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What If God Has More in Store?
Hi Friends!
What if God has more in store for your life than you can even imagine?
I don’t necessarily mean more money, more success, or more of the things we spend our lives chasing. Sometimes the very things we think we need more of keep us from experiencing the life God actually wants for us.
I’m talking about more joy. More freedom. More purpose. More faith. More of the abundant life Jesus came to give us.
And I’m excited about what God may have in store for us at Perry Methodist Church this November!
As we approach Thanksgiving and the end of another year, I want to invite you to ask an uncomfortable question:
Am I really living the life God has called me to live, or have I gotten comfortable living the life I’ve chosen for myself?
It’s entirely possible to be a good person, attend church regularly, believe all the right things about Jesus, and still hold back significant parts of our lives from Him. We can trust God with our eternity but struggle to trust Him with tomorrow. We can sing about surrender on Sunday and spend the rest of the week desperately trying to maintain control.
I know something about that struggle. And I suspect I’m not alone!
But here’s the wonderful news: Jesus isn’t finished with us! He is still calling us, shaping us, and inviting us to experience more of His grace and participate more fully in His Kingdom.
Throughout November, we’ll explore what it means to live A Life That Matters: Living for What Lasts. I hope you’ll make worship a priority as we consider some questions that might just change the way we live.
November 1 — All Saints Sunday: “What Will Be Left When You’re Gone?”
We’ll begin by remembering the saints who have gone before us, giving thanks for their lives, and celebrating the glorious hope of the resurrection. What a beautiful reminder that our lives are about so much more than the years we spend on this earth! What kind of legacy are we leaving? What will endure long after we’re gone?
November 8 — “You Can’t Borrow Somebody Else’s Faith”
Jesus tells a fascinating parable about ten bridesmaids, five who were ready when the bridegroom arrived and five who weren’t. It’s a challenging reminder that nobody else can live our spiritual lives for us. Not our parents, spouse, pastor, or church. At some point, each of us must decide whether we’re really going to follow Jesus or simply admire Him from a comfortable distance.
November 15 — “What Are You Burying?”
Jesus tells about a man who entrusted his servants with valuable resources. Two put what they received to work. One buried his in the ground. God has entrusted us with time, abilities, relationships, opportunities, and financial resources. Are we using those gifts for His purposes, or are we so busy protecting what we have that we’re missing what God wants to do through us?
November 22 — Youth Sunday
This will be a special Sunday as our youth lead us in worship! What a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the next generation of Perry Methodist Church—and remember that our faithfulness today helps make possible the ministry of tomorrow.
We’ll also invite everyone to make their financial commitments to Perry Methodist Church for 2027. Bring your commitment card and place it in the offering plate, submit your commitment online, send it through the mail, or deliver it by carrier pigeon. Whatever works!
And here’s what excites me most: We’re not simply trying to raise more money for another year of church activities. We’re asking God to do MORE in us and through us—and for the generations that will follow us.
One of the greatest adventures of following Jesus is discovering the freedom that comes when we stop living primarily for ourselves.
Our culture teaches us to accumulate, protect, consume, and look out for number one. Jesus teaches us to trust, surrender, serve, and give. The world tells us happiness comes from getting more. Jesus tells us life is found in giving ourselves away.
And I have seen enough of God’s faithfulness to believe Him!
Look at what God is doing through our church family. Children and students are growing in faith. People are finding friendship and belonging. Families facing difficult circumstances are receiving help. Lives are being changed through worship, discipleship, missions, and countless acts of love most of us will never see.
And I believe we’ve only begun to discover what God has in store!
For 200 years, faithful people have given, served, sacrificed, prayed, and trusted God so Perry Methodist Church could share the good news of Jesus Christ. Now it’s our turn—not simply to preserve what we’ve inherited, but to offer ourselves to God for whatever He wants to do next.
So here’s my invitation: Lean in this November.
Come to worship. Open your Bible. Pray honestly. Ask hard questions. Reconsider your priorities. And if God puts His finger on some part of your life you’ve been holding back—whether it’s your time, relationships, gifts, or money—don’t be afraid to trust Him with it.
You may discover that the very thing you’ve been holding on to is what you need to surrender to experience the freedom God has for you.
I don’t know exactly what God has in store for each of us. But I know this: He is good. He is faithful. And His plans for us are far greater than simply making us comfortable.
What if the life you’ve been settling for is only a fraction of the life God is inviting you to live?
I can’t wait to see what happens when we lean in together!
Grace and Peace,
Tom
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