I love this time of year. There are pros to every season, but fall is my personal favorite. We get football, playoff baseball, and a new basketball season all at once. We can start to make those food dishes for warm weather we don’t crave in the heat (I’m looking at you chili - and yes, with beans). Pull out your hoodies, sweatpants, and beanies, fall is here! Oklahoma is emotional and we don’t know how long we will have this weather, but I plan on enjoying it. It is also the time of year to start turning on the heater. Thank you for your service A.C., but it’s time for a change. On a cold and chilly day, there’s nothing like a warm house. I bet you can imagine how that house feels. In the same way you know what a warm and cozy home is like in the winter, you know what a warm and welcoming church is like too.
God desires for us to be a people that feels like home. He isn’t concerned about the physical thermostat of the building, but He absolutely cares about the temperature of our heart and attitude. He cares about the comfort and warmth we provide others. We should be warm in our welcome, interactions, words, service, and praise. There isn’t much in life more encouraging than a warm church family! I’m thankful for all the ways we show hospitality and love to each other and strangers. I listened to my family who visited last Sunday remark about how warm the church felt. I witnessed the way we welcomed and fed multiple teams from Choctaw high school. I see numerous people putting on Jesus in baptism, some who were raised here and some who were not. I see people wanting to recommit their life to Jesus with us. None of these blessings happen without a loving church. If we want them to continue, let’s keep being a warm and welcoming people. It’s going to be very cold soon, but it doesn’t have to feel that way among each other. Let’s be a warm church.
Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.
- Romans 12:9-13