New Beginnings/Fresh Starts

What follows is a transcript of Guest Speaker Guy Ebersole's message from our Sunday morning gathering. We share these messages on our blog for those who appreciate the opportunity to read the sermon again—whether for deeper reflection, personal study, or a quieter moment of prayer and introspection. As you read, we invite you to linger with the words, notice what resonates, and remain open to how God may be speaking to you through them.

By Guy Ebersole

Have you ever taken the time and looked back at your life and realized all the times that you had a new beginning, started a new chapter, or took that first step? Graduating high school and going to college, getting married, having children, or starting a new job. We have all had them. Some may be more memorable than others, but they were there.

My first new beginning was when I graduated high school and left for basic training in the Army. It was the first time that I would be away from home on my own. I graduated from a high school outside Cleveland, Ohio, and a month later I was at Fort Jackson, South Carolina, starting basic training.

I had decided to join the military as I had no desire to go to college. It was not sure what I wanted to do with my life. I left with two friends from high school and was the one least likely to succeed as I was a shy one with not much confidence.

There were times I wondered what I had gotten into. Basic training was challenging and long, but I stuck it out and when I graduated from basic I felt good about my decision. Then it was on to advanced individual training where I would learn how to become an administrative clerk, Army's version of a secretary.

That was my second new beginning in the military. After graduating from advanced training I was sent to my first duty station, Fort Riley, Kansas, another new beginning. There I was responsible for myself, no one telling me directly where to be and when to be there and making sure I was there.

During my time in the military I had many new beginnings, next chapters. Each had its own set of challenges and unique adventures. Getting stationed twice at Fort Riley where our second child was born during our second tour there, twice in Germany during our first tour our oldest child was born, and once in South Korea where I was not allowed to take my family with me, so that was a change.

Trying to stay involved in the life of your family when you are thousands of miles away was challenging. After Korea it was on to Germany again. After four years we came back to the States and arrived in Maryville.

After seven years I retired from the military and began my next new beginning, college student. Yep, it took me almost 20 years to finish college. I took college courses through the education centers on basis but I started full-time after I retired.

After graduating I worked for a landscape company. When winter came we closed down and I had to find a job. I started working at a flower shop, another new beginning.

I stayed working in the floral industry for about 20 years. I worked at most of the flower shops in Maryville and one in St. Joe. After that store closed it was on to a fresh start, working as a cook at a nursing home.

After about 18 months as a cook I became the activity director. During COVID and even after it was the challenge. After COVID the residents had gotten so used to being in their rooms that it was challenging to figure out how to get them to come out of their rooms and come to activities.

Finally my last big new beginning was retiring for a second time. My first was retiring from the military. What a change, but a good change.

In the Bible are some scriptural references to references to change and new beginnings. Genesis 1 verse 1 reveals God's creation of the heavens and the earth, the ultimate new beginning. Lamentations chapter 3 verses 22 and 23 tells us each day brings God mercy and the opportunity for a new beginning.

Jeremiah 29 verse 11 reassures us that God's plan are for our ultimate good even when starting anew. Isaiah 43 verses 18 and 19. This passage highlights God's power to create a new path and opportunities even in difficult circumstances.

Today we start a new chapter in the continued history of First Christian Church. Over the years First Christian Church has had many new beginnings the next chapters. In 1868 a group of 17 people organized themselves into the Christian Church of Maryville.

The pastor was a Reverend O'Rear. They met at the schoolhouse, the courthouse, in the Methodist Church, or in private homes. In the fall of 1869 the Reverend Thornton Fakes came to preach on Sundays in Maryville.

He was from Pickering. It was on one of those Sundays they met at a private home at the request of a gentleman because he was unable to get to the schoolhouse. A larger than normal crowd was in attendance and they discussed the matter of building a church.

They prayed earnestly that God would help them accomplish this. By three o'clock that afternoon they had raised over $3,000. They bought a lot here at 3rd and Buchanan.

No time was lost in building of the church as it was finished in February 1870. 1893 was the next chapter when the new church building was built. The Bible also gives us examples of fresh starts, new beginnings.

Noah after the flood, Genesis chapter 6 to 9. God's pact with Noah. What might be one of the biggest new beginnings in the Bible, life must have looked very different for Noah and his family once they departed the ark after the great flood. Rahab, Joshua 6. After protecting the Israelite spies, Rahab and her family were spared when the walls of Jericho fell and they were adopted into the Israelite camp.

Jacob flees Esau's wrath, Genesis 27 through 31. A man of multiple fresh starts, after Jacob deceived his way into receiving his brother's birthright, he fled to the household of their uncle Laban. Life was different for him there as he worked hard for 20 years to gain wives and a flock of his own, eventually packing up his household and moving back to his home.

Moses becomes a prince of Egypt, Exodus. Throughout his life Moses had several fresh starts, from fugitive newborn to prince of Egypt, then fugitive from Egypt to a worker husband in Jethro's house, then to a leader of the Israelites in their escape from Egypt. When Ruth meets Boaz, Ruth 2-4.

Widowed and poor, things really turned around when Ruth encountered Boaz, the wealthy relative of her late husband. Joseph goes from imprisoned slave to ruler of Egypt, Genesis 41. After Joseph had interpreted Pharaoh's dream about the coming famine, he is promoted to second in charge of Egypt.

Pretty good considering he had just been an imprisoned slave. Saul encounters Jesus Christ, Acts 9. After Saul encountered Jesus on the road to Damascus, he undergoes a radical transformation from persecutor of Christians to baptized preacher of the Christian faith. Jesus heals a man born blind, John 9. Many people who encountered Jesus had their lives changed, lifelong conditions healed, and fresh new starts.

One blind beggar demonstrates his changed life after he encountered Jesus, is healed, and then stands up to the Jewish leaders admonishing them that they did not believe in Jesus as the Messiah. The Samaritan woman encounters Jesus, John 4 verses 1-42. While drawing water from the well, a Samaritan woman is approached by Jesus, who leaves such an impression on her that she runs back to her village proclaiming she has just met the Messiah.

Because of this woman's faith, many Samaritans from her village believe in Jesus. Starting today, we have the opportunity to look at what we want as a church and take the time in prayerful consideration to find the best path forward. A couple of months we will have a rotation of speakers, some we know, others maybe not.

We will see a variety of styles as each has their own unique way of telling the story. With a great deal of faith, much prayer, and many conversations, we can find what we need and move forward. It may not seem easy, but we can look back at the history of our church and realize we can move forward.

After looking at the history of the church, we have done it at least 41 times with each change of our minister. I would like to close with a couple of quotes referencing new beginnings. Tony Robbins said, stop being afraid of what could go wrong and start being excited about what can go right.

And Mike Fisher said, endings are always tough, but I believe when something ends, there are new beginnings, new opportunities, and the new things to be excited about. Will you pray with me? Almighty God, be with us in this time of pastoral transition and lead us as we seek the next pastor for our church. We ask for your encouragement, direction, and guidance for those who shall choose our new spiritual leader and equip us all for the work you have given us to do.

Grant us perception, faithfulness, and joy so that we may hear your voice in all our deliberations. Call us into deeper prayer and open our eyes to your faithful presence with us. Grant us also the desire and the ability to listen carefully to one another.

Give us wisdom to respond and to act as you lead. We pray this through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.