Greetings and good morning everyone. Thank you all very much for being here today.

I’m honored and humbled to stand up before you this morning and have the opportunity to tell the story of the path that brought me to spiritual fulfillment and led me right here to this wonderful and loving church. I’m excited to give my fellow congregation members an overview of my spiritual background, in addition to the importance this church has played in leading me to a deeper and more fulfilling relationship with God.

First and foremost, although she isn’t here, I would like to thank Pastor Karen for presenting me the chance to speak with you this morning and for all that she does for our church each and everyday. She truly is one of a kind and I think I can speak for everyone here when I say that we sure are fortunate and blessed to have such a devoted, kindhearted, and passionate individual as our pastor.

My first memories of church and fellowship was when I was in elementary school and my Grandma Harris would take me to her local church on occasion when she watched me on Sundays. Even though I was just a boy at the time, I remember it being a place of hope, positivity, and reflection and a place that genuinely sparked curiosity and wonder from me. Other than the memories with my Grandma and attending Vacation Bible School at the daycare I went to during the summer, I didn’t have a whole lot of memories from attending church and other church-related functions. My upbringing didn’t consist of being affiliated with a specific church and it wasn’t because my parents didn’t want to be, quite frankly. It just wasn’t a part of our routine growing up and I’m sure my parents used there Sunday mornings for a little R & R after running their three children around to every extracurricular activity you could think of and working 50 hours a week. I know how challenging and how much of an uphill battle it can be to get out the house with one child, therefore, I can only imagine what it was like trying to get three out of the house.

After graduating from Ball State, I started attending church again on an occasional basis with Emily back in 2012 and I rejoiced in the chance to form my own relationship with God for the first time and recognized just how special of a relationship you can have with him. I began noticing a deeper appreciation for the little things in life, a stronger connection with those close to me, and I formed pledge to accept life as is and never take the good things or people in my life for granted. We attended church with Emily’s family at the time at Hazelwood Christian Church in Clayton. It was a lovely church and a perfect jumpstart into my spiritual journey, however, I longed for a church where I could develop a more intimate relationship with the congregation members and a church where I could experience more accountability towards serving others that are less fortunate than me. I wanted to feel the warmth of a small, loving congregation.

My spiritual journey was reinvigorated from the first time my family stepped foot inside of Stilesville Christian Church back in late 2014. From the moment we walked in the door, we were greeted with open arms and warm smiles. Since I’ve been a member at our wonderful church, I’ve developed a stronger and more profound relationship with God. My family and I have developed relationships with the congregation that go way beyond seeing each other just on Sunday morning for service. Pastor Karen was at my house two days after Colin was born. I’ve had lunch and spent time outside of the church with several members. Cassie watched Colin for 4 months while Emily and I were at work. We’ve enjoyed the holiday gatherings, services outside, lunches after church, and all of the other activities that have bestowed upon me a fondness of this church that will stay with me for the rest of my life.

I’ve learned more about the sacrifices that God has made to give each and every one of us the opportunity to be here amongst one another today. His teachings and principles, in addition to the passionate sermons from Pastor Karen that we all have the luxury of hearing every Sunday have resonated with me tremendously and have had an overpowering influence on my outlook towards life. It’s easier than ever before to get wrapped up in all of the negativity surrounding our world and it can be even easier to let that negativity affect your mood and how you view life, however, I believe that little churches such as this one go a long way towards uplifting our world and instilling positivity and hope in the lives of all. We should never depreciate the influence of our little church and how much spirit and faith we create to not only each other, but also every other person that we encounter in our daily lives outside of church.

I can express to all of you that without question that I wouldn’t have the mindset I do today and outlook on life if it wasn’t for this church that we all proud to be a part of.

In closing, I will be leaving you with the scripture reading that I aligned with my sermon for today. Feel free to open your books to Page 987 to following along:

Proverbs 3:1

My son, do not forget my teaching,
but keep my commands in your heart,
2 for they will prolong your life many years
and bring you peace and prosperity.

3 Let love and faithfulness never leave you;
bind them around your neck,
write them on the tablet of your heart.
4 Then you will win favor and a good name
in the sight of God and man.

5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
6 in all your ways submit to him,
and he will make your paths straight.