My Epic Journey

Last night was our first session at the GCC Pastor’s Conference in St. Louis.  Tom Short spoke.  Here is his outline:

5 Signs We May Be Ashamed of the Gospel

Text:  Romans 1.14-16

#1.  If we feel that what we offer is not of real value.

#2.  If we don’t know how to handle our faith in a relativistic, pluralistic, post-modern, multi-cultural society.

#3.  If we are afraid because the Gospel condemns men as sinners.

#4.  If we are afraid to called “hell-fire and brimstone preachers”

#5.  If we are fearful to take the Gospel into the public square.

It was a great challenge to what we are called to do as Great Commission Christians–and that is preach the Gospel with passion and fervency.

This morning, I had the opportunity to speak at Hyatt Middle School to their Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) group.  It was a lot of fun.  Below is an excerpt from FCA coordinator and teacher, Jonathan Juravich.

This morning we were blessed to have Ryan Smith, from Grace Point Community Church, come and speak with us!

Ryan read to us "Horton Hatches an Egg." in the story Horton the Elephant is tricked by a lazy bird to sit on an egg. He sits through rain, snow, being made fun of, captured by Hunters, sold to a circus… and the horrible list goes on. But at the end, Horton is rewarded by the egg hatching…and out comes a very unique Ele-bird! He is 100% happy.

When he was sitting on that egg he did not give up, he is loyal and dedicated to his cause: sitting on that egg. For so many of us we are nearing the end of the year (and for some, the end of middle school) and we can’t get lazy. We have a hard time putting in all of our time and instead want to just give up. But then we never get that satisfaction (or in Horton’s case the 100% happy!).

In James 1:12 we read "Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial." Don’t just take it from Dr. Seuss, it is in God’s word… plain as day. If we hold true, if we persevere…at the end we are so greatly rewarded. (also check out James 1:2-4!)

Thank you for coming today Ryan and for sharing your awesome message!

A BIG thanks to Tom Houser for the message idea!!!!!

At Grace Point, we thrive as a ministry on our Life Group ministry.  The importance of getting together as a group of peers with a passion to hold each other accountable, breathe life and love to each other and to both cheer and weep with each other cannot be overstated.  I know our students grow deep and are challenged in their respected EPIC Journey (Life) Groups but even more important is Anna and my need for small community interaction.  As our ministry, both Grace Point and EPIC, continues to grow it is necessary to find a place in the Life Group setting.

I was reminded again of this in a reading I was doing for grad work. Clinton and Ohlschlager, in their book, Competent Christian Counseling, state:

Within a community committed to acceptance, education, and appropriate discipline and consequences for conduct unbecoming a disciple of Jesus Christ . . . people are brought to maturity.

The spiritual reparenting required is often best accomplished through cell (life) groups, that assemble for the purpose of Bible study, encouragement, exhortation, worship, and the practice of a series of spiritual disciplines within a circle of accountability (Foster, 1988; Willard, 1998).  In keeping with our giftedness, no member of the believing community is excused from involvement with these groups or the means of personal spiritual growth they seek to establish (Ephesians 4.14-16) (p. 113)

Our Pastor of Discipleship, Tom Houser, does an AMAZING job fostering and training our community of believers on the importance of the Life Group community.  For more information on Tom’s thoughts and guidance check out, http://runinsuchaway.com/.