“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” – John 13:34-35

I will begin today with a confession. Sometimes I include images that don’t exactly fit with what I am writing. But it’s also true that readers enjoy a good photograph. So now that you are here I hope you stay for the writing.

I took the first photograph driving back into Tarboro yesterday after running an errand to Greenville. When I looked up, coming in off the roundabout, I thought what is it that makes the beating heart of a town? It involves the historic district, certainly, but more than that the beating heart of this community is the people and their collective history.

By “collective history” I mean the shared experience of more than 250 years. But the critical layer on top of all that history is today, and then the rest of this week and the balance of 2025. This community has a heart that is beating in real time.

Buildings come and go. Sure, they help to tell the story, but it is the people who are the story. I thought all that in a millisecond so I slowed down and took the photograph. And it fits because what I really want to write about today is the small group of Tarboro men who I meet with every Tuesday morning at 7:30 for Bible study.

Rooted in Faith:

We have just started our “summer and fall” session and I got the ball rolling last week with Acts Chapter One (Transformed, not Transfixed). Yesterday morning was Chapter Two.

No, I am not going to even try to summarize what we covered – miraculously – in 45-minutes! But I am going to give you the punchline. Or “punch-thought.” And my punch-thought has everything to do with the fact that the guys I appreciate so much are not only telling the story of Tarboro they are the story.

Our collective history is Howard Memorial’s 151-year story. But these men (representing several congregations) are that layer of immediacy, the heart that is beating in real time today.

A room full of good men who follow Jesus, and who have the same opportunity Peter & Co. had in Acts Chapter Two when the Holy Spirit stirred things up and the church was born with this mandate from Jesus: “As I have loved you, so you must love one another.”

Making a difference:

Jerusalem circa AD 33 was treated to A) Good preaching from Peter, who invited people to join in with what God was up to, and B) A model of what following Jesus looks like when, “the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, to the community, to their shared meals, and to their prayers. A sense of awe came over everyone….” (Acts 2:42-47)

Our opportunity is “to tell the truth about the Good News of Jesus simply by being.”

Then what happens? Acts Two is clear as to how the community in Jerusalem responded: “A sense of awe came over everyone.”

This is still what effective witnessing looks like today – if we really do want to be “Christian influencers.”

“They praised God and demonstrated God’s goodness to everyone, enjoying the favor of all the people.” 

Early Church Action Plan

What a great story! And what an opportunity! – DEREK