Advancing Forward

1 03 2012

advance4aIn just a few short days, we will be launching a new campaign called ‘Advance’.  This campaign is all about moving forward as followers of Christ, both individually and as a Church. 

The key word here is “moving”.

In Matthew 4:19, Jesus said three words that have radical implications for our lives.  Come.  Follow.  Me.

Come. – To come means you have to leave where you are.  It means you have to let go of everything that you are presently engaged in, everything you are presently holding on too, everything you are presently pursuing.  It means YOU have to move.  You cannot “come” to Jesus without moving from where you are.

Follow.  Jesus didn’t say come to me and we’ll hang out… or come to me and take a seat.  He said “Come” and “Follow”.  The word “Follow” implies action… movement.  Once you come, your next step is movement oriented as well.  Following Jesus is not a sedentary or stationary thing, it requires movement.

Me.  Coming to Jesus and following Jesus requires that we have our eyes on Jesus.  If your pursuit is Christ, you can’t have your eyes on yourself, someone else or something else.  You must focus on Him.  To come to Him and to follow Him, you must have your eye’s on Him.  He must be the intentional focus of our pursuit.

Christ’s invitation to you isn’t complicated, but it does require you to move.  You have to come to Him, you have to follow Him, and you have to look to Him.  This campaign will challenge you to move… to take your next steps with Christ. 

We all have steps forward that we need to take.  It is my prayer that during the weeks ahead, you and I will be willing and able to take those next steps toward Christ, so that we all might experience the promise of God when He invited us to “Come, follow me”.   

It’s time to move.  It’s time to ADVANCE!


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Categories : The Church

Running

8 02 2012

A couple of years ago, I was talking with a man who was a long distance runner.  When I first saw the guy, I could tell right away that he was a runner.  When he first saw me, he could tell I was not.

Because I am not much of a runner, I really didn’t understand why people would be driven to run.  For me, it is one of the least enjoyable things in life.  But as I talked with this man, it was obvious that he loved to do it.  He thoroughly loved to run.  It inspired me to find out why.

As we talked, he said something that really struck me.  He said, “Long distance running is more of a competition against yourself than it is competition against everyone else.  The one who wins the battle with themselves is more likely to win the race.  Running is all about discipline of the mind.  You have to be mentally tough.”

No wonder I suck at running.

In almost every race, there is a place where the race is won, or lost… and it almost never happens at the end.  It usually happens in the middle somewhere, when the intensity of the race is at it’s lowest point.  In a marathon, it is between miles 8-18.  The race has been going for a time, but the finish is still a long way off.  In those moments, the mentally tough push through and stay intense, while those who lack that toughness start to lose their intensity and fall off.  Winners are made in the middle… most of the time, when no one is watching.

Paul often uses the imagery of a race to describe the life we live as followers of Christ.  He wrote this to the Corinthian church, “Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize?  Run in such a way as to get the prize.” (1 Cor. 9:24)  His encouragement was to make sure that every day counted for Kingdom gain.  Every day was to be run in such a way as to achieve victory, with that goal in mind.

Friend, I want to encourage you today to be disciplined and mentally tough.  Bring your best for God’s kingdom today!  I know that we are in a life long race of running with Christ, but today is a day that needs your whole heart and your greatest intensity.  It is so tempting to relax and think that when we get closer to the end, then we can really start to run.  But  often, by that time, we have fallen so far behind that we have missed our opportunity.

And what must we be intense about?  The foundational things.  Loving God, Loving Each Other, and Loving the world.  Do these things, and you will win… because that is what a fully devoted follower of Christ is running after!

So today, run as to win the prize.  Be intense.  Be disciplined.  Be tough.

Give your all to God… Let’s Win!


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Categories : Spiritual Growth, The Church

Are You Ready For Today?

30 01 2012

Today, I am unbelievably excited for all of you!

Why?  Because I know that God is about to do something radical in your life.

On Sunday, we gave our church a challenge to intentionally engage God in His Word, everyday for the next 28 days (The 28 Day Challenge).  To help you all get started in this, we equipped you with a Life Journal, which is a simple tool that walks you through a process of listening to, and responding to God.  The reason we challenged you to do this is because we know that God’s Word is one of those avenues where God’s transforming power is released.  It is only through Him that genuine life change happens.

My prayer is that today you embarked on that challenge whole-heartedly and filled with anticipation for what God is going to do in your life over the next four weeks.  However, I also hope that you are focused on today… the right here and now… because today is where God calls us to live!

Are you living your life for Him today?

Are you eager for God to speak words of Truth to you today?

Are you seeking God’s strength and power for your life today?

Are you listening to Him with a humble and surrendered heart today?

Are you willing to be changed by His power today?

Are you committed to obey what He says today?

Are you hungry for a deeper, more vibrant relationship with Him today?

I am, and I hope you are too!

May God radically transform our lives today, as we commit ourselves to completely to Him.

LET IT BE DONE, LORD!!!


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Categories : Spiritual Growth, The Church