As a little boy, I often attended the Daleville Methodist Church in Pennsylvania with my family. What I remember from those days were the teachings of Jesus, the fellowship I found with my neighbors and the
opportunity to serve even at a young age, just to name a few. I had not developed a personal relationship with Jesus as Savior, but the early foundation I began to build at this Methodist Church was a solid one that
I would call upon as I grew up. Proverbs 22:6 Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.
One of the building blocks in our Christian education was scripture memorization. Learning the books of the Bible and participating in the life of the church were also important elements in our growth as Christians. I
also developed an understanding about healthy boundaries and God’s original plan for us to live life as human beings. What I have observed over six decades of living is that God’s plans have not changed, but we as humans continue to stray further and further away from the plans that God’s Word makes abundantly clear.
When John Wesley and his brother Charles were attending Oxford University they began something called the Holy Club. This club was much like a small group today. It was a “method” for living out the Christian life
that included disciplines like Bible study and Christian accountability and those were just two pieces of walking out the Christian faith. “Is it well with your soul?” was a question that was asked so that each person could look within themselves to see if they were truly living a life that honored Jesus Christ.
Wesley and his group also placed a high priority on Holy Communion, service to the community and sharing the gospel in many venues that were not typical places of worship. I believe that they banded together because it is better to live out the Christian life with others that offer encouragement, accountability and love, than to live the Christian life in isolation.
Out of that small band of Christians came the people called Methodists. We are not perfect, but continue to work out our salvation, seeking to live a life of holiness. 2nd Timothy 1:9 He has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time.
God bless you and I pray we continue to love one another and follow Christ in a way that glorifies Him.
Peace be with you,
Pastor Jeff