With Christ as our foundation we take courage that nothing is impossible. As missionaries with a dream and a passion to see God's will fulfilled in their lives we continue to drive on with our feet firmly planted on the foundation that God has laid down for us. We hope to encourage all those who may read this post that anyone can do the expected but it takes faith in God to accomplish the unexpected.
My family and I set out for Richmond, TX excited for what God had in store for us! The day was Wednesday, September 21st, on our way to Heritage Baptist Church, pastored by Pastor Jeff Lockett, and anticipating yet another great opportunity to present the ministry that is dear to our hearts. As God saw us through some traffic as we pushed through the downtown area, we arrived safely at our destination. We pulled into the parking lot and were greeted by the Pastor and his wife. What a kind and welcome greeting we recieved as they introduced themselves and escorted us into the buildings. After getting set up we had the opportunity to meet their friendly members and was able to build many friendships among them. Service began with singing and prayer and soon after the pastor allowed us to begin our presentation. The people listened with encouraging smiles as I spoke of our dreams and desires for the the next generation. Elyssa and I then were able to sing with our guitars as we shared our hearts with those in the room. Preaching time was now on the order of service as the preacher had previously asked me to preach the service that night.
With the Lord's help, I had prepared a sermon entitled "Will You Cast the First Stone?". A message that convicted my heart while preparing it and brings a lesson to surface that many could use in their daily lives.
In John 8: 7 we see the story of a woman caught in sin and the Pharisees attempting to tempt Jesus, asking if stoning her would be the adequate punishment for your crime. The response was not one they expected as Jesus says these words, "He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her". The Pharisees then seeing their own sinful nature could not bring themselves to condemn another for their sins. If we are not careful, without knowing it, we find ourselves casting the first stone. Perhaps not physically throwing stones at another sinner but, in a matter of speaking, when we turn from presenting the gospel or caring for another fellow human being due to their appearance, lifestyle, or first impression, we too are acting as these Pharisees of Jesus' day. We too are guilty as Christians for casting a stone of judgment on others
when we fail to realize that we too deserve Hell for our sins but for the grace of God we are on our way to Heaven. Will we be guilty of condemning someone to an eternity in Hell (casting that first stone) because of their appearance, first rejection, lifestyle, or reaction to us, or will we realize that we too were saved from a life of sin and could very well or possibly have been in the same position as many of the people we meet. As someone has done for us we too must hate the sin but love the sinner. Christ's love was shown in this story as well as His forgiveness. As undeserving as we may be, everyone deserves a chance to receive the love of God in their lives, and as Christians it is our duty to the messengers.
My faithful fans, Elyssa and Gabriella, were at my side as we ended the service and shook the hands of the members. We felt loved and cared for as we answered their questions and were encouraged by their enthusiasm to know more about our efforts.
Gabriella is doing her part in touching many hearts in many of the churches we go to and has filled our lives with joy as she travels right along with us. She has filled our lives with entertainment and laughter as we enjoy every moment of her early stages of life. We are beginning to see how fast time does fly and how fast they do grow as we have seen so much change in her already. I look forward to her joining us on the platform, playing and singing along with us! We are now making our way to Oklahoma and Kansas to finish off the Month of September. Please continue to pray for us as we continue to give God our all in His service.
Love in Christ,
Jared, Elyssa, and Gabriella Zapata
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