Dear Friends in Christ,
It’s “just Andy,” and I’m grateful for the opportunity to share this week’s devotions. It was a joy to celebrate Easter with you recently. I’m so thankful that God has called Pastor Patrick and his family to serve among you, and I look forward to all the adventures ahead for Advent Life Ministries!
Our family is doing well—we even welcomed a new granddaughter, Kendall, this past year! As for me, I’m now nearing one year at Boca Helping Hands. I like to say that I’ve gone from feeding souls to feeding people—but really, it’s all part of serving God as Jesus taught us.
In this Easter season, we celebrate that Jesus Christ was raised from the dead—his victory over death and the promise that those who trust in him will share in that victory. We live in a hope that does not die because the tomb is empty.
But there is something more. The resurrection is also God’s great “yes” to everything Jesus said and did. It is God’s validation that Jesus’ life and teachings were not in vain. The resurrection declares that the way of Jesus, including all he said and did, is our way too.
That means the Beatitudes are true. Loving your neighbor, and even your enemy, is the right way to live. Serving others, rather than seeking to be served, is the path of life. The last shall be first and the first shall be last. And, most importantly to me, this means that feeding people and helping them get better jobs so they can have a better life should matter a great deal to people of the resurrection.
Jesus didn’t just win our salvation—he showed us how to live. And in the power of the resurrection, we are called to follow him.
Andy Hagen
Executive Director of Boca Helping Hands (BHH)