The Risks of Faith If you’ve been around WEPC this week, you know that there has been a flurry of activity. There have been worker bees buzzing and making things happen, and it really has been like a well-honeyed machine with every person doing their part. In the process, we’ve been able to minister to over 60 kids from our church and community. A huge “thank you” goes out to Angela Ayers and her incredible team of volunteers. Every day this week, they consistently showed the love and joy of Jesus! When God placed this on her heart, and she began to share it, there were risks involved. Would the staff be behind it? Would the Session agree to it? Would we have the finances to make it happen? Would we have the volunteers? Would people in our community even be interested in it? This is not unlike Nehemiah. Nehemiah sensed that the Lord had called him to help his people. He risked asking the king for permission to leave to rebuild the wall. He risked asking the king for protection and provision. He risked asking the people of Jerusalem to help him. And he risked facing opposition from those who would seek to stop the work. But because Nehemiah trusted God to bring success, he knew the Lord was with him, despite any opposition. In fact, when he told them that, “The gracious hand of my God is on me and what the king had said,” the people immediately replied by saying, “Let us start rebuilding” (v. 18). With faith in God and the hard work of the people, they completed the wall in 52 days and the surrounding nations stopped threatening Jerusalem. That’s the risk of faith! We, too, can have hope today that the Lord our God is our strength. We cannot save ourselves, but God has saved us in Jesus Christ and has empowered us through His Holy Spirit. Yes there will be risks in life, but God equips us for the tasks to which we have been called. May God bless you and strengthen you this week! Grace & Peace, Pastor Aaron