“This is what the LORD says— your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: "I am the LORD your God, who teaches you what is best for you, who directs you in the way you should go.”- Isaiah 48:17
REPENT! REPENT!! OR YOU’RE GOING TO HELL!!
I bet that works for some people. But most people aren’t looking at eternity. They are looking at right now. How they feel right now and how do they get out of the mess they are in. Some might not even realize how bad it really is because they’ve got laser vision, only focusing on what they can bare to focus on, because if they looked up for a minute, they’d see everything would come crashing down around them.
I tell you that because I’ve been there. Screaming at me about hell would have sent me into the “FU” mode, and I don’t mean Findley University.
As crazy and backwards as it sounds, sometimes Heaven is a bonus.
When we’re surrounded by our own personal hell, when we’re up to our eyeballs in the bondage of sin, all we can think about is breaking free from that.
To take the narrow path is not always easy. The choices at the time do not seem that easy to make, however the consequences are less and the rewards are great.
There’s a lot going on in the life of my “church”, we’ve got media attention, and I am quite sure that satan really is pissed. One thing we can’t lose sight of while the media circus has ramped up, God. A God of grace and love. One that never disappoints. One that is beautiful, who heals the broken, restores, renews.
I can tell you in the last few days, I’ve been surrounded by disappointment. In others and myself. Yesterday I found myself crying over spilled cookies. Stupid mistake, and wham! A bunch of cookies wrecked for a funeral. UGH! I was so upset. And then here it comes, all the ways I disappoint. Myself, and how I disappoint others. In my head “see you really are a constant disappointment”.
Oh, I was fighting it. I can’t even tell you how hard it was. I can even tell you that I just said “I’ve had enough of what this life has to offer”.
And it’s true. I’ve had enough of what this life has to offer. But I haven’t had enough of what God has to offer. His freedom, His grace, His love.
And that is what I pray for those who don’t know Him but see our signs, are reached by the media. That when they see that this world has nothing to offer them, that His love sets us free. I pray for those who will come to our church, who check out this crazy website, who speak to those in our “church”. That they see that His life, really is Life. He’s like oxygen to someone who can’t breathe, He indeed is the water that will quench their thirst. That’s He’s the keeper of the keys to break them free from the private prison that they live in. I pray this weekend that satan will be bound, that God’s love and His power are unleashed, on the unsaved and the saved. That those who don’t know Him come into a real relationship with Him, that those who know Him become closer to Him.
I pray for the Pastors who will be leading Metro, Oasis, Unite, Alive, & Fuel, that God speaks through them and to them. That His life is abound in their lives, that their families are blessed and love, that there is peace in their hearts, the peace that comes from only Him.
For our church secretary, who handles more than we know or could even begin to understand. That in all she does, she knows she’s loved, and respected and appreciated. And that she’s energized for everything she does in the “church” and in her life that echoes Jesus to all of us who know her.
For the bands (Metro, Alive, Fuel, & MetroKidz), that their lives reflect Christ. That when those who walk through the doors of the auditorium, that they have the words through worship to help us when there just aren’t any in our brains to say what our hearts are feeling.
For the elders in our church and our staff, that God gives them clear direction of where He wants us to go.
For the staff of each ministry from the top to the bottom, that they be renewed in His love, and that they show His love to all those they come in contact with.
I pray for those who attend Metro, that the love they’ve received will be poured out into their families, friends, and even people they don’t know. That His love be seen in their lives, their eyes, and their smiles.
God has entrusted us with the privilege of sharing His love, and it is not something we take lightly. Let us be full-on in love with Him, let our lives never be the same, and let us share that love that He has given us. WE ARE A CITY ON A HILL, THAT WILL NOT BE HIDDEN! LET US SHINE BRIGHT WITH HIS LOVE!
Matthew 5:14 You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden
REPENT! REPENT!! OR YOU’RE GOING TO HELL!!
I bet that works for some people. But most people aren’t looking at eternity. They are looking at right now. How they feel right now and how do they get out of the mess they are in. Some might not even realize how bad it really is because they’ve got laser vision, only focusing on what they can bare to focus on, because if they looked up for a minute, they’d see everything would come crashing down around them.
I tell you that because I’ve been there. Screaming at me about hell would have sent me into the “FU” mode, and I don’t mean Findley University.
As crazy and backwards as it sounds, sometimes Heaven is a bonus.
When we’re surrounded by our own personal hell, when we’re up to our eyeballs in the bondage of sin, all we can think about is breaking free from that.
To take the narrow path is not always easy. The choices at the time do not seem that easy to make, however the consequences are less and the rewards are great.
There’s a lot going on in the life of my “church”, we’ve got media attention, and I am quite sure that satan really is pissed. One thing we can’t lose sight of while the media circus has ramped up, God. A God of grace and love. One that never disappoints. One that is beautiful, who heals the broken, restores, renews.
I can tell you in the last few days, I’ve been surrounded by disappointment. In others and myself. Yesterday I found myself crying over spilled cookies. Stupid mistake, and wham! A bunch of cookies wrecked for a funeral. UGH! I was so upset. And then here it comes, all the ways I disappoint. Myself, and how I disappoint others. In my head “see you really are a constant disappointment”.
Oh, I was fighting it. I can’t even tell you how hard it was. I can even tell you that I just said “I’ve had enough of what this life has to offer”.
And it’s true. I’ve had enough of what this life has to offer. But I haven’t had enough of what God has to offer. His freedom, His grace, His love.
And that is what I pray for those who don’t know Him but see our signs, are reached by the media. That when they see that this world has nothing to offer them, that His love sets us free. I pray for those who will come to our church, who check out this crazy website, who speak to those in our “church”. That they see that His life, really is Life. He’s like oxygen to someone who can’t breathe, He indeed is the water that will quench their thirst. That’s He’s the keeper of the keys to break them free from the private prison that they live in. I pray this weekend that satan will be bound, that God’s love and His power are unleashed, on the unsaved and the saved. That those who don’t know Him come into a real relationship with Him, that those who know Him become closer to Him.
I pray for the Pastors who will be leading Metro, Oasis, Unite, Alive, & Fuel, that God speaks through them and to them. That His life is abound in their lives, that their families are blessed and love, that there is peace in their hearts, the peace that comes from only Him.
For our church secretary, who handles more than we know or could even begin to understand. That in all she does, she knows she’s loved, and respected and appreciated. And that she’s energized for everything she does in the “church” and in her life that echoes Jesus to all of us who know her.
For the bands (Metro, Alive, Fuel, & MetroKidz), that their lives reflect Christ. That when those who walk through the doors of the auditorium, that they have the words through worship to help us when there just aren’t any in our brains to say what our hearts are feeling.
For the elders in our church and our staff, that God gives them clear direction of where He wants us to go.
For the staff of each ministry from the top to the bottom, that they be renewed in His love, and that they show His love to all those they come in contact with.
I pray for those who attend Metro, that the love they’ve received will be poured out into their families, friends, and even people they don’t know. That His love be seen in their lives, their eyes, and their smiles.
God has entrusted us with the privilege of sharing His love, and it is not something we take lightly. Let us be full-on in love with Him, let our lives never be the same, and let us share that love that He has given us. WE ARE A CITY ON A HILL, THAT WILL NOT BE HIDDEN! LET US SHINE BRIGHT WITH HIS LOVE!
Matthew 5:14 You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden
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