By Stacy Edwards, from Devotions for Fall

“Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord.” (Acts 3:19 NIV)

You think it will never happen as you perspire your way through the dog days of summer. When the fans run full blast and there isn’t enough sweet tea in the world to quench your thirst. The pavement is hot, the air is thick, and the mosquitoes outnumber the people. You begin operating in survival mode, believing that, maybe, this will actually be the year when it doesn’t show up.

Then, one morning, you step outside onto your front porch, and you feel it. There’s something different in the air — a coolness that tells you fall has finally arrived. There’s a crispness to the wind that invigorates you as the burdensome heat of summer fades away. Your heart is lightened, and your spirit is revived. There isn’t anything quite as refreshing as that first fall breeze that announces the arrival of a new season.

Our lives go through seasons, just like the calendar. There are periods when we feel weary from the weight of our sins. The guilt and shame we carry are as oppressive as the heat of a Southern July day. There seems to be no end in sight, and we find ourselves just trying to survive. That is not the life our heavenly Father desires for His children. Thankfully, just as we turn a calendar page, we can turn from the heaviness of our former ways.

Just like that first fall breeze, repentance will bring a refreshing new season into our lives. When we turn from our sins and turn toward Jesus, forgiveness blows over us like a crisp autumn wind, and new energy is instilled in us. The sky is a little brighter, the colors are a little bolder, and our steps are a little lighter as the burden is lifted.

Walking in freedom with Jesus is as stimulating as that first fall breeze. Everything that once weighed us down just falls away, and a fresh beginning is ours for the taking. Everything is brimming with possibility, and the opportunities are endless.

Let’s repent, be refreshed, and embrace a new season with Christ.

So the book of James talks a lot about faith and works. We don’t have to do good works (volunteer our time, help those in need, etc.) to be saved, we do good works because we are saved! We can show our faith by our actions (James 2:18). James also goes on to say that faith without work is dead. So if we claim to be saved by the blood of Jesus, we need to show it through our actions. One way to do that is by volunteering our time at church.

In his letter to early Christians, Peter writes, “God has given you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve others” (1 Peter 4:10). God has given each of us who follow him specific and unique gifts. Some of us have the gift of hospitality. We enjoy making people feel loved and welcomed. A great way to use this gift in the church is by being on the First Touch Team. You can greet guests as they come to church and make them feel at home. Some of us have the gift of teaching. Use this gift to lead a Sabbath School class or a Bible study. Use the gifts God has given you to volunteer at church.

Jesus himself said, “For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as ransom for many” (Matthew 20:28). Jesus was the ultimate example of serving others. He was fully God, yet He came to serve man. In John 13, Jesus serves his closest followers, the disciples, by washing their feet. He is setting the example for not only the disciples but also for us that serving others is greater than being served. There is so much more than coming to church to hear a good sermon and sing songs. We are called to serve others. By volunteering at church we can do just that.

When we volunteer at church, we are serving others. We are welcoming people, teaching kids, and loving on others. When we do these things for people, we are ultimately doing it for God. Jesus says, “The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you were doing it for me’” (Matthew 25:40). So when you come to church and volunteer, you are ultimately doing those works for God.

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1: Rachelle James-Mason; 3: Stephanie Hunt; 4: Angela Wimberly; 6: Betty Sellars; 9: Nicholas Golden, Giovani Johnson; 10: Jamaal Cox, Pamela Watson; 11: Dapo Ajaiyeoba, Regina Gama; 14: Karla Scott-Bryant; 15: Nelia Pluviose Desrosiers; 18: Kendall Lewis, Patricia Broussard; 19: Algenorithia Jamison, Reyguel Nious, 20: Grace Brown; 21: Dr. Michele Oyortey; 23: Monifa Hawthorne, Khalid Parris; 24: Patty Gray; 25: Yolanda Harrison, Jean Hazell, Sharon Page