As I reflected on the opportunity I’ve had to serve here at College Hill over the past year, I recognized that the Word of God perfectly captures my thoughts and feelings.
Ephesians 3:20-21. 20 Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, 21 to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.
Psalm 145. 1 I will [exalt] You, my God, O King; And I will bless Your name forever and ever. 2 Every day I will bless You, And I will praise Your name forever and ever. 3 Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; And His greatness is unsearchable. 4 One generation shall praise Your works to another, And shall declare Your mighty acts. 5 I will meditate on the glorious splendor of Your majesty, And on Your wondrous works. 6 Men shall speak of the might of Your awesome acts, And I will declare Your greatness. 7 They shall utter the memory of Your great goodness, And shall sing of Your righteousness. 8 The Lord is gracious and full of compassion, Slow to anger and great in mercy. 9 The Lord is good to all, And His tender mercies are over all His works. 10 All Your works shall praise You, O Lord, And Your saints shall bless You. 11 They shall speak of the glory of Your kingdom, And talk of Your power, 12 To make known to the sons of men His mighty acts, And the glorious majesty of His kingdom. 13 Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, And Your dominion endures throughout all generations. 14 The Lord upholds all who fall, And raises up all who are bowed down. 15 The eyes of all look expectantly to You, And You give them their food in due season. 16 You open Your hand And satisfy the desire of every living thing. 17 The Lord is righteous in all His ways, Gracious in all His works. 18 The Lord is near to all who call upon Him, To all who call upon Him in truth. 19 He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him; He also will hear their cry and save them. 20 The Lord preserves all who love Him, But all the wicked He will destroy. 21 My mouth shall speak the praise of the Lord, And all flesh shall bless His holy name Forever and ever.”
Selah.
God has been so faithful to us! He has walked with us through almost an entire year. It is not lost on me – nor do I take for granted the blessing – that, by God’s grace, we have walked through this year of transition in unity and in peace. I praise God for the many things He has allowed us to accomplish this year, but my greatest joy has been to watch as our CHMC family has demonstrated a hunger and thirst for the Word of God. And I have watched how our faithful teachers and preachers have diligently studied and imparted the Word of God.
So many in our CHMC family have faced/are facing some really hard things. But, I have watched as we have held firm to the promises of God and to our faith in God, and have continued to fight the good fight of faith. I have watched as we continue to love and support one another.
We must be cautious not to fix our gaze on what we have done. Instead, we want to be ever mindful that it is only through the power of God that we have been able to do anything. And, praise God – through the power of God, we have done many things this past year. In addition, we must be careful – like David, to seek the Lord for His direction before proceeding into battle. With this in mind, I’d like to share 2023 in-review & 2024 dreams . . . [REMOVED/WAS IN ORIGINAL FILE] with an emphasis on my dreams for 2024.
Again, the Word of God captures it . . . Philippians 1:3-6. 3 I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, 4 always in every prayer of mine making request for you all with joy, 5 for your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now, 6 being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in [us] will [be faithful to] complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.
I am trusting God for all He will do in us and through us in the year ahead.
Love & Blessings,
Sherilee J. Samuel (“Pastor Sheri”)
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