Familiar Faces

This past Sunday (May 6), the family and I took a trip back to New Beginnings A/G in Tiffin.  A place where I no doubt learned the majority of what I know now and where I first served in full time ministry.  The four years of ministry in Tiffin was a tremendous time of learning and doing, often times taking on a task or role that I never thought I would be able to do.  This weekend was a special one for us.  As we walked in the church it was so great to see so many people that have impacted my life or the life of my entire family.  The kids saw friends they haven't seen in quite sometime and Amy and I enjoyed shaking hands and getting hugs from those that we were close to.  Even though time and distance keep us from seeing our New Beginnings family at times, I am excited for the day that I will spend eternity in Heaven with them and so many other "Familiar Faces."

1 Thessalonians 4:13-17 (ESV)  ¹³ But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. ¹⁴ For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. ¹⁵ For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. ¹⁶ For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. ¹⁷ Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. ¹⁸ Therefore encourage one another with these words.