Matters of Faith
By Dr. Bascom Ratliff
Pastor, Beagle / Fontana / Parker United Methodist Churches
Scripture: Hebrews 6:10 “for God is not unjust: He will not overlook the work and love that you showed for his sake by serving the saints.”
God will never forget or overlook our love and service to his kingdom. When we do for others, God notices. He takes note of everything we do for him and others and rewards us accordingly. However, please note; God’s unfailing love and bountiful grace are freely given to us. His added rewards are abundant blessings such as peace of mind, comfort, deliverance, and assurance. And, to really get an idea of God’s great love for us we simply need to look at the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Through Jesus, we are granted eternal life. We are given the wonderful gifts of the Holy Spirit. And we are given assurance of God’s love and protection as we continue on our journey through this life. God loves us. God wants us to love others. God has given us the tools and the gifts needed for full service to him and others. We have confidence in God’s word and will. We celebrate our wonderful relationship with God through Jesus Christ.
God makes it abundantly clear that he wants us to be followers. He wants us to be servants. He wants us to be loyal and devoted. He wants us to share the good news of the gospel with others. Our labor of love begins with our acceptance of Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior and continues with our faithful service to God’s kingdom. This faithful service includes giving food to the hungry, drink to the thirsty, clothing to the naked, and visits to those who are confined or isolated (Matthew 25).
It also is important to note that God sees all that we do for his kingdom and his people. After the resurrection, Jesus asked Peter, “Do you love me?” He asks this question of Peter three times. Each time Peter said, “Yes Lord, you know I love you.” Jesus then told him to “feed my sheep” (John 21). I believe the same message holds true for us. Jesus wants us to serve others. This is our labor of love. To be servants. To care for others. To put our faith in action and to do good works for God’s kingdom. As Paul wrote in Hebrews, we are Christ’s workmanship, created for good works.
I am reminded that our life on this earth is simply a journey. We are on our way home to be with our heavenly Father. And, as we travel on this journey we are to help others. How better to help others than to provide them the good news of Jesus Christ and also give them food and drink to nourish them for their journey. How wonderful it is to know that God observes us. He sees what we do and generously rewards us.
Of course, faith and love are the foundational underpinnings of our relationship with God. However, it is rewarding to know that by serving others we are serving God and are demonstrating the power that his love has over us. Helping someone with an act of love is the greatest service that we can provide God. This is our calling: To care for others and to share in their life.
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Do you find yourself longing for genuine love and companionship? If you’re ready to seek God’s love, I invite you to come and worship with us. We are fueled by God’s wonderful promise of unfailing love. Please accept our invitation to a morning of wonderful music and great fellowship. And, of course, hot coffee and cookies.
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We will worship at the Fontana United Methodist Church during September 2024.
We will worship at the Parker UMC during October 2024.
We will worship at the Beagle UMC during November 2024.
All Sunday services are at 10 a.m.
We serve communion on the first Sunday of the month.
All are welcome in God’s House.
Dr. Bascom Ratliff (913-710-5748)
Pastor, Parker/Beagle/Fontana
United Methodist Churches
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