Whenever I am faced with the approaching of a new calendar year, I usually ponder what has taken place in my life in the past year and consider what I want to change and improve upon in the coming one. My goals for the New Year are probably much like yours: lose some weight, spend more quality time with family and friends, and improve my walk with the Lord.
Being a part of a warm and caring fellowship makes all the difference in our daily Christian walk. The Apostle Paul even told the church in Hebrews 10:25 that we “should not forsake meeting together and encouraging one another.” I was recently emailed the following story which emphasizes this point:
THE SILENT SERMON
A member of a certain church, who previously had been attending services regularly, stopped going. After a few weeks, the pastor decided to visit him. It was a chilly evening. The pastor found the man at home alone, sitting before a blazing fire. Guessing the reason for his pastor’s visit, the man welcomed him, led him to a comfortable chair near the fireplace and waited. The pastor made himself at home but said nothing. In the grave silence, he contemplated the dance of the flames around the burning logs.
After some minutes, the pastor took the fire tongs, carefully picked up a brightly burning ember, and placed it to one 
side of the hearth all alone. Then he sat back in his chair, still silent. The host watched all this in quiet contemplation. As the one lone ember’s flame flickered and diminished, there was a momentary glow and then its fire was no more. Soon it was cold and dead. Not a word had been spoken since the initial greeting. The pastor glanced at his watch and realized it was time to leave. He slowly stood up, picked up the cold, dead ember and placed it back in the middle of the fire. Immediately it began to glow, once more with the light and warmth of the burning coals around it.
As the pastor reached the door to leave, his host said with a tear running down his cheek, “Thank you so much for your visit and especially for the fiery sermon. I will be back in church next Sunday.”
Let us not forsake the importance of meeting together and encouraging one another. Being a part of a loving and caring fellowship like First Cheraw is so very important to one’s walk with the Lord.
In Christ,
Kurt