Last night it was a blessing to be back at the Chattanooga Rescue Mission, where I preached a message entitled “Considerations of War” from Luke 14:28–32.
As I stood there and looked across the gathering, I was struck by something I had not fully considered before. Since the pandemic of 2020, the chapel services have been moved to the old gymnasium on the Chattanooga Rescue Mission campus, at the old Senter School off Holtzclaw Avenue. Before that, we met upstairs in a large classroom in one of the educational buildings. But last night, it was plain to see that the old classroom would not have held the number of men who came to the service.
Before the men’s service began, the women’s service had just finished. I watched the women leaving the gymnasium and, though I did not count them, there were at least twenty women. It was a quiet but powerful reminder that the need is great, and that the reach of the Chattanooga Rescue Mission has grown far beyond what many may realize.
The Mission is ministering to more people than ever. There are more beds, more meals, and more basic necessities being provided. Yet the staff seems to have remained the same, if not even contracted. The night chaplain looked absolutely worn thin. You could see the strain of constant need written on his face.
Then, as I left the Mission around 8:00 p.m., I saw something that stayed with me. At the corner of the parking lot near the gas station, perhaps thirty feet from the Mission itself, a couple had made a pallet on the ground and appeared to be bedding down for the night.
That scene said more than words can easily express.
The needs in the homeless community are immense. They are not distant. They are not theoretical. They are right in front of us. Men and women made in the image of God are facing hunger, weariness, instability, addiction, loneliness, and deep spiritual need every single day.
I am thankful for the opportunity to preach the gospel in places like the Chattanooga Rescue Mission. It is a privilege to open the Word of God before people who are living with such urgent realities. Last night, from Luke 14:28–32, I preached on “Considerations of War,” and once again I was reminded that the call of Christ is not light, casual, or convenient. It is a call to reckon honestly, to count the cost, and to come to Him in truth.
Please pray for the Chattanooga Rescue Mission. Pray for the staff. Pray for the chaplains. Pray for the men and women who come through those doors. And please consider partnering with them as they continue serving some of the most vulnerable people in our community.
I have attached the audio of last night’s message below for anyone who would like to listen.
