By God's Grace...

By God’s grace, we the people of Sampson County can Rise Up to Remember God’s children in need and be blessed beyond measure. When we realize the power of doing and receiving GOOD DEEDS - in a spirit of love with glory going to God - our hearts are opened to be refueled with agape love and amazing grace. Are we willing to reach out and do a good deed for someone we don’t even know...a neighbor not like us?

Remembering the story, Jesus told in Luke 10, about the Good Samaritan shows the power of doing a good deed and having mercy upon people in need. Picture Jesus sharing this story when a lawyer stood up to test Him by asking, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus humbly replied, “What’s written in the law” to the expert in law trying to trip up the One who taught the law of love, walked on water, worked miracles, would sacrifice His life on the cross for God’s children’s sins being the way to eternal life where God is. The lawyer answered correctly, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’

Jesus said, ‘You have answered correctly; Do this and you will live.’

The lawyer then asked, “And who is my neighbor?’

Jesus politely and powerfully put it all in perspective - for the expert in law and all listening - as He spun a story about a Good Samaritan. A man headed to Jericho was robbed, beaten, left naked in a ditch to die; a priest and Levite turned their heads and passed him by. A Samaritan- a neighbor not like the man in the ditch - stopped, had pity for him, tended to the man’s wounds, took him to an inn on his donkey, and made sure his needs were taken care of before leaving him to be tended to by the innkeeper.

The Expert on Love and Eternal Life then asked, ‘Which of these do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?’ The expert in the law replied, ‘ The one who had mercy on him.’ Jesus told him, ‘Go and do likewise’!

This story and divine stirrings not to cancel everything for God because of covid came during a two week quarantine the last week of 2020 and first week of 2021. Phone calls to prayer partners, remembering a conversation with Rev. E.C. Mattocks in November about Rise Up, and trusting God’s stirrings put plans in motion. Refueled and trusting in Him, we excitedly share the story of Rise Up- Remember which offers every person who hears about it an opportunity to be a part of it. Rise up - Remember 2021 challenges each of us - young and old, churched and unchurched, hardhearted and tenderhearted, neighbors who know and don’t know each other, (living in Sampson and beyond) to rise up, remember the Good Samaritan offering help to someone in need, realizing God’s response to the lawyer is meant for us also… to ’Go and do likewise’! We encourage each person who hears about Rise Up to seek opportunities to be a Good Samaritan in action; do a good deed for someone in need. Get a spark going that will ignite a fire of love for the Lord, revival in our hearts, and willingness to reach out, take a stand, share love as Jesus did, do good deeds and help people in need...if we can! With God’s guidance and gut-wrenching love for HIM and our fellow man...our Good Deeds can make a difference when we say…’Yes, with God’s help and blessing… WE CAN!

Tim’s Gift 10th annual Rise Up Christian Conference is scheduled to be broadcast live on FB March 21st fromMt. Vernon Church. Anyone can join in and enjoy praise music by Holly Grove and Olive Grove praise teams, Good Samaritan and Outstanding youth group trophies presented, and testimonies that will tender the toughest hearts. Join us on FB live for Rise Up Remember from 6-7:30pm, Sunday - March 21st.

Youth groups, meeting in your churches, will enjoy a meal provided by Domino’s and Tim’s Gift. Youth leaders must call Tim’s Gift (592-1126 or 260-0329) one week prior to March 21st to confirm your request for a pizza meal. We are grateful for community support through sponsorships, prayers, and participation (doing and sharing good deeds at riseuptimsgift@gmail.com)! Simply send a sentence or two about your good deeds( no names required)!

‘Sampson Together Strong’ we can make a positive difference by pressing forth in faith, reaching out to help people - even with covid struggles among us! Let us remember Jesus’ story of the Good Samaritan and the charge given to each of us... “Go and do likewise”

Rise Up - Remember provides a means to jump start stale hearts and sluggish mindsets! Yes we can be Good Samaritans by doing good deeds in love with glory to God, promising to stick together, Rise Up in Christian character, Remember those in need, and Share the love of our LORD - in one accord - wherever He leads.