Newsletter Article | September 27, 2026

Carrying the Name Well

As we continue thinking about the future of St. Luke-Simpson, much of our conversation has focused on what we believe God is calling us to do.

We are building a framework around three movements:

Encounter the Grace of Jesus.
Being Made Into Disciples.
Serve Our Neighbors.

This week’s sermon reminds us that there is another important question underneath all three:

What will our lives say about the Jesus whose name we carry?

The third commandment tells us, “You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.” We often hear that commandment primarily as a warning about the words we use. Scripture asks something deeper of us.

As Christians, we bear the name of Christ.

Every time we identify ourselves as followers of Jesus, our lives make a statement about him. The way we treat people, keep our promises, handle disagreements, serve our neighbors, speak to one another, and conduct ourselves in the community all become part of our witness.

That matters tremendously as we think about the future of our church.

We can create new ministries. We can develop a discipleship pathway. We can improve our communications, strengthen our hospitality, reach new families, and find new ways to serve Lake Charles.

Those things matter.

Still, none of them can substitute for a congregation whose life genuinely reflects Jesus.

Our greatest witness will always be a community in which the grace we proclaim is visible in the way we live.

If we say we are a welcoming church, people should experience welcome.

If we say grace is at the center of our faith, people should encounter grace among us.

If we say we are being made into disciples, there should be evidence that Jesus is actually changing us.

If we say we are called to serve our neighbors, our neighbors should experience the love of Christ through us.

Our vision cannot simply become language we print on a bulletin or place on a wall. It has to become a way of life.

That is part of what Being Made Into Disciples means. The Holy Spirit continually works within us so that, by grace, the faith we profess and the lives we live begin to look more and more alike.

So perhaps one of the questions we should carry with us as we continue building toward the future is this:

When people encounter St. Luke-Simpson, what will they learn about Jesus from us?

May they discover that his grace is real, his love is generous, his promises can be trusted, and his people are learning to live differently because they belong to him.

May we carry his name well.

Grace and peace,
Rev. Bradley