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. 

Go Cincinnati

I’m really excited this year for GoCincinnati!  an event that takes place on Saturday May 18th 2013. As described on Crossroads’ website:

“Each year, an army of volunteers impacts our area through service projects in a one-day blitz of compassion. Working with our families and friends from Crossroads and other churches, we show love to hundreds of community and faith-based organizations throughout our region.”


I have never been in town to even be a part of the volunteer initiative but this year I will be in town and I’m excited to be a part of the team! I’ve signed up to lead a team and have been assigned to a Community Center about 40 minutes south of the city.  The team and I will be cleaning and organizing their food pantry and stocking it full of food.  I get to meet with them in a couple weeks to go everything they need.  This is the first time I’ve ever led anything like this so it’s exciting and a little bit nerve wracking at the same time!  The day I received all of my paperwork for the project I was completely overwhelmed but luckily I got a smaller project to start out with.  More to come!