以下是牧师的秋思:
Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
In October the leaves are turning colour, dying, and falling to the ground. It’s a beautiful time of year, and I think the falling leaves can remind us of a spiritual truth.

Consider the words of Romans 6:1-4

What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.

Now imagine this: a person is a tree and the leaves are sinful attitudes, habits and actions. One leaf may be greed, another lust; one gossip, another discontent; one a short-temper, and another laziness. Trees are full of their unique leaves and human beings are (by nature AND influence) full of their own unique vices and sins.

But the believer is different. We are like AUTUMN TREES. Christ took all of our sins away and God declares us righteous through his blood. God has opened the door of heaven for us – but, here in this life (as we all know) we struggle with those old sinful vices and habits. I guess you could say we’re AUTUMN CHRISTIANS. As Paul said in Romans – we don’t go on sinning, we DIED to sin!

So, our vices, poisonous attitudes, and ungodly habits turn colours (if you will) as they die and fall out of our lives. People notice this happening and Autumn Christians attract attention as we grow in faith and shed our sinful ways. We stick out as strikingly different from all the worldly people (the green trees) that are full of growing and thriving vices.

It’s just a thought, but perhaps the autumn colours and falling leaves could remind you of how believers are different as we’re shedding the ways of the world. Thank God for the beautiful changes he’s making in our hearts – his AUTUMN CHRISTIANS.