"Ending Strong"

Here's an instant replay of what happened in worship:

We looked at what happened to Paul toward the end of his life - how he was arrested and kept in prison for over two years as he awaited trial. Even though Paul knew his goal was to go to Rome, he used this detour, his time in the prison, to continue to preach the Gospel. Then we saw how Paul was shipwrecked and how, once again, he used that opportunity to preach to the people of Malta.
We read Acts 28: 16-24 and Acts 28:30-31, noticing how Paul ended his life of ministry with the same passion as when he began. Even though he had been through beatings, imprisonments, shipwrecks and death threats, he didn't "retire" from doing what God called him to do.
We thought about all the excuses we give God for why we can't do what God asks us to do - we're too busy, we don't have enough money, we're not qualified, etc. Paul is an example of one whose life is fully-lived. He didn't waste time thinking up excuses.
We prayed that God would help us let go of our excuses and say "yes" to whatever God asks of us.
We celebrated communion around the table of love.