I am really learning...more and more each and every day... how our " believer family" is so very much, also " real family" in most every applicable translation.
God is also teaching me alot about "transformational faith" and how...as our hearts grow for both the local and global mission-field, it's so very akin to one of my favorite sports .... surfing.
A little on my beginning topic, first:
TONIGHT was special ... and happy ... and sad. It marked about the 5th year that our little band of Christiansurfers have been meeting. The relationships,closeness and friendships that God has grown over the years holds a special place in my heart. I've learned alot just watching them, loving up on them, and being open to them doing the same, for me. We said " goodbye" to two...Kylle and Haley, tonight. They move to Hawaii, to spread the vision, love and hope that is Christ Jesus. True...we'll see them again this summer...but their empty chairs in our group will never be filled. What a blessing they've been to our group!
On the way home tonight, i reflected on the special relationships that God has brought me...in many different circles of believers: New Wine Gathering in Bacliff, the Starbucks Men's Fellowship(that has been going on for 2+years now), My Clear Creek Jnr High Adult Volunteers Group, super close family friends in Becky and Jeff Gray and..finally... the (now) high school guys that God has given me the chance to "pour into" these last 6 years. How blessed i am, and thankful to God...everyday!
As for TRANSFORMATIONAL FAITH:
I continue to be amazed at the path God has taken me on. How..through so much "relational loss", he just keeps on bringing into my life "relational gain"...in profound ways. How...beyond that...he grows our faith not vertically, but horizontaly, as well. Mission minded, if you will.
Being on mission for Christ is SO MUCH akin to surfing...seriously! If our beach is the foundation of which our surf experience begins, so too is our local church. We grow there, we thirst there, and we begin to "seek out" there. Yes..we even begin to be pushed out.
Then..there is the "paddle out"! It's not always easy, and there are peaks and valleys of whitewater to fight through...just like in our faith...when we have to go through the "low points" before we can "Go Local" or "Go global" and spread the gospel to others.
It's that glorious desitination we search for, and seek. The place where we begin to TRULY make an impact for Jesus, and teach and bring others to Him. It's the "line-up"..or "mission-field". It's the "perfect wave"...or the "perfect opportunity" to share the gospel with another. We're in the lineup...in the mission field, and God really starts to use us...to give us opportunities to share. He gives us that PERFECT WAVE. We ride it in, and praise Him, and serve Him...all the way to the beach. Then we rest gain...renourish...resupply...and paddle out...again!
I love this analogy. This parable, if you will.
Let's all seek HIM. Let's not sit on the beach and watch from afar. Let's grab the board(the cross) and paddle out...and do it all over again...for HIM.
In HIM, always....
Jerry :O)
God is also teaching me alot about "transformational faith" and how...as our hearts grow for both the local and global mission-field, it's so very akin to one of my favorite sports .... surfing.
A little on my beginning topic, first:
TONIGHT was special ... and happy ... and sad. It marked about the 5th year that our little band of Christiansurfers have been meeting. The relationships,closeness and friendships that God has grown over the years holds a special place in my heart. I've learned alot just watching them, loving up on them, and being open to them doing the same, for me. We said " goodbye" to two...Kylle and Haley, tonight. They move to Hawaii, to spread the vision, love and hope that is Christ Jesus. True...we'll see them again this summer...but their empty chairs in our group will never be filled. What a blessing they've been to our group!
On the way home tonight, i reflected on the special relationships that God has brought me...in many different circles of believers: New Wine Gathering in Bacliff, the Starbucks Men's Fellowship(that has been going on for 2+years now), My Clear Creek Jnr High Adult Volunteers Group, super close family friends in Becky and Jeff Gray and..finally... the (now) high school guys that God has given me the chance to "pour into" these last 6 years. How blessed i am, and thankful to God...everyday!
As for TRANSFORMATIONAL FAITH:
I continue to be amazed at the path God has taken me on. How..through so much "relational loss", he just keeps on bringing into my life "relational gain"...in profound ways. How...beyond that...he grows our faith not vertically, but horizontaly, as well. Mission minded, if you will.
Being on mission for Christ is SO MUCH akin to surfing...seriously! If our beach is the foundation of which our surf experience begins, so too is our local church. We grow there, we thirst there, and we begin to "seek out" there. Yes..we even begin to be pushed out.
Then..there is the "paddle out"! It's not always easy, and there are peaks and valleys of whitewater to fight through...just like in our faith...when we have to go through the "low points" before we can "Go Local" or "Go global" and spread the gospel to others.
It's that glorious desitination we search for, and seek. The place where we begin to TRULY make an impact for Jesus, and teach and bring others to Him. It's the "line-up"..or "mission-field". It's the "perfect wave"...or the "perfect opportunity" to share the gospel with another. We're in the lineup...in the mission field, and God really starts to use us...to give us opportunities to share. He gives us that PERFECT WAVE. We ride it in, and praise Him, and serve Him...all the way to the beach. Then we rest gain...renourish...resupply...and paddle out...again!
I love this analogy. This parable, if you will.
Let's all seek HIM. Let's not sit on the beach and watch from afar. Let's grab the board(the cross) and paddle out...and do it all over again...for HIM.
In HIM, always....
Jerry :O)
No comments:
Post a Comment