Remembering is a key verb of the Christian life. We recall our past, we correct our nearsightedness, we take heart, we regain mental strength, we find peace in the eternal Word. Remembering is one of the key spiritual disciplines we must guard with vigilance amid the mind-fragmenting and past-forgetting temptations of the digital age. – Tony Reinke 

Washington D.C. is one of my favorite places to visit. I could spend hours at the Lincoln Memorial. It’s so powerful and so moving. I love to visit The United States Marine Corps War Memorial near Arlington Cemetery. Tears always fill my eyes when I visit the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. 

Memories are vital. God wants us to remember vital spiritual lessons. Each time we see a rainbow it’s a reminder of God’s mercy to Noah and really humanity. It’s why God gave Israel physical memories like the Tabernacle and then later, the Temple. Even their calendar with the various celebrations and feasts like the Passover were designed by God for them as memory aids. 

As we come to the New Testament, baptism and communion are memory aids helping us remember we have new life in Christ. The bread and cup remind us that our new life was bought with the sacrificed life of our Savior and that we are partaking of it in “communion,” not individually but as a spiritual family partaking together. 

It’s easy to have a short memory when it comes to God’s hand on our church and our lives. I know I often do. It’s why I started keeping a “Gratitude Journal” some years ago. Sadly, I find that I have a very short memory when it comes to God’s goodness and faithfulness in my life. Just writing down how God has touched my life helps me remember His many blessings on my life.

As you enter our building, there’s a big boulder. That rock was part of the landscaping at our original property on Kendall Street. Back then, like now, children often played on it. It reminds us of those who believed our community needed a gospel witness. Some thirty believers in 1955 took a risk to start a new church in Burlington. Two parcels of land for our first building and a parsonage were donated on the corner of Kendall and Amanda Streets. What sacrifices those first members made for this church! 

As you walk through our building, there are some plaques to help us remember God’s goodness. On the back wall of our gym is a memorial honoring Connie Thompson. When Connie went Home unexpectedly her family donated funds for our AV system. Connie loved music and loved to sing. The AV system honors her memory in a tangible way. Those of us who knew her wish that you could have met her. Connie never met a stranger and knew how to make everyone feel welcome and loved. 

The sign out front was donated by the Bobby Cannon family. It was an exciting time when he got serious about the things of the Lord. Bobby would teach our teens, and they loved listening to him share about God’s love, and how Jesus transformed His life.   

Our church garage is dedicated to Gary and Nancy Thompson. Prior to coming to Grace in his “retirement,” Gary pastored and served the Lord in other churches. It’s a blessing to have the Thompsons as part of our church family. That plaque is a reminder of their love for the Lord and for others. 

On the east end of our facility is the “Ziebell Classroom” which Lord willing, soon will be known as the Ziebell Wing. Ray and Carol have been faithful members of Grace since the early 1960s. Our new addition will primarily be used for spiritual education, which is fitting as Ray and Carol are both retired school teachers who used their gifts to teach in our Sunday School and children’s ministry for over fifty years. They have used their gifts to teach countless children and adults in eternal matters. 

The Ziebells were the first family that our family met when we came to Burlington in the fall of 1988. Their love for the Lord, graciousness and kindness to others has left spiritual fingerprints on many of us. I know God has used them to be a blessing and encouragement to me!

Our mortgage burning today is a memorable day! 

It’s a reminder of God’s goodness to us! It’s a reminder of the sacrifice and faithfulness of His people! Without believers being faithful and generous managers of what God has entrusted to them, today would not be happening. 

Let’s make some new memories this year. 

The Christian life is not stagnant. It’s to be one of continued growth and sanctification. None of us have arrived and won’t until we get Home. Let’s determine now at the beginning of this new year by God’s empowerment to grow in grace and take new spiritual steps forward this coming year. 

Nearly all of us can look back on someone sharing Jesus and the gospel with us. There is nothing more exciting than seeing someone’s spiritual lights come on as they realize how much God loves them and that even though they have sinned against Him and were enemies of God, the Father still sacrificially gave His Son, Jesus, on that cruel cross to pay for their sins, so they could have new life now and spend eternity in heaven. 

Sharing what teams you love, what political party you belong to or even the history of your biological family is small compared to sharing God’s plan of salvation with a family member, friend, or co-worker who doesn’t yet know Him, so they can be part of God’s Forever Family. 

As a church family, let’s make memories this year of caring and sharing God’s love more with each other. Let’s do more than talk about being a spiritual family, let’s seek opportunities to flesh that out by praying for each other, encouraging each other and helping each other. God designed us for each other. We truly are family!

Then, let’s be a spiritual clinic in this community. We want to help the healthy stay healthy, and the sick know His spiritual healing. Let’s make new memories this coming year of seeing more of those around us come to Christ. Let’s make new memories this coming year by being a blessing and encouragement in our community. Let’s make new memories this coming year by being a place of hope and healing for those around us! Let’s live out our name in this community, Grace Church, by being the place where God’s grace is found! It’s 2026! Let’s make some memories together!