I hope you're still holding strong during our Daniel Fast. I can't thank you enough for making this commitment. Even though we are fasting as a corporate body, the fast is still about you and God. How does fasting benefit LifeSpring. I know we are in unity and we are praying for specific things, but the real benefit to the church is you get closer to God. And as we collectively draw closer to God, guess what? He draws closer to the church.
I hope you read today's blog before church. If not, reread this next Sunday. Because I want you to do something different this Sunday in church. First, get there 20-30 minutes early and join us at the altar for some pre-service prayer. Then, worship a little deeper and listen to my sermon on Persuing God. But the biggest thing I'd like for you to do is pick someone out of the crowd to bless. Take some time to scan the faces and then do something. It might be just a big smile and a hug. (we like to hug around here) Or, a sincere, "How are you doing." or a quick prayer. It might just be a listening ear.
I'm asking you to do this to prove a point to you. If you've fasted for a week, your spiritual senses are sharpened. They may not feel sharpened. You might not feel any closer to God.... but you are. You have just completed one week of drawing nearer to God. And I promise you, God has drawn near to you in the process. My goal is to get you to the place where your reason for coming to church begins to change. Most people come to church to be re-charged or to hopefully hear their favorite song. Or they come to hang out with people they really like. But what I'd like to see is a church full of people who come to church, poised and ready to minister. What would church be like if we came to minister to others? I'll tell you what it would look like. It would look like the church Jesus said He would build! And that would be a church that is irresistible to the world.
Pastor Dale
AMEN! LET'S BE THAT CHURCH!!
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately I did not read this blog before church, I just caught up on the week cause I didn't know it existed until you announced it in church this morning. Im a little slow so if you announced it before im sorry. Im not very techy. But I did want to share that I did the second part of what you asked, to find someone and seek them out. The Lord told me to approach two people, in obedience I did. God is faithful. I feel like I have come a whole lifetime of growth in just a week. I can feel my faith going to a place it has never been, and for that I am grateful. I am so grateful for a church that seeks His face. God is good! Thank you Jesus!
ReplyDeleteI so agree ! Sunday’s are recharge days, but also equipping days. We need to be ready to serve on Sundays and see what God has us to do 😊
ReplyDeleteI don't go to the altar every week to pray on Sunday morning but I have a few times. Usually it is when I have a concern that is weighing me down. I do try to greet people and watch for new people and notice people who look like they are fighting a battle. I find that having my prayer time and reading and studying the Word time before church helps get me into a serving mindset.
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