Dear Church Family,

When we’re going through trials and hardships, it’s hard to believe anything good could come from them. While there are many ways God works these for good, it is difficult for us to understand at the time. As I was reading today in Acts 8 this morning, I saw an amazing fulfillment of God’s promise in Acts 1:8. At the moment, however, I’m sure the church was struggling to make sense of it all.

This passage directly follows the stoning of Stephen, the first martyr in the book. Stephen had just delivered an amazing speech. In Acts 2, when Peter delivered a similar address, thousands came to Christ. Similarly, in Acts 3-4, when Peter spoke at Solomon’s Portico, thousands more placed their faith in Christ. It would make sense, then, that the same would happen here. Instead, shockingly, Stephen is stoned to death. Afterwards, great persecution breaks out against the church. It would be natural to question why God would allow this. Once again, though, God uses for good what people meant for evil.

The church had been miraculously birthed in Acts 2 and had been growing exponentially up to this point. God’s plan, though, was for His movement to expand beyond Jerusalem, including both Judea and Samaria, and the very ends of the earth. Through persecution, believers were dispersed from Jerusalem in Acts 8 and brought the Gospel with them to both Judea and Samaria. Once again, God used evil for good. We can trust that He always has good plans, even when they don’t make sense.

What are you going through right now? You might not be able to make sense of your circumstances. Can you trust that God is at work, even if you can’t see it? Will you trust that He is somehow working for good? Just as we look back at Acts 8 and see God’s hand, one day we will all be able to look back at God’s good hand in our lives. He is at work in the good and the bad, in the ups and the downs, both in the calm and through the storms.

–Pastor Dave

———————————————————————————————————

New Women’s Book Study: Join us for the start of a new book study! Our first gathering will be Thursday, February 19th at 6:30 and will serve as an interest and planning meeting. We’ll spend time getting to know one another, discussing expectations, and choosing the book we’ll study together. Following this initial meeting, the group will meet on the third Thursday each month. The first meeting will be held at the Wightman’s home.

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.

Donation Statements: Statements for 2025 were sent out earlier this month. Thank you again for your faithful support! If you have any questions or have not received your statement, please contact Neil Ault.

Upcoming Date: Youth Super Bowl Party (Feb. 8th)