Hey Church,

I hope you’re having a great week! We are two weeks into “GREATER: Overcoming The Lesser Life.” I’ve heard from so many how much they’re enjoying the campaign. Let me provide you with a few quick links so that you’ll have access to some of the key resources in the campaign.

We have a catch all landing page on our website. There you can find the Sunday morning messages, small group discussion guides and corresponding video curriculum.

We also put together a Greater Growth Guide. In that guide you’ll find a place to take notes for the Sunday morning messages, weekly devotionals, a Bible reading plan and small group discussion guides that go along with the Greater Group Video Curriculum.

We’ve been posting content for the Greater Campaign on our social media handles as well. You can find those posts by following us on Instagram or Twitter, liking us on Facebook or using the hashtag #greaterbbc on any social media platform. If doing things online isn’t your thing, you can always get a hard copy of the discussion guides, growth guide and DVD’s at the church office.

We snew out of GREATER T-shirts this past Sunday. If you’d still like one then please let me know and we can make another order if enough people request it.

This Sunday we will talk about how to be GREATER in our marriages. We’re shifting from the general relational advice that Paul gave this past week to some more specific environments like the home, the workplace, and the marketplace. If you’ve been waiting to invite a friend to church then this would be a great Sunday to do so.

If you don’t invite a friend for this Sunday then for sure invite them for Mothers Day. This year, on Mother’s Day, we’ll have a special spot set up for moms to take pictures. You know how moms love to get pictures of the whole family while they’re all dressed up. Now, they’ll have some nice scenery to stand in front of and a volunteer to help take the picture so that everyone can get in the shot.

Speaking of family, there’s been a big thing happen in our family that I’ve mentioned in a few mediums but not yet to the whole church. Our family will be growing by one this coming October! We haven’t done the sonogram thing yet but, from the blood test, it looks like we will be having a baby GIRL! Blaise is going to be a “big big” brother (as he likes to say.)

I had all brothers growing up. It’s going to be interesting. My own mom couldn’t contain herself. She’s been wanting a baby girl since before I was born. hahaha! I’m sure this grandbaby won’t be spoiled at all.  = – )   She’s got a great set of grandparents on both sides. That’s for sure.

We haven’t yet landed on a final name but we’re working on it. I remember when Blaise was born and how it changed everything. I didn’t know my heart had the capacity for that kind of love. The love that a parent has for a child is different than anything else. I wouldn’t say it’s stronger than the love I have for Audra but it is different.

If you take that love and multiply it by a bajillion – that’s the love that our heavenly Father has for us. Take the love that one spouse has for the other and multiply that by one-hundred quadrillion – that’s the love that Christ has for his Church (all of those who are “in Christ.”)

Even the most consuming and delightful joys of this earth are nothing compared to the eternal Joy of what awaits us in heaven. Sometimes we need to be reminded of that; not just when we suffer but also when we rejoice.

C.S. Lewis had a great analogy of this. He said to think of earthly pleasures like a ray of sunlight poking through the wall of a barn. Even the greatest earthly pleasures are only but a ray. They aren’t meant to be enjoyed only for themselves. They are meant to draw our gaze from the beam back up to the Sun.

What are you thankful for today? Did you know that’s only a foretaste of what’s to come if you are in Christ? Move from gratitude to adoration. Gratitude says, “How good of God to give me this.” Adoration says, “How great must be the quality of that Being whose far-off and momentary coruscations are like this!” (C.S. Lewis)

To translate the “proper English” of C.S. Lewis, I think what he’s trying to say is this. If we get a foretaste of the goodness of God with these earthly joys, how unspeakable and incredible the joy must be when we experience Him (true Joy) in its fullness.”

I want to encourage you to count your blessings and be filled with thanksgiving this week. Let that thanksgiving move you from gratitude to adoration. You’ll be amazed at what will happen in your heart.

I hope you all have a great rest of your week. If there’s anything I can pray for you about please let me know! See you soon.

Blessings,

Pastor Wes