January 3, 2018

Dear Friends of Rockwood,

We have a made for order time for review and refocus as our new year begins.  God is good at giving us makeover times built into our calendars; we have days, weeks, months, and as now a year.  We were blessed in many ways, but we also missed some ventures, goals and opportunities.  It is good for us to reflect on our efforts and values so we can be the men and women God wants us to be.  I ended the year this past Sunday with a message patterned after God’s instructions to the Children of Israel as they were about to cross the Jordan and enter the Promised Land.  The previous generation in Israel blew it and so this was pretty important and it reminds us of how God expects us to view our lives, if we want to hear His “well done”.  There are four actions for building a Godly legacy and here they are:

                Dt. 6:1-5               Listen-Up            Observe, Hear & Keep God’s Word  (He Seeks our Best)

                                                                                Learn to Love God Intensely  (With all your Heart and Might)

                Dt. 6:6,7               Talk-Up                Establish Priority   (His Word in Your Heart)

                                                                                Express Urgency    (Teach Family Diligently)

                                                                                Requires Consistency  (Sitting, Standing, Lying, Rising)

                Dt. 6:8,9               Set-Up                  Guard What You Might Grasp  (Your Hands Reach)

                                                                                Guard What Your Eyes See  (As Frontlets between Eyes)

                                                                                Reminders In Your Home  (On the Doorposts)

                                                                                Reminders Leaving Your Home  (On your Gates)

                Dt. 6:10-15          Own-Up               Demonstrate an Attitude of Gratitude

                                                                                Develop the Heart of a Servant

                                                                                Devote Yourself Wholly to the Lord

                          Summary:      Be Worshipful                   Be Thankful                        Be Helpful

                Practical Starts:      Daily Bible Reading,  Joining Fellowship Group, Changing Diet or Exercise,

                       Or Restarts:      Prioritizing Family Time, Family Prayer Time, Openingly Sharing Faith, etc.

I do not put a lot of emphasis on Christians making new year’s resolutions.  I do think we should often stop and ask the Lord to help us make assessments of our spiritual walk and progress.  So, this is a good time to remind you to take a few moments and ask God “what would you like me to do?”   And should you be led to make some commitments, ask Him to give you a couple of accountability partners to help you stay the new course He has shown you.

Blessings to You All This Year,

Pastor Pete    

Pastor Charles “Pete” Patton    2425 Glencoe Rd, Wildwood, MO 63038