DAY 26: "Stepping Out" by Michael Ritter

DAY TWENTY-SIX: "Stepping Out" by Michael Ritter

I remember the first time we stepped out and met with a group of people who wanted to do more than just play church. I remember meeting in homes, forming a bond with one another and trying to see how God wanted us to step out in faith. God was showing us His plan that we could not certainly see. We decided as a group to step out. Not knowing what was next or where we were going. Moving in faith and just doing what God led us to do. Stepping out became the best decision that we could have made. To think that the only one who knew this was God and through obedience we get to share in the reward.

However, we are not the first in history to step out in faith. Look at the lives of Moses, John, and Paul to name a few. Those written about in the Bible are people who had to step out and follow God. The main one I think of when it comes to stepping out is Jesus. He stepped out from Heaven and came to Earth. Nothing He did was the norm with the religious leaders of that day and time. He showed us in His daily walk exactly how we should all step out and follow Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. God knew from the beginning that there was no better way to show mankind what to do and how to do it than to come and show us Himself through Jesus Christ, Himself.

As time moved on, we had a place of meeting and had a name for our church family. We stepped out again by placing signs. Stepping out in faith we continued to do it believing that God would lead “whosoever” to step out and join us. In time, God did just that. He sent Joe and Becky Mebane to be with us at Trace Crossing. What a blessing they are to us. God moved other peoples’ hearts and they stepped out from their comfort zone as well.

We finally moved locations, from the Hancock Center to the West Main Shopping Center, where we are currently located. The church family took another step of faith when we decided to work together to build walls and classrooms in our new location. We spent precious moments together, bonding through painting, cleaning, praying over the empty chairs in the room that God would move “whosoever” to step out and join us. Today, those same empty chairs are filled with people that stepped out to see what God was doing at Trace Crossing. What blessings God pours out when we are obedient in stepping out and following Him in faith!

My prayer for Trace Crossing:
I pray, as time goes on, we continue to be obedient in our faith by stepping out and making a difference in the World. May each one of us step out daily from our content lives and follow Jesus Christ in loving “whosoever”. Teaching them how to live for Christ and leading them to serve Him.