My View from the Front Pew~One way to grow as a Christian

     Yesterday my preacher husband's sermon title was "Together".  (Based on 15: 1-2, 22-32)  One of the together things we can do as a church is serve.  My husband shared that if you are not serving, you cannot grow in your faith.  (I wanted to shout a hearty, "AMEN!"---but, I thought better of it and just nodded my head.)
     I have lived this whole idea of serving leading to a deeper faith and closer relationship to Jesus Christ and know it to be true.   In serving God in the local church, He has stretched me beyond what I thought I was capable of.  The Lord has brought me to prayer as I sought His counsel and will.  Some of the closest friendships I have came from serving alongside people in the church. (I always look forward to serving alongside someone "new", because I know we will form a bond that can only come from serving our Lord together.)  In preparing to teach children God's Word, I have had to study first.  When disappointments come with serving, (and they will!) I have learned to lean on the Lord...and to be reminded that HE is the only one I need approval from.
     Each of these times my faith has grown and has been stretched.  What deepens my faith the most, though, are those "God moments".  ...When I get to lead a child to Christ...When my former Bible Drillers return to watch and encourage the new Bible Drillers...When more than half of our congregation shows up for a day-long mission trip...When I teach Preschoolers a story from the Bible and see a "light" go on.... When a family come to visit our church for VBS, and years later they are still there...serving!

     If you are not currently serving in your local church, why not pray about doing so today?