Early this week as I was preparing for today's message I was researching one area...Obedience...I really thought that was going to be my topic for today's message...but something happened this week and it turned in to something different...something I do about 1 or 2x's a year...I call it a nuggets message...Today during the message I sat on a stool (Only got up once to the amazement of everyone...I just can't sit still!) and we talked during the message...chance to talk about several different topics...things that are on my heart...things that I see happening in people's lives around me...things happening in my life..."stuff" that I read in my quiet time with God...it is like sitting around a campfire and just talking about what is happening...It's nuggets to take home...something to encourage you or challenge you...a chance to touch a lot of different people right where they are...Everyone was really engaged in the conversation...very cool to see God working in the room as I talked today...
We had a guest worship leader Rick today...he hadn't been here for over a year...GREAT to have him back and leading...AMAZING heart...passion for God...AWESOME!
We also said good-bye to a family that has helped us since our launch...they are from our Goshen campus and have continued to come for over 2 years...driving 45 minute or more every 2-weeks to serve here...it is sad to see them leave us, but it has been AWESOME to have them with us...we love you Mike and Jodi and the kids!! Praying with you...Cool part is that they are not "gone" just not going to be here as much! BUT we will miss seeing consistently!
A few highlights from this morning...
-The week after Easter is supposed to be a "downer" for attendance...our 2nd best attendance of the year with more 1st time visitors and several back again! (Guess I didn't scare them away last week!!)
-There are a lot of hurting people out there
-Great to watch people encouraging each other...talking with each other in the hallways
-I'm not excited about summer hours at the theater...we really like having extra time at the end of the service!!
-Two nuggets that grabbed me today...
*"They deserve what they get" How many of us have said those words about someone? And I ask the question...What if Jesus would have said that about us? MAN...that is a tough one...we then looked at the end of the Lord's Prayer...the 2 verses after it was over...we will be forgiven in the way we forgive others...Whoa...we need to take a good look at who we are bitter toward and we need to be ready to forgive them...
*"THAT is happening!" We read about the early, early, early church in Acts 2: 42-47...and looked at how this is starting to happen here at Grace...we are experiencing these type of things...lives changed...people loving each other...people starting to hang out together...very cool! LOVE being here and seeing God work...
It was neat to talk with people after the message and see which nuggets got to them...it was something different for everyone...cool how God uses different styles and methods to touch people...Fun!
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