First, let me just say I am honored and deeply humbled to be your pastor and to have this special moment in the life of this church. I am grateful to my staff that has been here all morning long, to all of those who put this moment together, and for hundreds and hundreds of lay people who have made this day possible.

Once to every man and nation, comes a moment to decide. Today is a decision day for this congregation and I pray that God himself will be our guide.

When Jesus wanted to drive home a truth, he told a story. The stories that Jesus told were right out of life. Consider the lilies of the field. Look at the birds of the air. A farmer went forth to sow a crop. A merchant made a sale. So, it should come as no surprise to us that Jesus would include in his teachings a story about a…