Being the Church

What started several years ago as a bible study downtown in Greenville SC because God told Justin Broome to start one, has turned into an incredible ministry called Immerse. It's a ministry based on what it truly means to love God and love people. Some people talk it really well, others do it and live it. For some it's easy as long as it's not too "messy". It's easy when we can stay on the outside of lives and just deliver things or serve those who serve us. But how easy is it when it involves serving those who can't serve us? We serve teachers who teach our kids. We serve public safety people who protect us. And we should!!!! We should serve anywhere in our cities that gives us opportunities to share the gospel and gets our foot in the door. I'm so thankful that our church is heavily involved in our rescue missions and apartment complexes!! How often do we serve those who can do nothing for us? Those who maybe scare us or invoke thoughts of "they're not like us".
Well the answer to those questions tells us much about ourselves. Sometimes it's more fun to go across country or the world and share Jesus but what about down the road. Our own city is starving to know Jesus. Yes we have churches on every corner but is everyone really welcome? Will they really walk through those doors.
There are those who run to the messes. There are those whose hearts beat to serve those who have nothing to offer back. Thank God for those!  They are few in our world today.
Last night we got to tag along with one of those and serve next to him and his wife, our own daughter Jessica and her husband Justin. They don't just do it at Christmas. They do it every Friday night downtown. They lead a worship service and share Jesus with all who will listen and they have a huge audience with the homeless. The homeless listen to Justin because he's proven he loves them and he cares. He meets physical needs but they get a message of hope, the only hope we have and that's Jesus. Last night he shared with them how no circumstance of life can separate them from the love of God. He challenged them to turn around and give 1 thing away to another in need that they would receive last night. He shows them that they can make a difference, they too can be world changers.  As they circled up to pray and one of their own prayed, thanking God for the blessing of the night and what they received just ripped at the core of my heart. Some stayed after to help clean up. One told me, "I may be homeless but y'all did something for me tonight, now I'm gonna stay and do something for y'all". I could've fallen through the ground. You see he probably didn't know the scripture "silver or gold I do not have but what I have I give to you"...but he fleshed it out.
Needless to say I was totally undone, still am, hope I always will be. Seeing people so grateful for the little they have and received was tremendously humbling!! I'm praying the attitude of entitlement, my own and others, will continue to make me nauseous!!
So grateful for so many who served last night. Thrilled that so many gave so much so that we had something to give to those in need. Nothing could have been done without all doing what they could!
Being the church trumps going any day. Now saying that let me say, going to church feeds us and strengthens us so that we can be the church. Please come Sunday and bring others with you. At Fairview they will hear about the only true star of Christmas, Jesus, our only hope no matter what our circumstances!!

Monday Morning Perspective

Yesterday at Fairview was fabulous!! Despite rain and frigid cold temps we had a great crowd in both services and boy did we heat it up inside the House! I loved how our band did a few Christmas songs in the worship set but they were so not the norm...Joy to the World!!! It was great!
Following that my man brought a great message on why God chose Mary! God knew Mary's desire was to do His will. Do we miss His will so often because He already knows we have no desire to follow? We were challenged to think about what we truly desire.
We also see that she was willing to pay the price. Amidst the obvious ridicule she faced from people, it amazes me that we never see that she defended herself. She trusted God and following Him mattered more to her than what others would think! What a lesson for us!!
Mary also had faith to trust God when it looked impossible. We have to trust Him in spite of all our fear. We must step out when everything and everyone tells us to step back. I love how Eddie concluded with reminding us of all the young women, celebs, that so many are so enamored with yet they come on the scene and quickly pass off the scene. They try to reinvent themselves to stay around. However, Mary is still loved, still respected today.
I'm loving this Christmas series!! But don't forget to start now inviting people for January as well when we kick off Protect This House, God's game plan for the family.

Monday Morning Perspective

We started our Christmas series yesterday where we will look at 3 main Christmas characters. First up was Joseph, A borrowed Dad behind the scenes. I hardly know where to begin or what to include and I'm hardly ever at a loss for words. But this was such an amazing message that took us back to that 1st Christmas but my husband related it so well to today. He drew us into the emotion of it all and left us with the most beautiful picture of Joseph, a man to be truly respected and admired.
The 4 points we looked at...
1. The tension between the law and love. What a word to us today about  choosing love over the law!!
2. His reaction to the situation. We saw that a mature reaction is one where we are more concerned with the other person rather than ourself.
3. He was open to God's leadership. When things make the least sense, God shows up in a big way. Even though Joseph had formulated a plan, he was sensitive to God's plan and followed it.
4. He did what God commanded. God said it, he did it.
Notice the way Joseph treated women. Notice the way Joseph served. Joseph had great influence over Jesus as His earthly dad.
My man hit a home run with this one! Excited for next week already!!!