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by Luke Kincaid I became a disciple of Jesus on a Friday or Saturday evening in my teenage years. In the moment of my salvation, I remember experiencing a tangible moment with God which I can still vividly remember, even while typing this up. Following this evening, I tried my best to follow after Jesus as best as I could. I remember waking up and reciting Ephesians 6 and putting on the armor of God before going to school ready for the spiritual battle! Unfortunately, I experienced very little discipleship in this time and the things of the world ended up drawing me away from my true Master. My experience of God in these times of disobedience are some of my favourite because God was so faithful and patient with me while I chose not to walk in His ways. He showed me incredible grace because I was often aware of the fact that I was being disobedient as the Holy Spirit brought to remembrance the teachings of Jesus which were contrary to how I was living. And in this time, I experienced the consequence of my sin and experienced the love of God through His discipline in correcting me:  5 And you have forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons: My son, do not take the Lord’s discipline lightly or lose heart when you are reproved by him, 6 for the Lord disciplines the one he loves and punishes every son he receives. – Hebrews 12:5-6 I eventually came to my senses, repented of my disobedience and started to get back on track with following Jesus. Flash forward many years and Cammie and I were a few months away from getting married. Cammie was working and I was finishing up my studies with no real opportunity, or finances, to move in together after being wed. One Sunday morning, friends of ours approached us, not knowing our predicament, and offered us the option to stay free of charge at the cottage on their property after getting married. This brought Cammie and I to tears as we experienced God’s providence and this providence is something which we have experienced on more than one occasion proving the following words of Jesus: 25 “Therefore I tell you: Don’t worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Isn’t life more than food and the body more than clothing? 26 Consider the birds of the sky: They don’t sow or reap or gather into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren’t you worth more than they? – Matthew 6:25-26  God has been real to me through the show of His grace and patience toward me as well as His continued providence to me and my family. I am so grateful to be a disciple of Jesus and a child of God! Much love, Luke

Our vision for this year is one that is focused on helping people to truly encounter God in their life. Our desire is for many to have that moment where the Lord becomes "Real to Me". “...We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world.” - John 4:42 NIV The blogs this week will be focused on that aspect our relationship with God. There will be testimonies of the moment that the Lord truly became real in the writer's lives, reflections on what brought them to that place, and insights into what for each person brings real authentic relationship with the Lord. To kick off this blog series we'll be leaving you with the words to the song Real to Me by Christian band, the Sidewalk Prophets. This song speaks about that experience of someone truly encountering the Lord and being grateful for all the things, good and bad, that led to that life-changing moment. The link to the song is also included at the end of the blog. Real to Me by the Sidewalk Prophets I was raised in the heartland Taught to revere Your name I spoke it out on Sundays Other times used it in vain Yeah I'd stare up at the stars Seeking shelter from the noise Sent up a thousand prayers But I never heard Your voice Searching searching for something real My world came crashing down Felt empty to my bones All my friends say they'd pray for me But still I felt alone So I drove off in my car Crying underneath the stars Yet the songs on my radio Spoke to my busted heart In this brokenness I was free That's the moment You became real to me I've danced in the sun I've run through the rain Felt joy take the place Of the sorrow and the pain It took my everything now I believe You became real to me Now my heart is still aching For authenticity But the truth is running deep and wild Beyond what we can't see I've danced in the sun I've run through the rain Felt joy take the place Of the sorrow and the pain It took my everything now I believe You became real to me Hallelujah for the questions and the trials Hallelujah for the road and all the miles Hallelujah for the days of doubt and fear Hallelujah for the things that got me here I've danced in the sun I've run through the rain Felt joy take the place Of the sorrow and the pain It took my everything now I believe You became real to me https://youtu.be/6UP8HwJcfKI