After sleeping pretty restlessly, I was ready to get going when my alarm went off at 5:30. There is so much still to plan and do. It’s Easter week!

I grabbed my phone and checked emails while making coffee. Several more confirmations that God is at work in the hearts of people. God is not dead. It’s Easter week!

I grabbed “The Story” to read the Resurrection story and my heart was pounding in my chest. I could hardly sit still. I felt like I was one of the disciples at the tomb. God is on the move. It’s Easter week!

God brought to mind the names of many – some regulars at [e] stat, some who haven’t been in a while, and others who have yet to come. I was so excited with anticipation of what God is going to do, I could barely formulate prayers. It’s Easter week!

Whatever stress, fatigue, and pain I feel, I lay at the cross of Christ. Father, fill me with your Resurrection life and power, so that everyone may know IT’S EASTER WEEK!

A long time ago in a land far away, a certain man named Elimelech (Eli for short) left his home town of Bethlehem, in the country of Judah, because there was a severe famine. He took his wife, Naomi, and their two sons, Mahlon and Kilion and went over to the country of Moab, just to the east on the other side of the Dead Sea. There was plenty of food there in Moab and things were pretty good. That is until Eli died and Naomi was left alone in a foreign land with her two young sons.Now for a woman of this time to be left without a husband would almost certainly mean impending doom. Women of this era, like Naomi, had no means of providing for themselves in an agrarian society. She could be left destitute, resorting to a life of begging on the streets if no one married her again. Luckily for her, she has two able-bodied sons who can provide for her needs. These two sons each married a Moabite woman. One married Orpah (not to be confused with Oprah) and the other married a woman named Ruth. The five of them lived together as a family, farming for a living.

Now before we go on, I need to say a word about this country, Moab, and its people. In the Bible, Moab is known as a land of sexual indecency, apostasy, and idolatry. Indeed, the Moab people began as a result of an incestuous relationship between Abraham’s nephew Lot and his own daughter. I guess you could say they had a bad reputation from the get-go. What’s more: Jewish Law said that no Moabite would be welcomed in the Israelite community even after ten generations! Wow! That’s harsh. And this is where Naomi, the Israelite, now finds herself. And her two sons have delved head-first into the licentiousness, apostasy and idolatry of Moab by marrying two of its women.

As it turns out, these “bad reputation” women can’t even redeem themselves by having children – the ultimate sign of a woman’s worth and value at the time. Both of them go ten years without having a single child between them; then, tragically both of their husbands die; both of Naomi’s sons. Now the three women are all left helpless and alone without husbands or sons to take care of them. Not a good situation to be in the Ancient Near East.

The brunt of the tragedy is absorbed by Naomi. She has not only lost her primary caregiver – her husband, but her two secondary providers, as well (her sons). In addition, she has lost the possibility of having any grandchildren that could bring her joy and provide for her in the future. You might say her situation is pretty bleak, hopeless and helpless.

Not really sure what to do or where to turn, Naomi decides she’ll head back to her homeland. After all, the famine is over there. Maybe she can at least participate in the Hebrew welfare system by picking the grain off the ground that the harvesters leave behind. Figuring maybe that there’s strength in numbers, Naomi’s two recently widowed daughters-in-law begin the trip back to Israel with her. But soon after they begin their journey, Naomi realizes, “I can’t go home with these two Moabite women. My people will run us all out of town. My chances are much better without them.”

So Naomi puts on a good face: “You ladies run on home now. There’s nothing for you in my homeland. Go to your home and marry Moabite men. May the Lord bless you for your willingness to come with me.” Then they all break down and cry, kissing and hugging – you know, the way women do.

But the Moabite women won’t be gotten rid of so easily. “No,” they persist, “we want to go with you to your people.”

“Oh, come now, don’t be silly,” Naomi answers back. “What can you possibly gain by staying with me? I don’t have any more sons for you to marry. And I’m too old to marry again and have more sons. And even if I could, would you wait around for them to grow up so you could marry them? That’s preposterous! The Lord has made me bitter by causing me such great suffering, but you need not be a part of it. You still can have a future with your people. But my fate is sealed. So go on now. I’ll be alright; alone with my tears.”

Again the three women cry and kiss and hug (you know, the way women do). And this time Orpah takes the bait. “Yeah, I suppose you’re right,” she says. “See ya later.” And she takes off.

Naomi then looks at Ruth. “Well? Your sister-in-law is ‘splitsville,’ so why don’t you do the same?” But Ruth’s not budging.

“Go on, now,” Naomi persists. “You run along, now, you hear?”

Still Naomi won’t move.

