Dear Young Adults and Parents of Young Adults,

Wow! Christmas is over and the New Year has just begun. Where did 2008 go? Time sure goes by fast. As I write this newsletter article, I am reminded of one word. It’s word that many people really don’t like to hear. I suppose some people would even consider it a dirty word. You are probably exerting extra brain power to figure out what the word is, right? The word is commitment. Commitment is simply a pledge or promise. It is the act of committing, pledging, or engaging oneself. Why then is it a dirty word? Perhaps it is because commitment involves action. It involves responsibility. Think about all the commitments you have made. Let’s examine this a bit closer. As teenagers, you may make a commitment to play sports. Once the commitment has been made and you join the team, responsibilities follow. You are required to attend practice. Practice is necessary, because it’s through practice that you grow and develop as a player. You are also required to attend the games. Games are really fun! This is where you display and use what you have learned during practice. Likewise, adults and parents also have commitments. As adult, you have many commitments. A job is the first thing that comes to mind. Most everyone has a job of some sort. You have pledged to your employer to uphold the job you have taken. With your job comes responsibility. With your job comes commitment. If your job requires you to arrive at work at 8:30 am, then that is what you do. You do everything in your power to be there, on time! Why? Because you are committed to your job. One day you will be too old to play sports and there will come a point in your life when it is time to retire. In other words, your commitment to sports and jobs will one day cease to exist.

Should it be any different with our commitment to the Lord? Absolutely not! As a matter of fact, our commitment to the Lord should be first and foremost. Now this is where the word commitment becomes personal. If there is one thing of which Christians should be ashamed, it is our lack of commitment to serving God Almighty. Too many people believe that Christianity is a one time thing, been there, done that. Some think that Christianity simply involves warming a pew every now and then. You know, when it’s convenient, when I don’t need the extra sleep. When there is nothing else more important to do. Dear friends, Christianity involves so much more. When you study the Scriptures, you find that Jesus displayed complete and total commitment to His heavenly Father. Jesus was committed to following His Father’s will. Regardless of the cost He made the sacrifice, the ultimate sacrifice. When you commit your life to following Jesus, it’s a life long commitment! God has blessed each of us with gifts and talents and He expects us to use them for His honor and glory. Are you committed to Him today? Are you actively involved and serving Him? You may ask, how do I do this? Attending worship, Sunday school, Bible study, and discipleship classes is a great starting place! Just like the sports player needs practice to grow and develop, Christians need to immerse themselves in the teaching and study of God’s Word. Your commitment to the Lord involves sacrifice.

Instead of making those silly new years resolutions that seem to only last a month or two, my prayer and challenge for 2009 is that each of us will recommit our lives to serving the Lord and focusing on Him. Why not make a resolution this year to recommit your life to Jesus Christ and digging into real truth, found only in the Bible. You can rest assured that He will not break the commitment He has made to you. Jesus gave us His all, should we give Him any less?

In Christ,

Pastor Brad