Before we begin another series, I want to thank you for taking the time to share in this part of the ministry that God has entrusted to me. I take writing this article and sharing the information about God’s Word very seriously. Each article is covered in prayer and it is my prayer that God will use these words to help you and bring you into a closer relationship with Him. So many people have shared with me how these words have meant something to them and gave them encouragement. I want to say thank you for allowing me to minister to you through the Knoxville Journal each week.

I see this weekly column as a part of the ministry and as a piece of the vision the Lord has given us at the Lakeview Church of God. I want to share with you a little about who we are at the Lakeview Church of God and our approach to ministry. I want you all to know us.

At Lakeview we focus on two relationships. First and foremost is our individual relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. The second is our relationship with others. Jesus was asked the question, “What is the greatest commandment?” His response was “Love the Lord thy God with all your heart,” but He didn’t stop there. He continued on by saying, “And the second is like the first and it is love your neighbor as yourself.” We can see from this our relationship with God and our relationship with others is what is most important to God.

At Lakeview, the first thing we want to do is show people our love for God by loving them regardless of who they are, where they come from, or their current situation. We believe God has a place and a purpose for all of us regardless of race, nationality, education, social and economic status.

Another important aspect of who we believe God has called us to be at Lakeview is servants. We do our best to meet the genuine needs of others as God gives us the opportunities. We believe this follows the example Jesus set for us throughout His life. He often met the physical needs of others before He ever shared with them who He was. People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care. It is easy to tell people you care, but it is something special when you show them.

I want to share with you one other aspect that is very important to us and that is the principle of sowing seeds. Even though we are a small church, we sow many seeds. We believe this is how you reap a great harvest. The Bible tells us we ‘reap what we sow.’ We want to sow and invest into the lives of others. We support several mission works like the Refuge Community Center, Indian Ministry of North America, South American Call, and The House of Hope which is a church and soup kitchen located in Chimbote, Peru. You can find out more about these ministries by going to our website www.Lakeviewcog.org.

I hope this shares a little about who we are and what we believe at Lakeview.

Before we end the column for this week,  I would like to share with you a way you can support the ministries of the Lakeview Church of God without it costing you a dime. Many of us do a lot of our shopping online. There is a website (www.Buy4.com) that helps support different charitable organizations. There are thousands of retailers that are linked to this sight (examples: Amazon, Walmart, Target, Kohls, Old Navy, Home Depot, and many, many more).

All you have to do is go to the Buy4.com website, sign up, choose Lakeview Church of God as your charitable organization, and then go shopping online. The items will not cost you any more (in a lot of cases they provide coupons). When you purchase something from one of the retailers, they will make a donation to Lakeview in your name. It doesn’t cost you anything and another great thing is at the end of the year, you can count-off your taxes the amount of the charitable donations. By doing what you normally do, you can become a part of and support the ministries of Lakeview Church of God. Help us help others.

Until next week be blessed and be a blessing.

 By Pastor Dustin Wilds