From Steve’s Desk:
By the time you read this, I will have hopefully moved to our new home in Thorntown at 401 S. Market Street. We feel so blessed to have been able to relocate so quickly. God was definitely in control of the sale of our home in Indianapolis and the purchase of our new home. Praise the Lord! We want all to know that our home is always open. We are so excited and eager to become a part of this community and do life with you. And, it will be especially nice not to spend so much time driving in the Indianapolis traffic. Thank you also for the well wishes and volunteers to help move. It is so wonderful to have such willingness to help. ------------------------------------------------------- What a wonderful celebration of Resurrection Sunday we had. I want thank all of you for your efforts and attendance in making this year’s journey through Easter such a success. The Last Supper Communion service and the Journey through Good Friday were very touching and the devotions each day were a wonderful way to walk together as the Body of Christ in remembrance and celebration. And then such excitement and energy at the Sun Rise and Easter services with great music and the youth video were so moving. It was a great week. Thanks so much! ------------------------------------------------------- Since it is May in Indiana, we all know that the focus of our state is on the track and the Indianapolis 500 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Race fan or not, it is a part of Indiana, isn’t it? My maternal grandfather was a race enthusiast. He loved the INDY 500. He took me on many trips to the track during the month of May to the qualifications. I love the sound and roar of the cars as they lap around the track. It always makes my chest pound with excitement as they rush by me. My grandfather and I never went to the race together, but we did spend many of a race Sunday in his backyard listening to the race on the radio. Even today, more than 30 years after my grandfather passed, I still love to listen to the race on the radio with fond memories. There are many times in my year, that my life feels like a race from point A to point B. Many planned and unplanned things often compound our busy lifestyles. We all know how busy and hectic holiday seasons and summer can be. We also know how the unplanned and unforeseen things derail us. Should life be a race? I don’t think it is what God intended, but it is what we have. In the midst of our daily races, what then shall we do? In the Bible, a race analogy is used several times to encourage us. Often, a race is run against competitors. The first one across the line is the winner. In our race of life, it isn’t really that we are running against each other, but running against the other competitor for our eternity, Satan. Our goal in this race isn’t to be the best or better than each other, but in that we complete the race and cross the line to Heaven. The Devil wants nothing better than for us to trip, fall and not complete. In this race all who cross the line win. It makes no difference who is first, second, or third. The reward for this race is our eternity. So then how should we run….. Hebrews 12:1New International Version (NIV) 12 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, In our race of this life, we can be deceived in many ways that may cause us to quit running or maybe not give our best. Running a race does require that effort, energy, and endurance. If we give up – we will not finish. 1 Corinthians 9:24-25New International Version (NIV) 24 Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. 25 Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. When we round the last curve and enter the home stretch, how will we finish; will we finish? We have to! There is another point I want to make with another illustration. I have viewed a video of an exhausted runner who collapses just yards from the finish. Lying in defeat, the runner’s arm is tugged by a fellow runner who pulls the exhausted runner to his feet and they cross the line together. Get the point? We are not racing against each other - we are racing with each other. Let’s race together to cross that line for our eternal reward and get that cold bottle of milk in victory circle!
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AuthorSteve Vitaniemi Archives
January 2025
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