reverb

Vital

VITAL. I'm getting ready for another trip. (This one includes a few days of international travel.) I fly into Chicago this Friday to be in Freeport for the weekend and then leave Sunday evening for Zurich, Switzerland to do a 2 day leadership conference with EQUIP. Due to the quick turnaround, I thought to myself, "I can do this without checking a bag." That rationale led me to consider what's vital for this trip?
 
Shifting gears to that which is significantly more important than contemplating whether one can get by without checking a bag on an international trip...
 
What things do you consider a vital necessity in your life? What can't you live without? That question might have generated some interesting responses, including things as basic as food and water. That may keep you alive physically, but with food and water alone, are you really living? What about love and relationships...specifically your relationship with the Lord?
 
1 CHRON. 22:19a (Amp) Now set your mind and heart to seek (inquire of and require as your vital necessity) the Lord your God.
 
According to Ezra, we can't really live unless our hearts and minds are set on seeking the Lord. You can exist without seeking the Lord, but you and I are called to live an abundant life in Christ!
 
I realize time is an issue...it is for all of us. We all also have control over what we choose to do with our time. I want to encourage you today to choose to set your heart and mind on seeking the Lord as you journey through life. Let some other stuff go. You'll be glad you did. After all, it's vital to life.

More

MORE. (Pt. 2) I was reminded again this morning during my prayer time that God has "more" for us. Years ago I learned the practice of praying back to God, His Word to us...which is a revelation of His will. (By the way...this is a key to answered prayer...1 JOHN 5:14-15)
 
This practice was reinforced for me after reading a great little book written by Dr. Bruce Wilkinson entitled, "The Prayer of Jabez". If you're unfamiliar with Jabez's story, you'll find it in 1 Chronicles 4 buried among some of the most uninteresting reading in the Bible...chapter after chapter of genealogies. The writer is tracing the official Jewish family tree from Adam through thousands of years. In the middle of hundreds of names, one receives special comment...
 
1 CHRON. 4:9-10 (NKJV) Now Jabez was more honorable than his brothers, and his mother called his name Jabez, saying, "Because I bore him in pain."  And Jabez called on the God of Israel saying, "Oh, that You would bless me indeed, and enlarge my territory, that Your hand would be with me, and that You would keep me from evil, that I may not cause pain!" So God  granted him what he requested.
Here's a guy who started with almost nothing, cried out to God in prayer and ended up being recognized in Scripture as a man of honor. I don't know your story, but bold prayer can move you from where you are to a place of honor. Here's the key...you must be willing to ask for the "more" that God has for you!

I want to encourage you to "boldly approach the throne of grace" this week and ask God to bless you and enlarge your territory. By the way...when the blessing arrives, remember that it’s not just for you...God blesses us to be a blessing! One way to do that is to share your story. As you step into bold faith by asking God for more, expect Him to answer. And when He does, let me hear about it! Post a comment here or send me an email or call your Campus Pastor. Your story just might be the method God uses to begin something more in the life of someone else.
 
May His favor rest upon you!

Genius

GENIUS.
We had an incredible C3 Conference this past weekend. Our overarching theme was "MORE" based upon the understanding that there is so much "more" that God has for all of us personally and as a church body. In our opening session on Friday morning, I stated that receiving the more that God has for us as a church will require missional thinking and living. We then spent the majority of our time talking about how we could do just that. This generated a lot of great discussion and ideas. (I look forward to the fruit that this will produce!)
For years the church has lived by a "come and see" approach to ministry. Missional thinking and living directs us to "go and be". So which is it that we are to embrace and flesh out? This is where ‘genius’ enters the equation.I have found that as long as I insist on an either/or proposition or response, I limit what could happen. The truth is this, not everything is that black and white or cut and dry. Therefore, in order for us to maintain balance and maximize our potential in life we must embrace what is often referred to as the "genius of the and".
This is a principle found all through Scripture. A classic example would be in the arena of faith and works. ROM. 3:27-28 (NLT) Can we boast, then, that we have done anything to be accepted by God? No, because our acquittal is not based on our good deeds. It is based on our faith. So we are made right with God through faith and not by obeying the law. JAMES 2:17, 26 (NLT) So you see, it isn't enough just to have faith. Faith that doesn't show itself by good deeds is no faith at all-it is dead and useless. Just as the body is dead without a spirit, so also faith is dead without good deeds.

Put your faith to work this week..."go and be" and once you're there, invite people to "come and see"!

Missional

MISSIONAL. At first glance, some may think that "missional" is a pretty "churchy" word. Once you understand it's true meaning, you quickly realize that it's not. In fact, it would challenge many churches and believers, precisely because they're not.
Many of you work for a company or corporation that is missional to its core. How's that? It comes back to having a basic understanding of why we exist...whether as a church or a fortune 500 company. The day we live as though we exist for ourselves is the day that we--that church, company or organization--will begin to decline.
Starbucks doesn't just sell coffee...they sell coffee with a purpose. Proceeds are used to help support local and international causes/needs.
The church that exists for itself has a short-sighted, unbiblical vision and in turn, a short life. The church's very nature is to function as God's missionary people. We are created, called, saved and empowered to live on mission with God!
What does that look like? Many of you will have the opportunity to help define that this weekend as part of our C3 Conference. All of you will have the opportunity to hear about it. Don't miss Friday evening from 7:00-8:30 pm in the large auditorium at our Freeport Campus and Sunday evening for an incredible "Night of Worship" from 5:00-7:00 pm at the Jeanette Lloyd Theatre in Freeport. (Freeport Jr. High)