Community

Hebrews 10:25 says, “Do not give up the habit of meeting together with other believers. Instead, we must continue to encourage each other even more as we see the day of the Lord coming.” Our church takes this admonition seriously!

Along with Sunday morning worship and small group studies, Greencastle Baptist offers Sunday evening gatherings for eight weeks in the Fall and Spring. Volunteers host these sessions in their homes. All who wish to participate are randomly divided up to help us get to know more of our church community of believers.

We study God’s Word, pray, eat, and fellowship with one another. Everyone brings something for the shared meal. Dick and I have been part of three of these groups. We really miss it when something comes up that we must skip a night.

As the weeks go by and we get to know each other better, the level of honesty and vulnerability increases. We trust one another. Words of encouragement are shared all around. You can feel the movement of the Holy Spirit convicting and comforting. This time together is a blessing that I haven’t experienced since the early days of my walk with Jesus.

As we met for our final Fall get together, I took a few moments to look around, reflecting on all that was going on. Laughter and chatter filled the rooms, creating a joyous hubbub. Toddlers maneuvered through the group and were picked up by adults they didn’t know a few weeks ago.  Older children helped the younger children. Those who have been attending our church for years joked and chatted with some who have only been coming for a few weeks. It was “Make A Pizza” night and there was lots of good-natured ribbing about what toppings went well together. It truly felt like family—and it is--the family of God!

Sunday evenings remind me of Acts 2:44-47. “All the believers kept meeting together . . . They were joyful and humble as they ate at each other’s homes and shared their food. At the same time, they praised God and had the good will of all the people. Every day the Lord saved people, and they were added to the group.”

Does your church offer such opportunities? If not, perhaps you could start one! You will be blessed beyond measure!

Be encouraged!

©2025 Pamela D. Williams

Am I Good Enough?

While growing up I somehow got the mistaken idea that in order to please God and go to Heaven I had be “good enough”. I imagined God with an antiquated adding machine, keeping track of my good and bad deeds. At the end of my life, He would push the big "TOTAL" button and the result would determine if I went to Heaven or to Hell.

I tried very hard to be good. I made every effort to get along with everyone, went to church practically every Sunday, and even tried reading through the Bible. I eagerly started with Genesis, but somewhere around Leviticus my enthusiasm waned.

I figured I still scored on the positive side with God. Yes, I had my faults, but surely, I had done nothing bad enough to end up in Hell, had I?

Then in my mid-twenties I met Bill and Peggy, a couple whose concept of God differed drastically from mine. When they described their relationship with Jesus, they spoke of Him as their loving friend and Savior, an ever-present source of strength and guidance—not some aloof numbers-cruncher.  

What a revelation! I desperately wanted that kind of relationship with Jesus. So during church one Sunday, I prayed and asked Him to come into my life and save me from my sins. He became my friend and constant companion, just as He was to Bill and Peggy.

I started reading my Bible and found it alive and relevant. I discovered scripture passages that corrected my misconceptions.

God is not busy tallying up numbers on some heavenly calculator. In fact, Ephesians 2:8-9 says, "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast." (NIV)

And no matter how good I try to be, it will never be enough. Romans 3:23 says that we all fall short—none of us meets God's standards. Only Jesus’ death on the cross could pay the price for us to enter Heaven. All that is required of us is to put our faith in Him.

A list of good deeds will not even gain me admittance to a sporting event or a concert here on earth. Can you imagine how the ticket taker at a movie theater would respond when she asked for my money and I slid my good deeds list under the window? She would probably raise one eyebrow, skeptically glance over the list and then repeat the price. How could I have counted on good deeds to get me into Heaven?

Trusting in the sacrifice Jesus made on the cross, instead of my own ineffectual efforts, has brought me wondrous relief and peace. It is pure joy to know that the Lord loves and welcomes me into His kingdom based entirely on the awesome purity and holiness of Jesus alone. 

©2025 Pamela D. Williams