of what is truly important in life: Faith in God, family and friendship, peace, hope, and love.

Our Sunday morning series is entitled “Faith to Victory in Jesus.” Last Sunday morning we considered three lessons from two fishing trips (Luke 5). On the first trip the disciples fished alone. On the second trip Jesus was present. On the first fishing trip the disciples fished their plan. On the second trip they fished Jesus’ plan. On the first fishing trip the disciples hoped in fish. On the second trip they fished in hope. Let us consider life as a fishing trip and learn these valuable lessons about life. We can do so much more with Jesus present in our lives than we can ever do alone. Jesus’ plan is so much better than ours. Isn’t it time that we stopped hoping in fish, in things, in our own power and started fishing, living in hope, in Christ? Jesus said in Matthew 6:31-34; “Therefore do not worry, saying ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.”

This Sunday morning we will look at the conversion of Saul of Tarsus from his father’s law to faith in Christ Jesus. Saul is also known as Paul (Acts 13:9). Luke records the Biblical account of Saul’s conversion in three places in the book of Acts: 9:1-19; 22:6-16, and 26:12-18. It would be great if you could read these accounts before Sunday. We will learn three lessons from Saul that will help us to find faith to victory in Jesus. We must not lie. We must not cry. We must not sit by. We must arise.

Last Sunday evening we looked at Jesus as our Shepherd. This Sunday evening we will consider Jesus as our Provider. He provides HEALTH.

Our physical body is a member of Christ, the temple of the Holy Spirit (I Corinthians 6:15, 19). Paul told Timothy to exercise himself toward godliness. He said, “Bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things, having the promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come” (I Timothy 4:7-8). God’s word was written that we might believe that Jesus is the Christ and that believing we may have life in Him (John 20:31). God’s word was written that we might not sin (I John 2:1). Jesus came that we may have life, and that we may have it more abundantly (John 10:10). Are you healthy?