And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart. And I will put my Spirit in you. (Ezekiel 36:26,27a)

“This morning,” Fred said as he leisurely paced the platform, “I want to talk about a New Year’s Revolution.” He paused for a moment, “Yup that’s what I said, Revolution!”

This past Sunday, the Rev. Fred Stewart was our guest preacher at Amberlea. What a wonderful way to ring in the first Sunday of the new year! As you may know, Fred was the previous minister before I came to Amberlea in 2012.

Fred spoke well. Fred spoke clearly. Fred spoke passionately. But what inspired me most was his hope. Hope in a God who, through the darkest of days, has remained with him.

In August of 2018, Fred said goodbye to his beautiful daughter, who, as Fred emotionally stated, "went to be with Jesus”. As the words came out of his mouth, you could hear audible gasps break through the silence and in that moment our hearts melded with his.

Fred’s lovely wife and two granddaughters joined him at Amberlea on Sunday. The two little ones arrived and promptly took over my office with their coats, toys and snacks. It was a lovely mayhem. As I sat with them before the service, I was moved as the two young girls showed me their dolls and talked freely about their mom, who was now in heaven. My heart melded with theirs.

Fred talked a lot about the heart on Sunday. Check out his message.

As we enter into a new year full of POSSIBILITIES and HOPE, let ours be a heart that is: reformed, refocused, renewed, refreshed and changed. And as such, let’s allow 2019 to be the beginning of a REVOLUTION, as we seek God in all things.

Remember no matter where you’ve been, no matter what you’ve done, no matter what has happened to you, there is GOD. God is with YOU.

Join us this Sunday as we begin a new four part sermon series.

I look forward to worshipping with you on Sunday!