“…and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.” - Jesus, Matthew 6:4

Happy New Year!

We are looking forward to the year 2025 which much excitement and anticipation of what the Lord will do in, among and through us. May we grow together in our knowledge of God’s love and in our love for Him and one another!

I hope you will be part of our Refresh weekend on January 10-12 here at Westminster. My friend, Steve Pink, area director for Search Ministries in Columbia, SC will be with us to talk about God’s heart for us and how we can develop God’s heart for others. Programs Friday and Saturday evening will include a meal and a time of worship, testimony, and teaching in the sanctuary. Saturday morning, Steve will lead us in a discussion about relational evangelism and engaging people with the Gospel in a loving way. Sunday morning our regular worship services will feature a discussion, questions and answers with Steve about the things he has shared with us over the weekend. You can find out more and register here.

In January we will return to our study of “The Way of Jesus” in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7). In Matthew 5, Jesus begins His teaching by inviting everyone to experience the present and coming kingdom of God. When we realize our resources for security and significance in people and things are bankrupt and we come to Jesus and His kingdom, we find we have a new identity, purpose and community. Jesus then calls His followers to a greater righteousness or inner goodness that fulfills the God’s Law and reflects His character and nature. This inner goodness or integrity means we are becoming the same people before others that we are before God.

In Matthew 6, Jesus teaches us how we can develop this inner goodness through “practices of righteousness” – giving, praying, and fasting. These disciplines are not ends in themselves but means to deepen our relationship with the Father and grow in integrity. These are Jesus approved and time-tested disciplines that help us to draw closer to God and be transformed by His love and goodness. Jesus warns us about turning these activities into performances. Instead of doing them for public notice, Jesus tells us to practice them privately and secretly for the audience of the Father. It is in this secret practice that we grow in generosity, interactive intimacy with the Father, and the ability to want what we need instead of needing what we want. The promised reward is ultimately the people we become in relationship with Him and others. I hope you will join us as we study how we can apply these principles and practices to our lives.

Please let me encourage you to register now for Refresh!

Your friend,

Steve Wise