| You have probably seen tugboats moving ships and | | | | to batten down the hatches, call up your reserves of |
| barges in New York harbor. Tugboats are the most | | | | prayer power and work together as a team to come |
| needed of all workboats in every busy harbor. You | | | | through every storm with flying colors! |
| see, they are designed to "tug" large ships or barges | | | | Now, the Lord who has trained us up in his ways over |
| where precise, careful, slow, movement is essential. | | | | the years, wants us to put our experience and abilities |
| When an ocean liner enters a port like New York | | | | to work for him. In many ways, he has trained us to be |
| Harbor, with its narrow channel and lots of water | | | | like the crew on one of those small, very powerful |
| traffic, the liner will need a tugboat to come alongside | | | | tugboats. He says: Now is the time for you to realize |
| and help to nudge her gently toward the pier so the | | | | the people around you: neighbors, friends, family and |
| ship can tie up and the passengers and cargo can go | | | | associates at work are like "ships" that need a |
| safely ashore. | | | | "tugboat" (us) to "come alongside." Jesus wants us to |
| Generally speaking, modern tugboats are small but | | | | use our Holy Spirit power and experience to help |
| they have extremely powerful engines and huge | | | | those folks along in their daily voyage - here and now! |
| propellers. In addition, they always have a captain and | | | | We can also help them to someday, get safely home |
| crew with many years of tugboat experience. | | | | where Jesus has already prepared in Heaven a |
| Because of this, the captain of a huge ocean liner is | | | | beautiful oasis-like place of refuge and rest for them - |
| always most willing to let the captain of the tugboat | | | | for all eternity. |
| come alongside, take over the control of his ship, and | | | | Will you, as part of the crew of this "your church |
| push her ever so gently and safely alongside his | | | | tugboat", volunteer to stand up, step out, make some |
| homeport pier at the end of a long voyage. | | | | phone calls and invite your spiritually disabled friends to |
| Your Church is like a tugboat. You have a captain: | | | | come to your church next Sunday? When those folks |
| Jesus, and an experienced crew of "old salts" (regular | | | | get there, the crew of your small but very friendly |
| church members) who have learned how to handle | | | | "tugboat" will generously "come alongside" to help them |
| whatever problems life dishes out. When the water (of | | | | in every way. |
| life) gets rough, as a seasoned crew, you know how | | | | |