“Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established.” — Proverbs 16:3
Eastern Hills has been here for 65 years. It has not ceased in that time to serve as a beacon of hope for Montgomery. This has always been a congregation that seeks to love the Lord with all our heart, soul, and mind, to reach others with the gospel of Christ, and to build up believers for God’s great mission. This is our celebrated past. This is the foundation from which we launch into a promising future.
As great as it is to have such a healthy history, therein lies a danger we must avoid. We can become hypnotized by our past and forget that we must prepare for our future. What will Eastern Hills look like in 10, 20, 50 years? Pause and ask yourself that question. I’ll tell you what I see. I see the church’s best years ahead of us. I see non-believers coming to call Christ their Lord. I see believers being equipped with a robust understanding of God’s Word and sent out into the mission field, locally, nationally, and internationally. I see children raised in the church who learn to love God because they are surrounded by genuine believers and they see that love in action. I see a church that makes proud all the faithful men and women who worshiped and labored here in the last 65 years.
Here’s how we are going to be that church. From Proverbs 16:3, let each of us:
1. Work with commitment—all Christians, all in! Dig in your heels and say, “I will give myself over to the great mission of the church. Lord, whatever I thought was mine is yours. Use me for your kingdom together with all the people of Eastern Hills!”
2. Work for God’s plans—your greatest dreams cannot compare with the glories of God’s kingdom. Christ taught us to pray that God’s will would be done on earth just as in heaven (Matt. 6:10). Imagine being a part of a group of people working together, establishing the glory of God, building His kingdom on earth! Make His plans your plans.
3. Work with expectation—God does not desire to withhold His will from you. As you work, as we work together, for the sake of Christ’s glory, expect Him to be glorified in that work. Expect that we would do nothing other than that which exalts His kingdom. Expect our days and years ahead to be established in the Lord!
I am honored to be here at this point in the history of Eastern Hills. Let us look forward together with great hope and joy as we continue to seek Christ and walk boldly into the future!
Pastor Josh