Greetings, brothers and sisters in Christ and children of God.

It is hard to believe that October has already arrived. The warm — but not hot — days hardly feel like autumn, though the recent rain brought its usual sense of refreshment and change to the desert climate. 

One pleasure of living farther east — near the Blue Ridge Mountains, the Ozarks, or anywhere with deciduous trees — is watching the landscape transform with the seasons. As fall settles in, the leaves turn vibrant shades of orange, yellow, red, and purple, signalling the season’s arrival.

God is the Master of science, and the changing colors of autumn offer a beautiful example of His design at work. From a scientific perspective, this transformation is part of the leaf’s natural aging process. Before shedding its leaves, a tree reclaims valuable nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus. At the same time, chlorophyll — the pigment that captures sunlight for photosynthesis and helps produce energy for the tree — begins to break down into colorless compounds. 

As daylight hours shorten and temperatures fall, the loss of chlorophyll reveals the yellow and orange pigments already present in the leaves. Some trees also produce red and purple pigments in response to cooler temperatures and light exposure. This carefully timed biological process allows the tree to conserve essential nutrients before its leaves fall, helping it survive through the winter.

One final step in this transformation is that the tree forms an abscission layer at the base of the leaf that cuts off the water and nutrient supply to the leaf, thus weakening the connection between the leaf and the branch, causing the leaf to fall. This leaf drop reduces the risk of damage from the cold and conserves energy, allowing the tree to enter a dormant state for winter. The leaves basically fall upon the ground, helping the roots to remain covered and essentially being absorbed into the ground for additional nutrients.

All this to say that seasons change and there is a time for everything and a season for every purpose under heaven (Eccl 3:1-8). The change can be colorful and can appear bleak, but the change is required. The tree must go through the change in order to survive. It may appear that nothing is happening, but the time of bleakness is the preparation for growth. Jesus, even perfect as he was, offered up prayers with cries and tears to the Father, though he learned obedience from what he suffered and became the source of eternal salvation (Heb 5:7-9). His life shows growth through hardships. God works for the good of those who love Him (Romans 5:28) and trust that He will meet all their needs (Phil 4:19). 

During the bleakness of winter, God is preparing the growth of the tree just as He is preparing the spiritual growth for the believers during the bleakness of their journey. Just because it is bleak does not mean the journey is dead or ended. It just means that it is a season for preparation. Wait on the Lord and your strength will be renewed and you will soar (Is 40:31). Wait, and you will grow. 

Last week, the little lambs discovered Samson’s strength and proved that his superhuman strength wasn’t fiction, but real, through evidence in the Bible, Archaeology, and Jesus. The Bible shows us Samson’s flaws and vulnerability and what it cost him to break his vow. Archaeology confirms that the Philistines existed exactly when and where the Bible says. And of course, the story of Samson points to Jesus, for when he died for others, he was an imperfect savior who gave us a foreshadowing of a perfect Savior. God uses real history to show His plan. This week, we will not have children’s church, but the nursery is available. Everyone is encouraged to be in service this week for a special message from the Pastor.

I look forward to worshiping with all of you before the Lord, our Creator, with songs of praise and dancing, for the Lord is worthy of our shouts of praise. If for whatever reason I do not see you tomorrow, may the Lord bless you with joy, peace, and love so abundant you are forced to share it, and may He comfort you, heal you, and guide you on your journey when you are in need.

God bless you,

Your brother in Christ,

Michael (aka Mr. Michael)