A Long-Awaited Answer to Prayer

Ever since we moved to Beaufort I've been praying that God would lead us to a group of believers we could fellowship and study God's Word with.  Bible studies and small groups were such a huge part of our lives in Okinawa, and it was difficult to leave such a wonderful group of friends behind.  The verses that have been on my heart lately come from Hebrews 10:23-25 which says, "Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.  And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.  Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another-- and all the more as you see the Day approaching."  God intends for us to be in community with other believers; people who can encourage and inspire our faith.  Without this crucial element of fellowship it would be easy to fall away from God altogether.  We were created with a need for community, and I have felt this need keenly, especially during a four-month lull where we knew very few people in South Carolina.

We have joined a new church called Seaside Vineyard Fellowship, and it has been a joy getting to know the people there.  The pastor stresses small groups, but all the ones currently going were made up of people our parents' age.  While there is much wisdom to be gained from studying God's Word with people further along in their faith walk, we wanted to be in community with our peers as well.  This led us to start our own group for married couples without children.

We are now hosting a group of four couples each week, and so far it has been a great experience.  We have started The Truth Project, and this will be our third time leading this study.  It's always amazing to see how God works in people's lives through this in-depth study of Biblical Truth.  The series is a Christian Worldview Studies course, and it really gets you thinking about what you believe, and if you believe that it's really real.  How different the world would be if Christians really believed that what they believed was real.  Each time I've gone through this study God has shown me different aspects of who He is, and I grown deeper in my relationship with Him.  I'm excited to see what kind of transformations will take place this time within our group.

God has been so good to provide other believers here for us to share life with.  It can be really lonely when you don't know anyone around who shares your faith and passion for Jesus Christ.  I praise God everyday for his faithfulness in answering this prayer!