GREAT IS THY FAITHFULNESS...A WORK OF LOVE...

TRANSFORMING THURSDAY

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As we begin a new month, I encourage you to look at our new memory verse and see the focus: LOVE! Love for the LORD... love for ourselves... love for our neighbors...

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There is nothing as transforming as God's kind of love - AGAPE!
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1 John 3:16-19 says,

"This is how we know what love is:

Jesus Christ laid down his life for us.

And we ought to lay down our lives

for our brothers.

If anyone has material possessions

and sees his brother in need

but has no pity on him,

how can the love of God be in him?

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Dear children,

let us not love with words or tongue

but with actions and in truth."

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We have a sister in Christ, who is a widow, in our church family who has really been having some hard times. Things have been so difficult for her recently! Then, when things were looking extremely challenging... they got worse!!! She broke her back! She was already using a walker! How could this happen? Now, she is in rehab trying to get herself where she can live independently.

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In the meantime, Steve went to check on a rental property that she owned. Her renters had not been keeping up with the rent. What Steve found was gutt wrenching! The pictures below will tell the story of what seemed impossible to fix being possible. The renters had moved out taking all the copper plumbing with them.

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The next couple weeks were a stir of activity as our church family considered how to meet our sister's needs. Spurred on by the faithful love of God and with love for our sister, a group of christian men talked with some of her extended family, checked with authorities, and formulated a plan.

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When it happened this past weekend, transformation took place in a few hours time because of the love of God living and breathing through the teenagers in our church family, a handful of young adults, some adult sponsors, and some men who had a vision of what could be done.
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I will tell that transformation story with pictures and then ask you to consider the possibilities of the kind of love that 1 Corinthians 13 talks about.

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1 Corinthians 13:5-8 says,

"Love does not delight in evil

but rejoices with the truth.

It always protects,

always trusts,

always hopes,

always perseveres.
Love never fails..."

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Here is the transformation made by God's love:

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BEFORE

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AFTER

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