We had a great time this weekend distributing turkeys and groceries to under-resourced families in the Charlotte area.  We were able to serve 11 families (over 60 people).  Many told us that they were desperate, wondering where the money was going to come from to pay for a family celebration this Thanksgiving.   We are so glad that we were able to help meet their physical needs in the name of our Savior.  We also had the opportunity to minister the love, life, and hope of Jesus Christ to every family.  Many received prayer.  Several Bibles were given away.

I want to offer sincere thanks to all of you who made this Renaissance outreach possible.   Thanks to our volunteers.  Thank you again to those of you who gave.  And thanks to Nova*s Bakery for donating fresh bread.

I’m thankful for so many things this Thanksgiving.  Having the privilege of witnessing so many smiles this weekend is one of them.  Happy Thanksgiving.

This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.

1 John 3:16-18

Jesus teaches us that we should love our neighbor.

You probably already know that.

It’s the putting it into practice that is the hard part.

“Who is my neighbor?” asked the expert in the law.  Jesus responded with the parable of the Good Samaritan.  Your neighbor is everyone – especially the one right in front of you.

“What does loving my neighbor look like?”  The Scripture at the top addresses this question.  It means being the Good Samaritan.  Stopping for the one.  Being inconvenienced.  Taking a risk.  Giving sacrificially of your time and your money.  Stepping over barriers.  Getting your hands dirty.  Expecting nothing in return.

Love takes action. Compassion moves us to do something to alleviate the suffering, not just sympathize with it.

This Thanksgiving, Renaissance Church is helping needy families in the Charlotte area by supplying free turkeys and groceries.  It’s a small gesture.  But believe me, it can make a big difference to someone in need.

Know someone that needs a helping hand for the holidays? Contact us.

Want to help us express the love of God to Charlotte families? We’re collecting both funds and groceries.  You can even help us deliver the food, if you want.  Click here for more info.

When I was in medical school, I got to spend two months training in a French hospital.  Every weekend, Marla and I (newly married) would take a road trip in our rented Citroen Saxo.  It would barely make it up the hills.  We became experts at locating the best pains au raisins, and all kinds of other French delicacies, and saw some very beautiful places.  It was one of the best times of my life.

Over the long Thanksgiving weekend (no, the French don’t celebrate Thanksgiving, but we duly informed them that WE do, and that we would be needing a four day weekend), we visited Normandy, and particularly the famous beaches where the D-day invasion occurred.

The story of the invasion is truly fascinating.  It’s a story of great courage,  sacrifice, and teamwork.  Inspiring stuff.  There were so many heroes in those days of the summer of 1944.  Some came home, many didn’t (as the American cemetery at Omaha beach illustrates above).  Today, Veterans Day, we honor their sacrifice.

My strongest memory from the trip is my visit to the Airborne Museum in St. Mere Eglise.  As I left the museum,  a couple of French young men yelled to me from across the parking lot, “Thank you, Americans!”

Humbled, I smiled and waved.  I was painfully aware that I didn’t pay a price for France’s freedom.  Or America’s.  So today, I give credit where credit is truly due.

Thank you, veterans!

All our ministry should be ordered in such a way that if God doesn’t show up, we will fall flat on our face.

Wait!?  What about planning?

Planning is great.  But too often the plan we choose cuts God right out of the equation.  It feels safer that way.  But what we end up with is a goal that we can accomplish in our own strength.

That’s not a good enough goal – not for someone who follows Jesus. I’ve seen enough of what people can accomplish for God.  I want to see more of what we can do with God.

We should expect God to show up, when we’re stepping out in accordance with His will.  When we know what His will is, we can go forward into even an impossible situation with complete confidence.  Faith is knowing that God will do what He has said He will do.

So make a plan,  but make sure your plan is big enough that you will fail… without God.  Then, work your plan as best as you can… and invite God to do what only He can…. like heal that broken heart, bring the lost person to repentance, or intervene with a real miracle.

Yes, God still does those things.  I’m completely convinced He’d like to do them a lot more.  He’s waiting for us to take the risk of leaving room for Him to do what only He can do.  It’s not really a risk, when you truly know Him.  It’s an act of faith.