I stand behind most of what I preached during my thirteen years on the Grace Southwood stage (the only preacher without any speech-related regrets was Jesus!). But there is one lesson I taught multiple times in early sermons that I do wish I could take back. When preaching on the biblical concept of “service,” I sometimes falsely equated serving God with service within the programs of the organizational church. Serving a ministry of the local church certainly does count as serving God, but so do many other types of service that occur outside the walls of the church. We do a disservice when we tell believers that service requires signing up to lead a church Bible study, run the sound booth, or staff a nursery room. Those are all EXCELLENT service opportunities. But they are not for everyone, and they are nowhere near an exhaustive list of the possibilities for powerful, creative service that honors Jesus.
My friend Rami Cerone is an example of this principle. Rami, the owner of Caffe Capri in Bryan, has an unusual God-given skill: the man can buy and sell used cars better than anyone I’ve ever met. Were Rami to ask me, “How can I best serve God with my life?” my old answer would have been, “lead a Bible study or volunteer with the high school ministry at your church.” My new answer is, “If God made you really good at buying and selling used cars, then do that for people in need in a spirit of grace and love!”
That is precisely what Rami and his wife Erin have done on our OnRamp Vehicle Committee. More than half of the vehicles that OnRamp purchased this last year came through Rami’s hard work scouring the internet, researching specific vehicles, and lining up offers. When it’s time to go purchase a vehicle out of Houston, Austin, or Waco, it’s usually Rami and Erin making the trip. And every vehicle we need to sell to replenish our funds passes through Rami’s skilled hands. He gets better prices and better buyers than I ever could. As a result, more people than ever are experiencing the love of Jesus through the tangible gift of a reliable automobile.
I love OnRamp for many reasons, but this is near the top of the list: OnRamp gives opportunities for Christians like my friend Rami to serve the Lord through their unique skills and experiences. Other examples include another great friend, Jeremy Smith, whose decades of experience running auto repair shops and organizing Excel sheets perfectly outfitted him to run our Vehicle Team. Or Ryan Mason whose specialized knowledge of auto insurance enables him to counsel clients struggling to find affordable insurance options. Or Blake Maldonado who volunteers his phenomenal detailing skills to make OnRamp cars look as perfect as possible for the day they’re donated.
So if you’re looking for a way to serve the Lord that makes an eternally significant difference, definitely consider opportunities within your local church, but don’t hesitate to look outside the walls of the church to ministries and organizations seeking to share Christ’s love in tangible ways with this world. Have skills in social work? Follow the example of Catherine, Bettye, and Tara and help Christian ministries screen and serve clients. Great at organization, communication, and details? Follow Stephanie Mason’s example and help run the office and books of a charitable ministry. Great at graphic design? Be like my wife Julie who glorifies God through Photoshop!
Final note which Rami would never, ever ask me to include: if you haven’t tried Caffe Capri before, add it to your list. Food and atmosphere are excellent. North facing exterior wall is also great for car pics! And when you see Rami at the front door, please let him know you value what he and Erin are doing to glorify God in our community. And one more thing, if starting a 501c3 in your spare time is what it takes to have fun lunches and car trips with a good friend, it’s well worth it!
