calvary updates 09/19

George Winfrey
Sep 19, 2025
2 min read

**Sharing a devotion at our church picnic**

Hey thanks for checking in on this week's blog. I am sharing a picture from a few weeks ago and our very warm church picnic. I am fondly remembering all the people that came out for this "warm" time of fellowship. John and Stephen are front and center here and they were instrumental in set up, cooking and break down after. The success of any event rarely stands on the shoulder of one individual, but on the efforts of many. Many others of course did much to help with the picnic and it was fun to gather in a different setting outside our normal church events.

A message pulled from our current series in 2 Timothy dealt with the command to "fan into flame" the spiritual gifts that we have been given. A good reminder. (can you see both fans in the picture! :). Just as our picnic needed multiple people to make it a reality, so does your progress and mine on our journey. Why do I say that? Because spiritual gifts are given to be a blessing not just for our benefit and but also to uplift others. But attention is needed to keep our flame burning. We need the Holy Spirit speaking into our own heart and life experience as well as the voice of others who love us and care for our well being. According to 2 Timothy 1:7, a part of tending to our flame means keeping our hearts attentive to the Holy Spirit's power. He works to overcome fear and empower us in our daily walk to move soberly because He connects us to His love and power and sound judgment. Expect the Holy Spirit to use others around you to inspire, correct and call you deeper. I have had some friends doing that in my life this week. Lord knows, I need all the help I can get! When you are encouraging others to go deeper or fan into flame their spiritual gifts, you will see that come full circle to encourage you as well.