Who will do that work?

This is the video they showed at church on Sunday about what the additional money given to our church is doing in India.  This is the mission trip I am working toward being a part of. 

Bridging the Gap

I've found myself in a funk recently.  Just feeling very tired and lethargic.  I made too many plans, ran myself too thin.  So at work I decided to pop in my headphones and listen to sermons all day.  I think it's needed to stay focused.  So I've already listened to 4 today this one is my 5th and I thought I'd share them on here and share a couple of my thoughts, what it helped me with to maybe revisit one day or to share with others.  This sermon is from North Point Community Church in Alpharetta, Georgia where one of my favorite pastors, Andy Stanley, preaches.  He has a way of putting the bible into very simple terms and finds ways to really apply it to your life in a way that is easy to relate to.

Click here to get to the video message.

This is more of encouragement to people to get into a small group.  It explores how important it is to be in community to be able to follow through with what we learn in church.

Matthew 7: 24 ²⁴ “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 

If you just sit in a church and hear words and gain knowledge and don't do anything with it even if you believe it and feel convicted it does no good if you don't put it into practice.  No real improvements are made just by listening or having these grand feelings of God in church, they are only made, God's faithfulness is only truly given when you are following through with what you hear.

James 1:22-25 Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.

If you look in the mirror in the morning after getting out of bed, most of the time you will not leave the house unless you've done something to improve your physical appearance.  Why do we spend so much time everyday fixing what we look like out the outside but we don't do the same to fix what is going on inside. 

Stop sitting in rows and get in a circle, in community, life change happens within the context of relationships. 

First Impressions

This week was my first week serving at Crossroads as a part of their First Impressions team and I absolutely loved it!  I’ve been wanting to get more involved with my church for a while now but always found an excuse not to.  This year is a year of sacrifice and reprioritization (I checked and yes that is a word.)  I went to an orientation a week ago and everyone was so nice.  Today was no different.  I showed up to a room full of smiling faces, coffee, tea, and donuts.  The volunteer team leader showed me around and I learned about each station I could possibly work at on any given weekend.  I was assigned to hold open the door to the auditorium, the door that my family goes into, so I was happy to see them, and be the one to greet them in the morning.  Once I took up the offering I was basically done for the day, but I stuck around since Jenna and I go to the following service together.  It gives me time to journal and then when my family comes out of the early service I can sit and talk to them until the next service starts.  It’s easy and its fun and it absolutely makes me look forward to Sundays!  I’m hoping it will eventually get me involved a little more behind the scenes and at some point I can become a little more involved.