Planting, Watering, and Increase

A couple of weeks ago, I received an unexpected email from a friend I used to work with at Callaway Golf. He was a fellow software developer. We were the early birds in the office and would start our day with coffee and conversation. I remember finally gathering my nerves and taking the risk to invite him and his wife to join my young family and me at Sunridge and then enjoy breakfast. They said yes, and we had a wonderful time, but that was about it. We remained friends and coworkers, but as often happens when sharing the Gospel, not much else happened. But that was more than 20 years ago. In his email, he said he wanted to share the good news that he and his wife just accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior. I had an ugly cry moment. We scheduled a lunch, and he shared his incredible faith journey with me. It never ceases to amaze me how God is willing to leave the ninety-nine to go after the one and how much celebration and joy accompanies when the lost is found. 

But wait, there’s more! 

As many of you know, Sunridge sends a letter (or email if we don’t have the physical address) to anyone who gives to Sunridge for the first time. This week, a recipient of the email sent back a response. I’ve paraphrased the response to avoid sharing names and circumstances. This person wrote:

I just wanted you to know why a non-member / otherwise stranger donated to your church.

I’ve come to know a person who was a Sunridge member when they lived in the Temecula area and still occasionally watches your services online from another state. As you may remember, they tragically lost their teenager in 2018. They shared with me how God and your church got them through that terribly difficult time. In fact, that story and the quality of their character inspired me toward my own spiritual journey. 

The gift is a small way to thank you for what you did for them through the years. A friend of theirs is a friend of mine. And you are doing the Lord’s work. 

Blessings,

We often think we need to know the answer to every spiritual question before talking to someone about Jesus. But what if we don’t? What if we just take a risk to invite someone to church, go to breakfast, be compassionate when they’re hurting, be kind when others are angry, or show love? We don’t need to “sell” Jesus, but we can show others what he’s done in our lives. 

Jesus’ Part

In the Apostle Paul’s first letter to the church in Corinth, he admonishes these early Christians, calling them worldly and infants in their faith because there was jealousy and quarreling over who they follow – Apollos or Paul. The people of Corinth forgot that these early church leaders were ordinary people like us who were pointing people to God. In Chapter 3, verse 6, Paul had to clear things up for them, and he wrote, “I planted, Apollos watered, but God was causing the growth.” We have a role, but it’s God that causes the growth.

Our Part

Our role is to plant and water. How often have we planted the seed of the Gospel or watered those seeds as people are on their faith journey but never know if it takes root or grows? Do you ever wonder if anything you do makes a difference? I assure you, it does! That’s why I wanted to share these emails. They are such encouraging reminders that it’s not about you or me; it’s about who Jesus is and what He does – He causes the growth. We get the joy of partnering with God to plant, water, and celebrate what God does.