The Whale Seat

Sometimes I wonder why I'm so distracted. I'm a guy who wants to get things done but I tend to push the envelope on when those things need to be done. I drag my feet. Find other things to do. And basically stay away from what I need to get done. Typing that makes me feel like I spend a lot of time sitting in the whale, like Jonah, running from what God wants me to get done because I don't want to do it or I have other things that I would rather do. Help me Lord, to not drag my feet from the calling and responsibility that You have given me to lead people into a greater relationship with You.

I named this year for the New Life Center, The Year of Fine Tuning So We Can Give Birth. The fine tuning, that I believe the Lord is showing me, is how we do church. I read a book called Fusion by Nelson Searcy on how to assimilate first time guests into your church. His words challenged me to want to do everything with excellence. Why? Because each Sunday morning God gives us people who need to hear His Word. We can wait for worship to start and hope that that draws them and keeps them coming. We can pray that my message knocks their socks off and they want to come back until they find Jesus as their Lord and Savior. Or we can catch them at the door, helping them get rid of the earthly distractions that Satan is throwing their way to keep them distracted, and usher them into an experience with God that could change their life. That third choice is the best. So there is a lot of work to be done.

The problem I face that keeps me from launching is where to start. But it isn't always about where to start as much as it is about starting somewhere, anywhere, just as long as I start.

This morning as I held my son on the couch, because he decided to wake up at 6:00am, I began to think about what do we want to give birth to. I kept thinking a big move of God in this area and He helped me shrink that down today. I want to give birth to ministries that disciple men and women to be all they can be for Jesus. I want to give birth to a move of the Spirit that gets us away from talking negatively and draws us into speaking positively to everyone. Where we have a genuine concern and love for everyone who walks into the door. And everything we do is done with excellence, not just to do it so we look better than other churches but to do it because it is the way Christ would want it done. That we would all be and feel part of the OHANA, the family, that no one would be left behind or forgotten.

I type all of this to say that we are going to rethink the way we do church. Our vision is the same, reaching the people of Ford City, Kittanning, and all of Armstrong County. Our mission is the same building God's OHANA. We are just going to sharpen that and bring more clarity and direction to it. So pray for me that I can remain focused and not get distracted as I pursue doing everything with excellence.