Community.
Selflessness.
Giving up rights. Lose the expectations.
Put others first.
Take up your cross.
Submit to the authority.
Step out in faith.
Learn to run with boldness.
Pray. Rise Up!
Hold on to the truths.
Stand firm in Jesus’ mighty Name!
Listen with your heart.
Serve inward before you serve outward.
LOVE. Be patient.
Lay down in humility, walk in understanding, and run in obedience!
These have been the words on my lips in the past few months. If you have spent time with me, chances are you have heard me share these phrases. In a summarized statement, these are the key things that have been ingrained in my heart since last December. Of course as an evangelist, these things have been shared out of love and excitement. From doing the Race, I feel as though the greatest treasures have been revealed to me! And as a passionate individual, I’ve had no intent of keeping any of this to myself. Of course, when something is given to us, it is for us….and possibly something to speak to others!
Being home has been amazing. On the forefront it has been great plugging back in to my home community, a job, ministry (which is my job), and friendships. In the past 3 months or so I have seen my relationships grow deeper and my love for others increase. I have seen a greater ring of relationships grow as well through radio interviews, church visits, and speaking engagements. It’s so exciting for me to see others so passionate to do something about the hunger everyone seems to have for more of the Lord!
Last week I was teaching a group of students at a Discipleship School about the subject of Missions. We discussed the Great Commission, the Church, serving inward, and of course serving abroad! We watched “End of the Spear” to get an idea of how language barriers and worldviews collide to bring confusion and frustration. We finished off our time with a discussion on community and how without a community, we are nothing. We naturally tend to chase the okay so we can do something “good”, instead of the much valuable blessing! We go to our churches with an idea and expect support! But we are looking for the okay to go and people to support it. What would happen if we set out with the mission on our heart and reached out as we went? What if we let others see the fruit as we LIVE out our lives and allow others to bless us?
We weren’t create to be alone. The Lord has given us community for a reason! We need the church! When we feel left out and not heard, yet driven by that fire and love deep in our hearts, we need to not be discouraged….we are called to move forward. As Jesus says, wipe the dust off your feet and keep going.
There is a generation all around us that has a FIRE deep down inside of us! We are called to spread that fire worldwide. Let’s start getting brave and step out into that! Let’s start to pray for the missionaries! Let’s start going overseas, even if it’s only 10 days, to hold the orphans and lay hands on the widows! Let’s start to recognize the homeless on our streets! Let’s start to listen to the prostitutes, the criminals, and the alcoholics instead of pass them by! Let’s start being Jesus with skin on! Let’s let our youth go into the world and carry that Good News upon there lips and not worry about the danger that this world scares us with! Let’s start walking in the new understanding we have by laying hands on the sick, praising in times of strife, and start listening to those standing beside us instead of neglecting them when we have our own “issues”!
Let’s stand together church! Let’s live in this Kingdom that is on earth just as it is in Heaven! There is a stirring in our hearts, words on it that we are sometimes scared to admit. Yet we know how much we need to live by them! Lets start letting it take hold of all of us! I’m excited, are you?!
