Fields United Methodist Church

Side by Side with Jesus.                                                 Pastor Tom Joyce

February 3, 2021

“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”  Matthew 28:19

You have been given an incredible gift from God, prepared especially and specifically for you.  It is true God has given you life and breath, your family, friends, and all that surrounds you, but there is more; you have been given the privilege of witnessing the most precious gift of all, your faith in Jesus Christ. Jesus, our resurrected Lord and Savior, has offered you the gifts you have received not to put away for a rainy day or placed on a shelf only to draw dust, but to be used for the benefit of someone else. You have been blessed and are needed today not only by God but by the next person you see. Jesus said to “go,” not think about it, put it on your calendar for another day, or to talk about it, but “go” and witness what will make a profound difference in the lives of those around you. When I think about a disciple, I think about AC. AC was a man filled with the Spirit. He wasn’t “preachy” nor was he judgmental in any way; he simply shared the love of God and celebrated what was shared with him by God. As a young preacher, I will never forget him because of his dedication to Jesus and his lifestyle that that witnessed the Good News of Jesus Christ not by words but by his actions; he was a disciple of Jesus Christ and I will never forget the gift of his faith. To make “disciples” is to witness the grace that has been offered to you. You may not, and probably will never know the impact you will make when you live out the love of Jesus but it will never be forgotten. Discipleship is all about living out the gift of faith, which is the love of God, offered to all people.  So as you go about your day, go and celebrate the joy of faith with every breath; if ever the world needed your witness, it is now.

Rev. Tom Joyce, pastor