Jump Start # 3412

2 Thessalonians 1:3 “We ought always to give thanks to God for you, brethren, as is only fitting, because your faith is greatly enlarged, and the love of each one of you all toward one another grows ever greater.”

I was thinking the other day about the church I grew up in. Some don’t have those memories like that because they didn’t begin worshipping God until they were an adult. For others, it was a denominational slant that really didn’t help them much spiritually. But for me and many others, we had the blessing of being around God’s people since we were very young.

For me, it was Emerson Avenue in Indianapolis that was my first congregation that I knew. It was a powerful church. It helped establish two other congregations in the city that are still in existence. The eldership was older men, especially to a kid like me. They always wore suits and seemed dignified. The congregation had a steady stream of great preachers and likely that is where I was influenced to preach.

It is easy to look back with a tainted view of things. Either, we see things that were not right or healthy, and that’s all we can see. All we see are the warts and blemishes. But we can also have rose colored glasses that only sees perfection, even though it wasn’t there.

The men who served as shepherds at Emerson Avenue when I was a kid have all gone to the other side of life. As an adult, and especially as a preacher, I would love to have an afternoon to talk to them about things. There are so many wonderful things that I could have learned from them. I have in my archives old directories and bulletins from that congregation. Faces in time. People that were a part of a fellowship. Many have died. Many have moved on to other places. But for a moment in time, God brought us together.

And, here are some thoughts:

First, if the Lord allows time to go on, there may be a child where I worship who will look back and see us as his first congregation that he remembers. What memories will he have? What impressions are we leaving? He will remember some of his first Bible class teachers, as I remember mine. He may remember the shepherds and what will that memory be?

Sometimes we are so focused on today, that we forget that in time we are etching memories upon young hearts. Our classes. Our VBS. Our conversations. All of these things can stay in a memory. All of these things can make a difference. Do you remember the first preacher that was in your life? What memories do you have?

I keep a jar of M & M’s on my desk primarily for a couple of young boys who love to ask if they can have some candy. They know right where to go to find the stash. I’m hoping one day that these moments will be fond memories for them.

Second, I’d expect most of those people at Emerson Avenue who saw me would have never thought that I’d amount to much, especially spiritually. They would have never dreamed that I would preached all over the country and write a daily blog that is sent all over the planet. I have an impression of them and they had an impression of me. And, that’s a great lesson for us. Don’t give up on people. A couple of those preachers at Emerson Ave. really took an interest in me. They found ways for me to preach. They guided me and encouraged me, and I needed a whole lot of that back then.

So, when you see that kid running through the hallways after services, and it makes your blood boil, remember, someday that child may get his act together, grow spiritually and be great help in the kingdom. We all change. Some for the better and others for the worse. Don’t give up on people and be willing to give someone a chance. Those early sermons of mine were painful to the audience. But there were those who believed in me and encouraged me.

In our verse today, Paul is fondly remembering that young church at Thessalonica. Likely his first letters that he wrote, Paul was impressed with their faith and devotion to the Lord.

Congregations come and go. Some are large that later become small. Some are powerful. Some struggle. But the good that they do and the number of people that they help can only be known by Heaven.

Precious memories, how they linger, how they ever flood my soul…

Roger