::MID WEEK PREVIEW

Check out this week's Mid Week Preview, featuring our Director of Excitement James Parsons and our Lead Pastor Dean Inserra  here.

::PERSONAL FINANCE SEMINAR

It will be held THIS Saturday March 19th from 9 a.m. - Noon at the Warehouse (register here) 

::TUTORING

The Well is gearing up to help support tutoring programs and efforts at Godby High School and Palmer Munroe Teen Center.  If you have an interest in helping lend your talents and some time, fill out this information and interest form (form is here).  Return the form to Heidi Schaff, who can also answer any of your questions, at heidi.schaff@gmail.com.  

::SERVICE OPPROTUNITY 

Saturday, March 26th - 6:30 - 9:00 @ Big Ben Homeless Coalition

We'll be playing bingo with residents of the Hope Community as we help with their game night.  Contact Shaun O'Leary at 850.491.0897 or oleary.shaun@gmail.com if you're interested in attending! 

::ADOPTION SEMINAR

Saturday, April 16th - 9:00 a.m. @ The Warehouse (register here) 

If you're interested in adoption or finding out more about adopting, now or later in your life, join us along with our adoption ministry partners Bethany Christian Services.  We'll be holding another Adoption Seminar in June as well!  

::iPod

Do you have an old iPod that's just lying around?  Our Production Team needs two of them.  If you're willing to donate, please contact matthew@thewelltallahassee.com

::YARD WORK

The Well is responsible for the lawn and yard work upkeep for the entire complex at our capital Circle Warehouse location.  If you're interested in helping out one day a month, let matthew@thewelltallahassee.com know as we get a rotation together to help keep the place looking great!  Grass has to be mowed (we have riding lawn mowers), weeds have to be wacked, and bushes have to be trimmer. 

::MARK YOUR CALENDARS  

This Summer, The Well will be embarking on our first International Mission Trip to Colombia.  If you missed last week's informational meeting, be sure to check out all of the information here.   

Easter on the Moon: Sunday, April 24th, 11:15 a.m. & 6:00 p.m.

Good Friday Prayer & Communion Service: Friday, April 22nd, 6:30 p.m. @ The Warehouse 

by Natalie Fruit 

"Faith"

"Now faith is being sure of what we hope for, and certain of what we do not see."  

- Hebrews 11:1

I have always struggled with having complete faith in the Lord's will for my life.  If ever the Lord has tested my faith, He surely has through my most recent trials.  Just over one year ago, I was a physically active, newly married, full-time student at FSU, filled with energy and enthusiasm to finish my degree, begin working, and settle into a life with my new husband. However, for the past year and a half, my health has progressively worsened.  My declining health has caused me to drop out of school, stop attending social functions, discontinue physical activity, and quit attending church services and small group... I can no longer drive, and am highly reliant on family and friends for the completion of basic life tasks.  The pain I endure from sitting, standing, and walking has forced me to be virtually housebound, spending the majority of my days lying down.  I have yet to receive a diagnosis for any of my ailments, and thus am in the dark as to how to treat my illness, other than continual rest.

Through my pain and suffering, I have fervently looked to scripture for encouragement.  One passage of scripture that has brought me great hope is Hebrews Chapter 11.  This passage focuses on encouraging Christians to keep their faith in the Lord, in light of any opposition they may face.  Through bringing various ancient prophets and followers of God to light, we are reminded that the coming reward of eternal salvation far outweighs the cost of earthly suffering, and that any suffering endured in this life is ultimately for His glory.  Many followers of the Lord are exemplified for having faith to obey Him despite their hardships.  The example I have clung to most in this passage is that of Abraham:

"By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going."

- Hebrews 11:8

What blind faith Abraham had!  To follow the Lord to a new land and a new life, knowing not where he was being led.  We see in scripture that through this act of blind faith, God gave Abraham the "promised land" (the land of Canaan), made him the father of a great nation (the Jewish people), and blessed Abraham and his descendants with material and spiritual prosperity for years to come.

I have recently been faced with the reality that I have no clue what the outcome of my current ailments will be.  I daily pray to the Lord for healing, but am aware that this may not be His will for my life.  Prior to enduring my physical ailments, I had many hopes and dreams for my future.  In light of my poor health, I have had to hand these dreams all over to God... hopes of finishing my college degree, beginning a career, bearing children, and even being pain free.  I have had to pray to God for faith that He will help me endure my current hardship, and if my health restricts me from carrying out my former hopes and dreams, that He will instill new ones in me.  I pray that I may have the blind faith of Abraham, to obey the Lord and follow Him, no matter where He may lead me... knowing that any hardship endured in this life is temporary, and ultimately for the glory of God.

"Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.  Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.

 And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us."

- Romans 5:1-5