March 30 - A Letter to Sunrise

March 30, 2008

“I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” Philippians 1:3-6 NIV Bible
The above greeting is how Paul begins his letter to the people who are in the church at Philippi. In this greeting it is evident that he cares for the people, sees God working in their lives and is thankful that they are working together to help others experience the Gospel (Good News of Jesus Christ).
Paul’s greeting is a good description of how I and the other leaders in Sunrise feel about the people involved in Sunrise. I and the other leaders thank God for you as we pray for you and your family during the week. We see how God is working in your lives and continuing to strengthen your faith and life in Jesus Christ, and how we as a church desire others to come to know Jesus Christ as their personal Savior and Lord. What an honor and joy it is to serve Jesus Christ alongside you and others in Sunrise. Even just in the recent months it is evident that God is moving in the midst of Sunrise in the following ways:
He began the Ministry Partnership with Lee Memorial
How we worked together to make the move from meeting at Jolliff Middle School to Lee Memorial
The wonderful Candlelight Christmas Eve Service Sunrise and Lee Memorial hosted together
New faces on Sunday mornings and in Community Groups
The well attended Baptism Celebration
Adults recently accepting Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord
Adults recently rededicating their lives to Jesus Christ
Children and Students having fun on Sunday mornings (Miracles Happen)
The great atmosphere during the Easter Breakfast and in the Easter Service
The smiles on peoples faces as they are welcomed into an open atmosphere for worship
May we as a church continue to be sensitive to God and His leadership as we continue to work together to share His goodness, joy and love with others. May we thank God for one another and encourage each other to “Delight yourselves in God, yes, find your joy in Him at all times.” Philippians 4:4 Phillips Translation of the Bible
The message today was about experiencing joy in your relationships. Relationships are a vital part of life and can be encouraging and at times discouraging. Paul, in his letter to the Philippians expresses joy in his relationship with them even though he is aware relationships experience difficult times. He is grateful for the people in the church at Philippi. He is encouraged by Timothy and Epaphroditus (how about that name), his friends and co-laborers in ministry. He encourages the people in Philippi to be humble and serve one another with joy, and to seek to resolve conflict for the sake of the Gospel. Because relationships are so vital to life I hope that you will decide to be thankful for the people in your life, be encouraged by those who help you in your walk with God and encourage them, and seek to live with a humble heart that honors and brings joy to others.
This week take some time to write in the space below people you are thankful for and people who encourage you in your walk with Jesus Christ and watch your joy quota rise as you do so. Then write down a few things you might be able to do for someone this week to see their joy quota increase and have fun going for it. May you have a joyful week experiencing joy in your relationships.

Rejoicing,
Steve Nethery

People I’m thankful for:

People who encourage me:

What I am going to do to bring joy to others: