Go Beyond

Going to church is one thing. Being the church is another! I love our annual Caring for Katy day when we close the doors to the church and go out en masse to serve our community. Today, every act of kindness we demonstrated throughout our community became the sermon. As I told one elderly gentleman this morning — “Jesus showed up in your neighborhood today. We are His hands and feet.”

I had the privilege of visiting several of our teams this morning with Dr. Robert Sloan, President of Houston Baptist University and our interim preaching pastor. When Dr. Sloan met me this morning he was wearing the Caring for Katy shirt that we gave him last year. He enjoyed seeing and encouraging our folks as they served others. Caring for Katy is definitely on his list of favorite days.

In addition to meeting the people we serve, I especially enjoy seeing our Kingsland kids in action. The last part of our purpose statement says that we are committed to “equipping the generations, one home at a time.” Our kids are learning the importance of looking past their own interests to serve the interests of others. And, in this day and age, that’s a very good thing.

Over the years I have learned that a hammer and a mop or a paint brush and a shovel are tools that God can use to work on our own hearts. When we serve others God can do amazing things in our own lives. An old friend once told me, if we will work our muscles then God will build our hearts. He is right. When we bless others by serving them we really do end up with the biggest blessing of all.

I’m glad that kids at Kingsland have opportunities throughout the year to make special memories of serving others alongside their parents. We must never underestimate how God can and will use these experiences to raise a generation of kids who will live out their faith in practical and incarnational ways. In addition to teaching our kids to own and to articulate their faith, our kids are strengthening the infrastructure of their faith by learning to live it out by serving others.

Thanks to all who loved and served our community today. And special thanks to Jon Davis, our Missions Ministry Associate and point man for our annual Caring for Katy initiative. Jon always does a great job of helping our teams with their planning and logistics. Only heaven will reveal the full extent of how God used this day in the lives of those we served and in our own lives as well. Thanks, Kingsland, for Caring for Katy.