The Jon Liles Family
Every day you live is an opportunity to make an eternal impact on those around you. All you have is this moment in which you live; nothing is guaranteed. Life is seasonal (Eccl 3:1-15). Seasons come and go with none of them lasting forever. The seasons of life are cyclical. It is for this reason that we live every day – in today’s season of life, however that may look for you – with a hope of making an eternal impact on those with whom we live. Missionary to China, C. T. Studd, wrote the famous poem, “Only One Life, ‘Twill Soon Be Past,” with the following refrain: “Only one life ’twill soon be past. Only what’s done for Christ will last.”
You Never Know What Impact You Will Have
Today as a church, Sonrise celebrates sending Jon and Becky Liles back to Italy as missionaries. As we gather around them today and dedicate them to their task of taking the Gospel of Jesus Christ to Italy, I personally rejoice in this truth of “Only one life, ’twill soon be past, only what’s done for Christ will last.”
Consider this special connection as case in point between my life story and Jon Liles’ story.
My dad, Marvin Carson, who pastored the Grace Baptist Church in Bowling Green, Kentucky for nearly 48 years, was saved as a young boy in 1954 under the ministry of Ralph Liles, Jon’s granddad. Ralph Liles, who was part of the first graduating class of Baptist Bible College in 1953, pastored the church where my dad grew up from 1953 to 1957. He and his wife Ruth made an eternal impact on my dad’s family and life.
Ralph Liles leading a baptism service in 1956 at Bowling Green, Kentucky.
It is a special day today that Craig, my twin brother, and I, as members of Sonrise, officially send Jon, Ralph’s grandson, back to Italy as missionaries alongside his wife Becky and family. They leave again for Italy continuing to fulfill the command to make disciples by going, baptizing, and teaching all nations (Matt 28:16-20).
One life reaching other lives
Ralph Liles (d. Oct 7, 2013) introduced my dad to the Gospel (c. 1954).
Marvin Carson introduced Craig and me to the Gospel (c. 1975).
Kevin & Craig Carson help send Ralph’s grandson Jon back to Italy to introduce more people to the Gospel (c. 2018).
Here’s the simple challenge: who are you reaching today? Who is that person you are impacting with the Gospel? What impact are you making on those around you?
We have only one life. You have only one life. How are you using that life to make an eternal impact by God’s grace on those around you? Consider today as day one on impacting others for eternity. Regardless of whatever you have done or been in the past, today you begin anew as a tool God can use to change someone else’s life for eternity.
This poem inspired the song “Only One Life” written by Lanny Wolfe in 1973.
Not sure if you are ready for eternity? Follow this link
Pictures of the commissioning service:
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- Anyone in the service who desired was invited up to pray around the family.
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- The entire congregation stood to demonstrate their support and commitment to praying for and serving the Liles family.
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- The Liles, Pastor Craig, Karla, Pastor Kevin, and Kelly
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- Pastor Kevin reminds the Liles of Sonrise’s commitments as a church to them as our missionaries.
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- The men gather around Jon.
Click on any of these images to see larger sizes.
Pastor Kevin’s Blog | Walking together through life as friends in Christ sharing wisdom along the journey
An amazing trail of eternal impact, one life at a time! What an appropriate article to read on Father’s Day about my Dad. He never considered himself to be a great man but I look at the lives of those he and my Mom touched in their time of ministry–you just never know what impact will be put into motion. They left a legacy of eternal impact through ministry and through family. Thank you for sharing.