Even the sparrow has found a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may have her young – a place near your altar.  – Psalm 84:3

Ever since I felt led to start a church on the first of January this year, I’ve been taking some spiritual beatings.  There has been no lack of opposition.  Just six days ago, I was in despair.  Our little church had nowhere to go.  The Salem Community Club and park shelter, our primary meeting places, was going to be rented out for the rest of the month and a lot of October.  They have been beyond good to us to allow us to do what we have done so far.  

Don’t get me wrong, we do have people willing to help us.  Outside of Salem, I have friends willing to basically let me use their entire church at 4:00 on Sundays.  I have local bars more than willing to do whatever they need to do to ensure we have a meeting place.  My whole thing so far has been that I really wanted to start and grow something in Salem.  I wanted to join a select few people who really want to see the town live again.  I want to be a part of that.  I was beginning to wonder if God really wanted me to be a part of that.  Even though I’ve been met with closed door after closed door, one has always seemed to open just in time.

I prayed, “Lord, will You help us? Will You show us where to go?”  I thought to send a text to one of my good friends at Salem Methodist Church, which is literally 20 yards from where we have been meeting.  Something in me was expecting another “no,” another excuse as to why they can’t, or maybe even some sort of rent price we couldn’t keep up. Sometimes I don’t know if it is the devil himself, or my own negativity that speaks this way.   I decided to wait until the next day to tell everyone that we had no place to meet.  I figured at worst; we would just meet at my house . . . which is NOT in Salem.  

Well, in true God fashion, He showed up for us.  The Methodist Church didn’t just say that we could use their fellowship hall, they welcomed us.  They told me that they wanted us there.  They said things like, “We just want the Word of God to be spread,” and “We certainly wouldn’t want to be the reason someone didn’t hear the Word of God.”  The Spirit of God just flooded me for a bit as if to say, “Yes, Adam, I’ve still got you.”

Lord, thank You so much for the kindness You have shown me.  Ever since I’ve started this, I feel like I’m taking beating after beating.  I have thought about giving up, but I also know that I can do all things through You who strengthens me.  I just want to take as many people to heaven with me as possible.  Please help me do that, Lord! Amen.

I’m thinking of Podcasting my sermons.  I’ve posted the last two.  I may or may not keep it up.  There are things I like about sermons being posted on the internet, and there are things I don’t like about them being on the internet.  At any rate, if you want to take a listen, you can do that here:

https://www.buzzsprout.com/2242874/episodes/13525292

If you want to join us for a service, we meet at 4:00 on Sundays in the Salem Methodist Church fellowship hall.