Chick-fil-a Dedication

I’m honored to be here with you all as this mile stone is coming to fruition.

A lot of hard work…and patience…and planning went into this moment.

A lot of team development went into this moment. And I have no doubt that the excellent work that I witnessed as your chaplain will carry this new store into the same successes that Team Preservati is used to.

This accomplishment is a testament to your hard work. It’s a testament to your dedication. It’s a testament to your excellence—there are plenty of operators who would like two stores and don’t have two.

But friends—please hear this most clearly of everything I say.

This new store is a testament to God’s grace and His loving providence to you and those whom you’ll serve.

James 1:17 “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.”

God has provided this great opportunity to you and so we should be grateful.

Whenever you ask a pastor to speak you run the risk of him speaking too long. So I’ll be brief on two points.

One. This store is a gift to you. This new store will provide income, opportunity, and camradrie. All wonderful gifts from God to you.

For all of you in some way the opening of this store marks the accomplishment of a goal. A new position, more responsibility, or just the accomplishment of finally being done with opening a new store.

Two. This store will be a blessing to the community around you.

It’s extremely easy for you and I to think that the normal every day things we do have no real meaning. We are always looking for meaning somewhere other than where we are. But God makes no mistakes in where he places us.

How can frying chicken make a difference? How can ice cream cones, waffle fries, and saying “My pleasure” a thousand times a day have any kind of real impact?

But friends, good food and kind words have always been a grace from God to lift the human heart.

What you do matters and the ability to do it is a gift from God.

So before I pray know that God loves you and is showing his kindness to you. This good gift comes from Him.

And if you doubt that God is kind or that He loves you—you need to look no further than the cross of Jesus Christ—where God displayed for you how much he loves you.

On the cross Jesus took everything that would separate you from God and He did away with it so that—in Him—you can come to God freely as you were made to do.

This new store is a gift, but your sins wiped clean in Jesus is the greatest gift of all.

If you have any questions about that I’ll be around for a bit afterward.

Today is a celebration. Great job on all of your hard work. I hope that you’ll move into this new store opening with gratefulness and a sense of purpose.

I’m going to pray now and I invite you to pray with me.

Pray.