And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. – Philippians 1:6  

Completion. What a beautiful word. One of the simple pleasures in life is seeing something, even something small, come to completion. Every time I hear the “DING” when I check something off my to-do list on my phone, it’s like winning a small victory. But when we accomplish something that has taken a long time, it’s even better. College was that thing for me. On my life journey, I managed to squeeze four years of college into 13. I started in 1993 and graduated in 2006. Obviously, there were some bumps and diversions along the road, but perhaps the most daunting of those bumps was the final thing I needed to pass to get my degree… a piano proficiency exam. I’m a guitar player and piano is a whole different animal. But by some miracle of grace, my professors, after what I thought was an abysmal failure to display anything that looked like “proficiency,” decided to give me a passing grade. And not long thereafter, I walked across the platform and received a degree that, at some points along the way, I thought would never come.

In some ways, this experience in my life mirrors the experience many of us have in our Christian lives. When it comes to being sanctified, which essentially means growing to become more like Jesus, the process often takes much longer than we think it should, contains many bumps and diversions along the way, and includes tests that seem next to impossible. But there are also people who come alongside us to help us, experiences that strengthen and shape our character, and ultimately a God who, by His grace, accomplishes the work He began in us.

This is what we will study this coming Sunday in the final verses of Paul’s letter to the Thessalonian church. 1 Thessalonians 5:23-28 is such a powerful passage! I encourage you to read through it to see how Paul breathes one more word of confidence into this group of people that he loves so dearly. I pray we will leave our time together with a greater confidence in our faithful God who promises to complete His work in us!

And as always, check out the worship set, especially the new song, “He Wears a Crown” – it’s so good!

 


Brett Lovern
Pastor of Worship & Arts

SUNDAY AM PLAN

9:00 AM  – Worship Service On Campus & Online (Lancaster Campus)
9:15 AM – Worship Service On Campus (Myerstown Campus)
11:00 AM – Worship Service on Campus & Online (Lancaster Campus)

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SUNDAY RESOURCES

Everything you need for Sunday is available on the Mission Church App under Sunday Resources or on our website.