It has been a busy reintroduction to ministry after sabbatical. A church picnic, Modgnik, and now preaching with community groups starting this Sunday as well. On a side note, please sign up for a community group on Realm. If you’re having trouble with that, please let me or Andrea know. I want to take this opportunity to say how grateful Sarah and I are for your generosity and care for us through the sabbatical. We knew you were praying for our rest and recharging, and I can say with all certainty that the Lord has used that time well in my heart and in our family’s relationships. So, thank you so much.

But these first couple of weeks back also seem to have been rife with tough situations. From a cancer diagnosis in a deacon, to anxieties in middle schoolers, to deaths or expectations of death soon in loved ones, to uncertainties about the future for some families, it’s been a tough season for Potomac Hills. It seems like when it rains, it pours. It’s in these tough seasons that we need to fix our eyes upon Christ. He is our strength in time of need, our rock amid the storm, our fortress and strong tower. And as we come to 1 Timothy 3 this week, I think that this passage is well timed. You see, this passage is more than a simple checklist of qualities that we should look for in elders and deacons. I think that this passage gives us a picture of godliness in the church that displays Christ. It’s what we need in the here and now. We need godly people to come alongside hurting and struggling people as Christ would, to embody Christ to them, and to embrace them with the love of Christ.

As we prepare for Sunday worship, I encourage you to look through 1 Timothy 3 with a new perspective. Instead of just looking for these qualities in others, look for Jesus in these lists. Look for Jesus working these qualities into your life. Look for the work of the Holy Spirit to make you more like the godly men that have been called to lead you to Jesus. We’ll see you Sunday.