(Looking for Sunday’s audio announcement?   Keep reading…)

How do you respond to sad news?
Anger? Fear? Depression? Criticism? Anxiety?  All the above?

It’s easy and natural to respond this way…but, unfortunately, the Scriptures don’t give us a right to. Instead, the Scriptures (1 Thessalonians 5:11,  Hebrews 3:12-13,  Hebrews 10:23-25) call us up to something much different: encouragement.  We are to BE encouraged and we are to BE the encourager.  This isn’t the easy road, but it is the joyful one - and the road that will lead us out of the valley of negativity.

Choosing to be an ENCOURAGER is…well…a CHOICE.  Encouragement doesn’t just happen…it’s not a passive effect.  It is the result of proactivity and intentionality…aligning our attitudes with the attitude of God’s Spirit.  Every day…sometimes every minute…we have to choose the way of the Spirit.

Choose to see God at work.  Choose to be the voice of comfort.  Choose to be the voice of truth.  Choose to be the voice of courage.  Choose joy.

Choose…the way of the Spirit.  It’s what God wants FROM us - and it’s what God wants FOR us!

Hard?  Yes.  Rewarding?  Always.  Try it right now…take every discouraging fact you are wrestling with…and ask God to help you - by His Spirit - to see something ENCOURAGING about that situation.  Somewhere buried in the chaos is a little nugget of truth that is encouraging.   It’s there…you just have to look for it - you have to CHOOSE to look for it!

This week, Westport heard some challenging news about some changes on our team. Our prayer for us is that we could quickly give that sad news to the Lord, and begin encouraging ourselves and others as soon as possible! I urge you to become a ‘Joy Distributor’ through your encouraging words to others.

To get us started in the right direction…let me encourage you with God’s Word:   Philippians 4:8-9

Loving you guys for the sake of the Gospel,
Paul

*If you missed Sunday’s (1/10/10) announcement, we have included it here for you to listen to it in its entirety.  Click here to listen…

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This Sunday, January 17th - Kimberley Reception:

Please join us at 5 pm to hang out with Tim & Patty Kimberley and send them off in Westport style with love and appreciation!   Bring your cards, gifts and words of encouragement for all their impact in our lives!

Let me encourage you to come with this determination:  “I’m here to ENCOURAGE somebody else…”