February 14, 2020
Dear Cathedral Family,
“Our love for others is our grateful response to the love God first demonstrated to us.” – 1 John 4:19 (The Passion Translation)
On this Valentine’s Day, I’d like to encourage you to take a few moments and reflect on how much God loves you. Let the truth of the next statement sink down deeply into your very being: You are loved by God – period, no matter what!
Now, out of that place of safety and security, think about who in your world might need to experience God’s love through an interaction with you today, this weekend, this year!
Loving God and loving people – these are two of our primary missions as followers of Jesus that we’ve been going after with intensity as a church family since the beginning of 2020. We started the year with 21 Days of Prayer and Fasting and our Trailblazers series. We culminated that series on the last Sunday in January with an impactful service of prayer and worship. What an incredible time together!
That Sunday afternoon, a group of our church family departed for Israel. I believe the 21 Days of Prayer and Fasting prepared our crew for a life-changing encounter with God in the Holy Land. Many of you have shared how much the daily recap videos and posts from friends inspired you to a deeper walk with God. We’re looking forward to giving you more of a taste of the trip during the services this Sunday.
I’m so grateful for Pastor Eddie Tilley! He kept the momentum going while we were gone and did a fantastic job ministering to you with his two-part series on Peter. If you missed those messages, I’d encourage you to take the time to watch them soon.
You may be wondering – why has Cathedral been taking trips to Israel almost every year for the last two decades? What’s the big deal about Israel? That’s why I wanted to take this Sunday to focus on “Why Israel Matters” – to share the biblical role that Israel plays not only in our faith and history, but also in our future! Be sure to join us in person or online.
I can’t wait to see you on Sunday!
Mike Lewis
Cathedral