Westside Church of Christ

Mission trips are an extraordinary experience. Spending time in a lesser developed country is eye opening. Conveniences that we take for granted are uncommon. Advancements have been slow but noticeable through the two decades that we have been visiting Suriname. They still lag behind in many ways, especially once we leave the city and head to the “bush.” The language is

strange to us, and the food is often unusual to our U.S. taste buds. It is interesting and educational. It also reminds us that there is no place like home.

Bags inspected, passports stamped and a “welcome home” from the customs official bring a comfortable feeling of being back on the turf we know. Although the Miami airport has the feeling of Jerusalem on Pentecost with the wide range of languages that we hear, it’s still the homeland. Never the less, we have more traveling to do before we reach home.

RDU is a welcome sight. The final landing strip is in sight as we see the city lights. A familiar face with whom I have shared the past 44 years of life is waiting. Each mile of the drive brings us closer to my house. It never looked so good. I recognize all of the food (Which hasn’t always been the case in the bush!), and fall into my own bed. Perfect rest after 2 ½ weeks in occasionally unusual arrangements. The rest is never so sweet. Home! There really is no place like it.

Our Christian journey is like that. Many of us grow up in a worldly environment. Mom and dad may or may not be Christians. The world has increasing influence on us as we mature. We grow accustomed to the ways that leave deep impressions on us. We begin to walk and talk like them. Sin like them. Then we heard that glorious gospel message and responded into a new birth. We start all over again.

Our desires change. So does our destination. There is an evolution of our thinking and our behavior. There are stumbles along the way, but slowly we improve. We stop doing some things and start doing others. The culture in which we felt so at home no longer feels that way. We are different. Tiny unsteady steps at first, but we have left the old self behind. A new one is growing up.

It is a take-off from a former home headed to a new one. We aren’t there yet. There are stops along the way. We realize that the church is our genuine family now and heaven is really our home. We have a house here. We have a home there. That is our final destination. Every day brings us closer. Our Passport is stamped, and as long as we stay on the right plane, there is One who is waiting with His eternal, “Welcome home.”

Call to Praise: Hebrews 10:22-25

His word on it: Hebrews 10:25

Sermon: “Never Stop”