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| March 20, 2026 | |
Dear Church Family, Have your plans ever taken unexpected turns? Life is full of surprises, and every day we are reminded that, while it is important to plan for the future, we are not in control of our plans. As I was reading in Acts 25 this morning, I was reminded of the unexpected twists and turns Paul’s journey took in order to bring about God’s plan for his life. When the Lord first called him in Acts 9, we find out that Paul would share Christ before kings. It isn’t clear yet, though, how God will accomplish this. It isn’t until later in his ministry, through unexpected and difficult circumstances, that this becomes clear. In chapter 25, Paul has been left in prison for over two years. Felix has been succeeded by Festus, and the Jews have tried to use this opportunity to have Paul sent to Jerusalem so they can murder him along the way. In his defense before Festus, knowing he cannot return to Jerusalem, he makes an appeal.
Through this appeal, Paul will have his opportunity to present his case to Caesar. The journey to Rome will suffer an unexpected storm and shipwreck, but God will safely deliver him to Rome. Even before that, though, still in chapter 25, Paul will have an opportunity to speak before King Agrippa. The very next verse tells us, “Now when some days had passed, Agrippa the king and Bernice arrived at Caesarea and greeted Festus” (Acts 15:13 ESV). During this time, Festus tells King Agrippa about Paul’s case and Agrippa asks to meet Paul and hear his case. What an amazing opportunity and orchestration of God! God kept His word and brought about all that He revealed back in Acts 9, but in an unexpected way. No one could have ever imagine that it would be this route, full of twists and turns, hardships, beatings, imprisonment, shipwreck, and house arrest. We see this in our own lives, even if less dramatic. We know God has good works prepared beforehand, for us to walk in (Ephesians 2:10). We think we know how He is going to accomplish those plans, but things rarely go according to our own plans. Today, maybe your plans seem derailed or spoiled. Even though you don’t understand what God is doing, continue to lean into Him and trust in Him. He is working behind the scenes, and even through the detours and shipwrecks, to accomplish plans we aren’t privileged to understand right now. No matter what curveballs we face today, God is still on His throne and will meet us with our daily bread and right steps for today.
–Pastor Dave ————————————————————————————————————- What’s Happening at Gospel Life:Youth Group: All youth are invited this Sunday, March 22nd, from 5-7 pm, to the Bronleewes’ house. We’ll have dinner, games, worship, and time in God’s Word. Opportunities to Serve: If you are interested in serving in any of the ministries of the church, we would love to hear from you. There is a section of the connection card for you to fill out and turn in to the giving box. If you have any questions, please contact Pastor Dave. Communion: We will celebrating the Lord’s Supper as part of our Sunday morning service on Sunday, April 12th. Through the ordinance of communion, we remember the sacrifice Jesus made to save us from our sins. Upcoming Dates: No Youth Group (March 29th & April 5th), Easter Sunday (April 5th) Life Groups: If you’re interested in joining a life group, we have several to choose from. You can check them out here: Request Prayer: It’s important for us to be praying for each other as a church! If you ever need prayer, we would love to come alongside you. You can always turn in a prayer request on Sundays using the Connection Card, but you can also submit a prayer request online at any time: This Coming Sunday: Previous Worship Services: | |
Continue to lean into God and trust His plan for you
