January 30, 2026, 4:00 PM
Greetings in Christ and Happy Friday to you!
I pray that you're staying safe and warm in the midst of this cold winter weather!
We are canceling our worship service this coming Sunday (02.01.26) due to the icy conditions and extreme cold.
Salt has been critical this week in clearing sidewalks and roads here in Central Kentucky.
Let's face it, though, the majority of the time, we don't pay THAT much attention to salt.
This was not so in the ancient world. Salt was a very BIG deal!
In the summer of 2004, I took a mission team to Poland. One of the popular tourist sites was a huge salt mine. The Wieliczka Salt Mine is near the beautiful city of Kraków in southern Poland.
Most ancient cities, I came to learn, were founded on or near salt mines.
Salt was a prized commodity. It was literally a type of currency. Armies like the Roman army used salt to pay soldiers.
People went to wars over it. Cities were built around it. Empires collapsed without it. In his book "Salt: A World History," author Mark Kurlansky wrote: “In the ancient world, salt was one of the most common factors that provoked and financed wars.”
Why did salt become such a highly prized resource?
The ancients discovered that salt brings delight to people who are eating, because there are special taste buds on the tongue that are designed specifically to respond to salt.
Not only that, but they learned that salt was a purifying agent that could destroy bacteria.
Finally, they also discovered that there was something about salt that arrests decay and corruption. If they used enough salt they could preserve food for times of famine, so it literally contributed to life or death.
When Jesus said in Matthew 5:13, “You are the salt of the earth,” He was saying A LOT about believers in Christ and also about the effect Christians can have on the world around them.
We (His people), you see, are like salt in that we are highly prized and valuable.
And just like salt, we are agents that stop decay and corruption. If not for the presence of true Christ followers, what would happen to the United States? I am convinced that it is primarily the presence and prayers of God's children that keep America from facing God's wrath/judgment today!
The Christian should flavor the world around them. As salt, we are to live our lives in a way that brings out the best in those around us. That is what Jesus did time and again, and that is what you and I are supposed to be doing for His glory!
So, this raises a few questions:
How can you and I live and maintain a "salty" life?
How can we keep our influence so that our lives make it easier for others to believe in God?
How can we have influence that will make it more difficult for evil to prevail in the world?
We first have to “get out of the packet or shaker” and allow Jesus to use us. Then we can really be “salt of the earth” folks!
Recently, we've had to cancel many services at FCC due to the snowy/icy conditions and extreme cold.
However, we hope to resume regular services very soon. We will monitor conditions and keep you posted!
Have a great weekend, and we look forward to seeing you again soon! Until then, let's stay connected with God and one another!
God Bless,
Greg Herriford
