Early

In just a few hours, Leigh Ann and I will be driving to the airport with two of our boys as they join a team from New Life traveling to the Dominican Republic with Filter of Hope.

It is going to be a long day.

They will wake up long before sunrise, make their way through airport security, board a couple of flights, clear customs, and finally arrive in a country that looks very different from home. Then the real adventure begins. Over the next week, they will worship alongside fellow believers, build relationships with local families, and deliver water filters that provide something many of us receive every day without giving it a second thought, clean drinking water.

But clean water is not the greatest gift they will share.

Every filter opens the door for a conversation about Jesus, the One who told the woman at the well that He is the Living Water. I love that picture. God uses a simple act of compassion to open hearts to the greatest hope anyone can ever receive.

Would you join in praying for our team this week? Pray that God gives them safe travel, good health, meaningful conversations, and open doors to share the gospel. Pray that God prepares the hearts of every family they meet. And pray that when our team returns home, they will love Jesus even more and carry a greater passion for His mission.

This Sunday we will begin a brand new series through one of the most beautiful books in the Bible. Ruth begins with a journey, but not an exciting mission trip. It begins with a family fleeing a famine in Bethlehem and hoping life will become better somewhere else.

Instead, they find loss. Grief. Heartbreak.

If you have ever walked through a season where life did not turn out the way you expected, where the future felt uncertain, or where you wondered what God was doing, I think you will find yourself somewhere in Ruth's story. Together we will discover that God is already at work ahead of us.

Most of us cannot see what waits around the next bend in the road. We make plans, pray, and move forward while wondering how God is working behind the scenes.

The good news of Ruth reminds us that long before we recognize His hand, God is already accomplishing His purposes. Even when He seems silent, He is never absent. Even when we cannot see the whole story, He already does.

I look forward to worshipping together on Sunday at 8:00, 9:15 (Full KidCity available), or 10:45 am (Full KidCity available)…OR a service in Spanish at 1:00 pm. Otherwise, you can watch the Livestream on YouTube (Like and Subscribe) or on our New Life website at 9:15 am. Also, we would LOVE for you to follow us on Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram. 

See you soon,

Troy