Thank you for coming to our special CHANGE SUNDAY today! We want to talk about CHANGE and how we can have it closer to home- that is, in our personal lives and situations, families, as well as in other areas of life such as work, studies, or business. Change is occurring in the arenas of politics and society, especially in the government’s fight against drugs, criminality, and corruption. And we want change in the more personal levels in our lives as well. Today, we want to especially talk about repentance or returning to the Lord! The first question that we probably have to answer is, “Why?” And the answer is, “Because we have all distanced ourselves from God in big or small ways.” The degree of urgency and magnitude of potential consequences differ from person to person, but we all need to draw close to the Lord. In very real ways, there are those among us today who are far, very far from God! It is not that God has walked away from us as much as we have forsaken a life of trust in and submission to God. Among those in this category are some “obvious sinners” type of people: drug addicts, those committing immorality, and the like. But there are also “decent sinners” among us. They maintain externally respectable lives. In many ways, they are people who do many good things, but they are still away from God because they have chosen to live independently of God’s rule or authority in their lives. Their “self” sits enthroned in their hearts and lives, and God is a peripheral element instead of the central figure in their lives. Some may even be religious people, but their lives are not submitted to the Lordship or leadership of Christ. They are also spiritually lost and need to return to the Lord. Regardless of where you may find yourself today, there is grace and mercy from the Lord for you! The Lord is calling you to repent, that is, to turn away from sin and to return to him. He will help you to change. He will forgive your sins. He will heal you, cleanse you, set you free, and give you a brand new start. Give the control of your life to the Lord today. Let God be God in your life. Let him call the shots and make the key decisions. With him at the driver’s seat in your life, you will be starting (or for some, re-starting) a relationship with him that will honor him and bless your life. You will never regret making that decision. The Lord has a blessing for every need in your life! Draw close to God. Pray to him. He delights to listen to you. He understands you. He will help you. Sometimes there is a waiting period before your big blessing comes. But keep believing, keep praying, and keep drawing close to God. He will not disappoint you!   Lathur and Leah Badoy