Today is the beginning of a new journey for me. For the first Sunday since August of 1995 I will not be in full time ministry. More specifically, for the first Sunday since March of 2000, I will not be at Mt Olive Baptist Church as the associate pastor.
Last Sunday was my family’s last official Sunday at MOBC. It was an emotional day for us and for many in attendance as well. I had the privilege of sharing that day with the students we love and ministered to for the last several years. We were also blessed to have at church many former students and many dear and close friends. It was wonderful to look out and see Mt. Olive like it was when we came to it almost 12 years ago. Thank you to everyone who came. You are and will always be a blessing to us.
As I prepared for my message in the weeks prior, I struggled with what I should preach on this last Sunday for us. In the month of December I taught our students on the topic of what a true disciple looks like and we looked at several passages from the Gospel of Mark. We saw from Mark 1:16-20 that a follower of Jesus obeys what Jesus tells him to do immediately and without question. We saw from Mark 2:1-5 that a follower of Jesus does what is needed without the need for recognition. We don’t know the names of those 4 guys who brought their friend on a stretcher to Jesus, but their faith caught Jesus’ attention. We also saw from Mark 2 and Mark 3:1-6 that followers of Jesus must be prepared to face opposition as Jesus did (John 15:20). That opposition may be silent, vocal, or even physical.
These passages provided the backdrop of what I felt God calling me to preach on my last Sunday at MOBC and calling me to do as our family began this new journey of faith. God spoke clearly to me through these messages and as I shared with our students through these talks, I was sharing from what God was speaking directly to me regarding my future.
The sermon I preached on January 1 came from Mark 3:13-19 and the title was “What Is God Calling Us To Do?”. It was a message about what we as a family were being called to do but also a challenge for all followers of Jesus to do that which Jesus is calling ALL of us to do.
I hope you will watch the video of the message and that you will commit in 2012 to choose to do that which is best instead of just doing that which is good.
To our Mt. Olive family, thank you for your love, your support, and your encouragement over these last 12 years. We will miss you dearly but we know that we’ll see each other around as well. We love you.
May God bless you in 2012. Keep checking in on this blog and keep praying for us. We are excited for what God has in store as we take this season to sit at Jesus’ feet for a while.
In Christ,
CESAR
What Is God Calling Us To Do?
from Cesar Correa on Vimeo.
Cesar,
Your message last week was excellent and ‘timely’. I appreciate your boldness & faithfulness to be all that God has called you to be. It seems to me, these days for a man to be the head of his household & his family to be submissive (in the most biblical & positive sense) is a rarity. Often, that will only happen when God’s voice is clearly heard & understood…that’s a fact I know from personal experience myself. It’s been a joy to not only watch how God has used your leadership to teach & mentor so many of your students into doing His work in ministry themselves, teaching & on missions…and to watch you grow as well. I promise to pray for you and your family each day, that God will continue to lead you to be all that He wants you to be. I pray for this ‘life’ change to be smooth for you & your family, that continued good health, healing (John’s amazing!) & happiness be a continued blessing & testimony of God’s plan for you & yours.
Love & prayers,
Linda