1994 was a tough year for me.  
I had left the ministry a couple of years before to save my marriage but now was going through a divorce and becoming a single parent.
Things were not going well at the church I was attending. I was ready to give up on my faith. God had abandoned me.
I worked at Cardinal Center with Cookie Wilson and she kept inviting me to this new venture, Warsaw Community Church. I knew her husband Pastor Denny through GWMA, volleyball at the Y and our love of baseball.
One Sunday that fall my kids were all “farmed out” for the weekend so I went reluctantly, not expecting much. The church met at Harrison Elementary School in the gym so there were cartoon characters on the walls and a very basic setup of chairs and a worship team. I sat in the back not wanting to interact with anyone and listened as others worshiped.
Finally, Denny got up to speak and I thought how successful he was in ministry and life compared to me. The strange thing was he just stood there and said nothing!
Finally, looking down at the microphone he said, “I can’t do this.”
What? People just started getting up and going to Denny putting their arms around him. Tears were flowing everywhere. At that moment, the Holy Spirit pierced my heart and I got in line.
When I got to Denny I put my arms around him and said, “I can’t do this, either!”
Many hearts were broken that day as we realized how dependent on Jesus we really need to be.
Titus 3:5 says, “He saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit.”
I began to grow again challenged by Denny’s messages (now longer than four words!) and growing in a small group. I met a wonderful woman, Sina, and we brought our children together into a blended family. (Denny officiated our marriage vows.) I went back into ministry in 1997 at The Salvation Army.
My heart was revolutionized by the truth that Christ is all in all. We can’t earn, beg, borrow or bargain for salvation. Saved only by His mercy and grace! Now 30 years later our dear friends, Denny and Cookie, are retiring. Blessings to both of them for loving others well and their Christlike service to our community through Warsaw Community Church.
“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me!” - Philippians 4:13
Ken Locke is corps administrator of The Salvation Army in Warsaw and director of the Greater Warsaw Ministerial Association. Have ideas for this column? Go to www.gwma.info.