FROM YOUR PASTOR’S HEART July 10,2023

Sandy and I attended a wedding for a very dear friend in Shreveport, LA on Saturday. It was a quick trip, but we did get to visit with some folks from Ferry Lake Baptist, where I served as pastor from 1982-84. In the same way that we find at Cordova Baptist, these people are like family to our family. It was a special time of reliving fond memories from the past and reconnecting with precious people that we dearly love.

The Scripture clearly teaches that believers are to be like a family, with God as our Father. One of my favorite Bible verses is found in 1 John 3:1, “Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed upon us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore, the world does not know us, because it did not know Him.” The Apostle Paul referred to believers as “members of the household of God” in Ephesians 2:19. In Matthew 12:50, Jesus said: “Whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother.” It is only right that the church should function as a “faith family,” with concerns about one another being uppermost in our minds.

While I have enjoyed my travels in recent days, I am so happy to be at home with my CBC family. One of the ways that the church functions as a family is to share one anthers burdens and struggles. We have several members who are dealing with health issues at this time. I urge you to be faithful to pray for those on our “Prayer List” and for the special needs that we share throughout the week. God has been faithful to answer our prayers and our church has a reputation for being a “house of prayer.” We often hear from former members or family members of our CBC family, requesting prayer. We even get prayer requests left in our food pantry and have people dropping by the church, asking for prayer. Let us be faithful to lift up one another to the Lord!

Serving in love, Bro. Jim