Raising the bar on vision…

i think this was a good start for the new series.  i had been looking forward to this day for months and i was afraid i had too much stored up…too much to say and not enough time to say it.  i hope that it started the ball rolling…

there are two things that really stand out as i look back.  the first is about how we are to connect with god’s plan (or vision) for his people in a particular church or situation.  when i look back on those early years of youth ministry at north point, there is no question that god inspired us to see beyond what was and into the future of what could be.  for me, that’s what vision is all about.

but that’s only part of the story.  that vision (of a room full of kids…growing and being discipled) could never have happened without the sold out commitment of like-minded leaders who shared the ownership of this ministry.  we pulled together.  we worked like crazy.  we saw what god saw and we weren’t afraid to put ourselves on the line for it.   we knew is was going to cost us our time…our energy…our money…our vehicles…our homes…our possessions…our sleep…our vacations…our days off…everything!

but that’s how vision is realized.

the other thing that most impressed me during my study and preparation was the realization that if people really wanted to have more of their time demanded, more of their energy demanded, more of their money demanded…they would probably be going to a different church.  after all, north point is a nice, friendly little church that doesn’t place too many demands on people.

that was yesterday.

BYOF – three

(my apologies…but i am posting this same thing on my other blog for today…just to make sure it gets read.  it’s that important)

sorry…i’m a little slow in posting this week.  

this was a good series.  i see more and more people opening their bibles during the sermon and a new awareness of the need for taking personal responsibility for feeding oneself.  mission accomplished.

i am continually amazed at our ability to understand (and even act on) the concept of taking responsibility for our marriages, for our personal health and well being, for our education, for our front lawns, for our baseball swings, for…well, pretty much anything…

except our personal spiritual lives and our experience with god.

we are so quick to complain about how boring church is…or how we aren’t feeling close to god…or how we are struggling with sin or doubt or anger or forgiveness or lust or temptation or any number of other things…but we won’t do anything about it.

people just drift away into ambivalence about their faith.  or they go looking for a better church.  or they complain about not being fed well enough.

why doesn’t it occur to people that the answer is sitting right on their nightstand?  why the reluctance to open the book, take out a fork and start shoving it in?

man, it’s time to wake up!

we start a new series next week.  i’m pumped.  don’t forget you can listen to the sermons online at www.npcc.cc (click on resources).  pass it on to a friend.