July 23, 2020

Greetings Road Church Friends,

I pray all of you are in good health, body and soul.

 Here is a question to ponder: How did you find your faith in God?

 I have been reading through the Gospel of Matthew. Two tiny parables in chapter 13 verses 44 and 45 caught my attention. They are only one sentence each. Jesus was blessed with the ability to say much in a few words. Each parable is an illustration of the kingdom of God. The first one compares the kingdom to a treasure hid in an open field. The second likens the kingdom to a precious pearl. The kingdom represents our relationship with God. God is present in all of our comings and goings even though people may not be aware of it. Sometimes people stumble into faith. Others come to faith after a long deliberate search. The man who discovered a buried treasure had an unexpected encounter with God. The other man found God after a long quest. That is how they differed. What they had in common is most important. Both recognized the value of what they found, and both were joyfully willing to sacrifice everything to possess it. Some of us found God. Some of us were found by God. But no one inherits a faith in God because God doesn’t have grandchildren.

Please keep Barbara and myself in your prayers. Barbara received news earlier today that her father passed away at the assisted living facility in Iowa where he was being cared for. He was 92. Her mother passed away in the same facility in January. A memorial service for both of them will be held next June.

Blessings to all,

 Pastor Norm 860-759-6720 normerlendson@gmail.com

Scripture prep 1 Kings 20:28 and Psalm 23:4-6

Sermon title: A God of Hills and Valleys YouTube: https://youtu.be/gcd4wHsuw24