Fellowship Memphis

Pictured above: Mrs. Betty and SOS College Team Leader, Tricia Mullen

“SOS came to fix my house,” said Mrs. Betty, fighting back tears, “but they fixed my heart too.” I didn’t recognize it then, but those words that Mrs. Betty shared at the 2010 SOS Homeowner Banquet paint a beautiful picture of the gospel.

Jesus, who sustains the universe by his powerful word, humbled himself and came to earth as a human being. He did this so that he could identify with us and meet both our spiritual and physical needs. He came to change hearts, commanding us to “repent and believe in the gospel” (Mark 1:15). But he also reached out to touch and heal lepers. While he could have remained in the comforts of heaven, he chose to walk where we walk, feel the pain we feel, and face the same temptations we face.

Mrs. Betty’s words remind us of the importance of this incarnation. They remind us that today, Jesus shows His grace and love in tangible ways through His people. As an expression of the gospel, SOS volunteers met real, physical needs at Mrs. Betty’s home: they replaced her roof, painted her house, and built her a wheelchair ramp, along with several other repairs. But that’s not all. Because she saw the unconditional love of Christ in our volunteers, her heart was also transformed.

It’s stories like Mrs. Betty’s that drew my wife and I to move to Memphis. We saw God working through organizations like SOS and wanted to take part in His Kingdom work. And we are so thankful to be a part of a church like Fellowship Memphis that also seeks to glorify God by proclaiming the gospel in word and deed.

SOS is grateful for the years of partnership with Fellowship Memphis, and we want to invite all of you to come and worship God with us at our 25th Anniversary Celebration on April 30, 2011. It’s hard to believe that SOS has been proclaiming the gospel in neighborhoods like Binghampton and Orange Mound since 1986. In that time more than 20,000 SOS volunteers have repaired over 700 homes in our city. What a testimony to the greatness of our God!

To register for the 25th Anniversary Celebration, visit www.sosmemphis.org.