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“‘I will not,’ he answered, but later he changed his mind and went. “Then the father went to the other son and said the same thing. He answered, ‘I will, sir,’ but he did not go. Matthew 21:29-30 NIV
In his book, I Almost Missed the Sunset, gospel song writer Bill Gaither talks about the legacy that he received from his grandfather (adapted from book). Bill and his wife Gloria had been married a couple of years, and were teaching school in Alexandria, Indiana, where he had grown up. They wanted a piece of land where they could build a house and settle in to the community.
Bill found some pasture land where cattle grazed that belonged to a ninety-two‑year‑old retired banker named Mr. Yule. The banker owned a lot of land in the area, giving the same speech to everyone who inquired: “I promised the farmers they could use it for their cattle.”
Bill and Gloria decided to pay Mr. Yule a visit. Bill introduced himself and told Mr. Yule they were interested in a piece of his land. “Not selling,” Mr. Yule said, “promised it to a farmer for grazing.”
“I know,” Bill said, “but we teach school here and thought maybe you’d be interested in selling it to someone planning to settle in the area.”
Mr.Yule pursed his lips and stared at Bill. “What’d you say your name was?” he asked.
“Gaither. Bill Gaither.”
“Hmmm. Any relation to Grover Gaither?” asked the banker.
“Yes, sir. He was my granddad.”
Mr. Yule put down his paper and removed his glasses. “Interesting. Grover Gaither was the best worker I ever had on my farm. So honest. What’d you say you wanted?” Bill told him again.
“Let me do some thinking on it, then come back and see me,” he said.
Bill came back within the week, and Mr. Yule told him he had had the property appraised. Bill held his breath. “How does $3,800 sound?” he asked. “Would that be okay?”
If that was per acre, he would have to come up with nearly $60,000! “$3,800?” Bill repeated.
“Yup,” said Mr. Yule. “Fifteen acres for $3,800.” Bill knew the property had to be worth at least three 3x that. He quickly accepted.
Nearly three decades later, Bill Gaither and his son strolled that beautiful, lush property that had once been pasture land. “Benjy,” Bill said to his son,“you’ve had this wonderful place to grow up through nothing that you’ve done, but because of the good name of a great‑granddad you never met.”
A reputation can go a long way, can’t it? This Sunday we will hear about two sons, one who said he wouldn’t, but did, and the other who said he would, but didn’t. Who does the will of the father?
In the name of Jesus;
Pastor Dan
ANNOUNCEMENTS
- Join us this Sunday for worship with First Evangelical and Holy Cross churches. We pray you experience God’s love and grace in worship. Stay for fellowship and a delicious lunch following worship.
- Join us on Wednesday evenings at 6:30 p.m. in the chapel for our new Bible Study, “See Through the Scriptures”. We will go step-by-step through the biblical narrative from Genesis to Revelation, putting everything in clear context. This week we will talk about the opening stories in Genesis.
- A limited first printing of Pastor Paul F. Arnold’s Martin Luther Exhibition is now available. This 278-page coffee table book documents his 4000 item collection housed at the New Ebenezer RetreatCenter in Rincon, Georgia. The book also tells the story of the Lutheran Salzburgers, exiled from Austria, came to Georgia seeking a place of religious freedom and a chance for a new beginning. They built the historic Jerusalem Lutheran Church, now the oldest Lutheran church in America with a continuously active congregation, and where Pastor Arnold’s collection is now displayed. To order the book, visit www.newebenezer.org/shop. Cost: $50.
- There will be a celebration worship service honoring Pastor Alva and First Lady Elaine Donaldson on Saturday,October 11th at 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. They have served the Church of God 7th Day for over 50 years. You are also invited to a banquet in their honor their legacy of ministry on Sunday at 3:00 p.m. at the Green Acres Community Center(RSVP).
- The Light WPB is hosting a Job Fair with Better Together on Saturday, October 17 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Chapel. If you, or you know of someone looking for a job, please share this information with them. Text JOBS to (844) 987-3949 to start. https://bettertogetherus.org/events/west-palm-beach-fl-job-fair-hosted-by-the-light-wpb-10-17-26/
- Help us build a safety and security fence for the new playground! We will have a “Noisy Offering” on Sundays, October 4th and 25th during worship. Drop your loose change in the buckets as they pass by and make a lot of noise! Your loose change and paper donations will go to help protect the equipment and keep the kids safe from the cars in the parking lot for years to come.
