Apr. 16, 2023

All of us experience having to say "goodbye" to someone we love - whether it was for a period of months or for someone who passed into glory. It is extremely difficult, we don't look forward to it and never get used to it. In today's scripture, the Apostle Paul says final goodbyes to his fellow believers in the town of Ephesus. This goodbye conveys many messages. He reviews his past ministry including his motive, manner and message. He then describes his ongoing ministry in 5 word pictures. Finally, he gives the believers  a set of warnings about the future. In this message are many takeaways for us - words of encouragement that will build us up, a challenge to look at Paul's life as an example, and a strong reminder that following God's plan is more important than this temporal life.