Hope Fellowship Community Church

Reading is very dangerous for me. The last few books I have read have really challenged me in how I view life and our culture.
My family recently drove 1200 miles to Indiana and then back to Florida. Crazy, right?! One of the things I did to stay awake was to listen to the book, Crazy Love, by Francis Chan. Another was to have Bev read to me. We started reading The Hole In Our Gospel and you want to talk about eye opening.

I am discovering just how unimportant "things" are in my life and how really important people should be. Bev and I have really been challenged in the way we think, the way we talk, the way we act, and the way we spend our money. We have committed to making some major changes in our lives to be able to do what it is that we feel Jesus is calling us to do.

What did Jesus say about how we should live our lives? Love God, Love people, right? He constantly modeled his love for people by doing, helping, and getting involved in peoples' lives. He was all about the business of God. He was so consumed that he couldn't help but follow through with God's purposes.

What consumes you? TV, Facebook, Work, Alcohol, Sex, Money, Knowledge, Being Good, living a good life?

We need to be consumed by nothing but God. It is a daily thing. Saying everyday, every minute, God I am yours…and then allowing him to lead us. Always looking for someway to show his love, to help someone, to share what he has given to us with someone else.

Here is a story about a man named Jimmy who was sponsored as a child. Jimmy starts sharing at 3:45.
http://vimeo.com/7072300

How many lives can you change? How many lives could you save? How much are they worth to you? How much are they worth to God? I read recently that people wonder where God is in all the sickness and disease going on, but do you ever think that God wonders where we are?

We are supposed to be his hands and feet in spreading his love and his truth.

Our church is doing something called Advent Conspiracy again this year. Putting Christ back into Christmas and really going against the mindset of consumerism and the "iNeed" mentality. Find out more about it at www.adventconspiracy.org.

Seeking God is not only about knowledge. It is not only about what we believe. It’s what we do with it once we know it. It is about the saving love of Jesus Christ.

What are you doing with what you have heard once you hear it? Once you believe it?

My wife, Beverly, and some of her friends were in the news this week. Check it out here. Be sure and watch the video too.

The story is such a great reminder of how much stuff we have here in America. My mother-in-law, Sandy, wrote an email to us about a conversation she had with a man from another country. He was surprised at how much we love things. He said that he doesn't love things. "I love my son and I love you." He was intrigued that we work so hard for our things but we do not always work to help people. 

I am guilty of loving things and that is something I really need to work on. I see how it affects the relationships in my life and I don’t like it.
Unfortunately things are much easier to love because they can’t hurt you.
However they also can’t tell you that they love you back; they can’t hug you and squeeze you and give you a kiss. They can’t hold you tight when something hurts and they can’t tell you how great you look or give you that smile that says I love you.

Love is a choice and where we direct that love, whether it is to people or things, is one of the most important decisions we have to make. 

I read an article by Francis Chan entitled "Gathering Force." I would recommend the read to anyone who wants to take a look at how the Church should be. There is just so much that I think that we could improve on. In the article, he quotes Acts 2:42-47. I look at this and wonder how easy and basic that this is. It is about the Truth of God's Word and the sharing of community. Love God...love all. Sound familiar? Family. Relationships. Loving God with all of our heart, soul, mind and strength and in that love, loving our neighbor as ourselves.

How can we change our attitudes and our schedules to fit into what God wants his Church to look like? When do we have time for other people? I am guilty of this myself. I get busy doing stuff and I neglect relationships with others.

I challenge you to take a look at this article and take a look at the passage. Read the passage everyday and see how God speaks to you about His Church.