Today, July 1, marks the beginning of my third year serving as your pastor. It's been an incredible journey. I look forward to continuing to live out the vision of Honoring God by Doing Life Together for the Transformation of Snellville. This statement has become a "God-Dream" for me, the future picture that I believe God is calling our church towards that embodies the best of our traditions and adapts them for today and future generations.

Speaking of my anniversary at the church, do you remember my first sermon? Okay, so it won’t hurt my feelings if you don't. It was two years ago! I discussed how God is Relentlessly Present on our Life's Journey and referenced the journey to a new season. Fast forward to today, and I'm still preaching about how God is relentlessly present on our journey to a new season.

Our current sermon series, New Life: The Uncomfortable Journey, continues this theme. We have concluded the Pre-Exodus experience of Where We've Been. Beginning this month, we will focus on the Wilderness experience of Where We Are on the New Life Journey. The best way to describe the wilderness to the average person is when we "hit a wall" in life and say, "I don't know what to do." Put another way, a wilderness experience is a metaphor for when life gets tough and we feel completely confused and overwhelmed.

For some, the wilderness experience may be dealing with a significant life change – a job change, moving, financial strain, life and career discontent, empty nesting or retirement, heartbreak, disappointment, physical suffering, or illness. And still, for others, it can be the loss of a loved one, anxiety, depression, or any time you feel like life is spinning out of control. And though it may not feel like it at the time, we are never alone because God is always present during our wilderness experiences.

In the Bible, the wilderness is on the way to the Promised Land. Its purpose was to get the people to God's Holy Mountain, Mt. Sinai, to learn how to worship. For us today, God desires that we Do Life Together by Practicing the Four Habits of New Life to get through our wilderness experiences on the uncomfortable journey of New Life. 

Join us in July to discuss how God can bring New Life out of your wilderness experiences.

At the Intersection,

Dr. Quincy D. Brown

Senior Pastor