Kickoff

“For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say ‘No’ to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:11-13). 

This coming Thursday, September 8, is the beginning of the NFL season. Some of you may not be football fans and can’t wait until the season is over, but for diehard fans, the NFL kickoff brings hope for their favorite teams. After all, at this point in the game, every team is undefeated and has a chance to win the Super Bowl on February 5, 2017. We all know that one, and only one team will win the Super Bowl. But today, all 32 teams, all 1,696 players are hoping to win it all. If you ask me, the odds are not very good. Today is a special day for The Well. It is our kickoff—Season One of The Well. Just like the NFL teams, we all have hope as we begin our season, however, our hope is different from the NFL. Our hope is the blessed hope, perfectly expressed by the Apostle Paul in Titus 2:11-13. Brothers and sisters in Christ: as we face our first season today, we will have many victories but at the same time, there will be many disappointments. My hope and prayer is that we would be a community that celebrates our victories together, but also embraces and supports one another during our disappointments. Whether we are winning or losing, let us place our confidence in our Lord Jesus Christ and wait for that blessed hope. Amen?