“Get going!” Naomi urges a third time.

Finally, Ruth breaks her silence. “Look, I’m not leaving you, okay? So don’t ask me again. Wherever you go, I’m going. Wherever you live, that’s where I’m pitching my tent. I’m no longer a Moabite. I’m an Israelite. I’m forsaking my gods for your God. If you’re going to die, then I’m going to die with you… and they’ll bury me in your land, not mine!”

Whoa! This woman means business. That’s extreme loyalty! For whatever reason, she’s stuck like glue to her mother-in-law, and like a faithful puppy, she’s going to follow her around wherever she goes. Orpah may be easily dissuaded, but not Ruth. She’s in this thing for the long-haul.

Naomi finally understands this and she stops trying to get rid of her, and the two continue on to Naomi’s hometown, Bethlehem.

When they arrive in Bethlehem, the entire town is a buzz. “Is this really Naomi?” they ask. “We haven’t seen her in years. And what’s she doing with that young hussy – that sinful Moabite woman? She should know better than to show up after all this time, and with a forbidden foreigner! What nerve!”

“You know what?” Naomi tells the people. “There’s no amount of criticizing or ostracizing that’s going to bother me any more than I’ve already been bothered. I’ve lost my husband and both my sons. I’m no longer the “pleasant” Naomi (for that’s what “Naomi” means) you once knew. Now I’m “bitter.” So call me “Mara” (for that’s the name for “bitter”).” Whoa! Watch out! Perhaps this is the origin of the saying: “Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.”

You know, sometimes being a mother isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Sometimes it’s really, really hard work. Sometimes it’s frustrating, disappointing and downright hurtful. Perhaps sometimes the disappointment and pain leads to bitterness. Sometimes you set out on life’s journey pleasant and full of life, only to come back empty and jaded by the trials along the way. That was certainly the case for Naomi. And maybe that’s the case for you right now. Whether you are a mother or daughter, father or son; God can heal your pain.

First Peter 4:8 says, “Love covers a multitude of sins.” Love also heals many hurts. Love can make bitter people pleasant again. It the undeserved love and loyalty from an unexpected source that heals Naomi’s deep wounds, and turns her bitterness into joy. Though she constantly tried to refute Ruth’s faithful love, Ruth would not be deterred. It is this faithful love that causes others to say to Naomi in the end, “Your daughter-in-law has been better to you than seven sons.” That statement in a society where women are completely dependent upon men for survival is perhaps the highest praise for the unremitting love shown by Ruth to her mother-in-law. Ruth gave everything she had to care for her mother-in-law – to heal her wounds.

Like Naomi, none of us deserve the love poured out to us by God through Jesus Christ who became nothing so that we could have everything. And if a simple Moabite woman like Ruth would not be deterred, how much more will Christ not be deterred. “Where you go, I will go,” he says. “Where you live, I will live. Even through the darkest nights and the longest days; through the frustration, disappointment and pain, I will be there until the bitter end. Nothing can separate us!” It is the faithful, unremitting love of Christ that can heal any wound – even the wounds left by motherhood.

And now a word to daughters; really to all of us. It wasn’t Ruth’s “job” to care for Naomi. She certainly was under no obligation to do so. She had every right and every opportunity – even the blessing of Naomi – to abandon her mother-in-law and just look out for herself. But she didn’t. She went well-beyond the extra mile. And God not only blessed her for her faithfulness by providing her with a husband (Boaz) and a son (Obed), but God used her to deeply bless Naomi and the entire human race. Because it was Ruth’s son, Obed (remember, she was barren for ten years previously), who was the grandfather of King David – the greatest king in the history of Israel – whose royal genealogy leads all the way to the birth of Jesus Christ. In fact, Ruth – the sexually immoral, apostate, idolatrous Moabite woman – is one of only four women who are mentioned in the genealogy of Jesus in Matthew 1.

Unexpected love from an unexpected source reaps exceptional results. So the next time you think it’s not your problem, or not your concern to care for someone else, remember Ruth. It could very well be through you that God blesses another, yourself, and perhaps the entire world.

Love makes even bitter mother-in-laws pleasant again.

Last Sunday, I talked about Joshua and God’s command to him to “Be strong and courageous!”

Read Joshua 1:5-9

Courage to face our fears comes from knowing who God is and knowing who we are as God’s children and that no matter what happens, overwhelming victory is ours through Jesus Christ. And the only way to overcome fear is to let Christ overcome you.

Joshua had many reasons to be afraid. And he had many reasons to be weak. Indeed, compared to the armies they would soon be going up against, Joshua and his people were incredibly weak. Joshua needed to be physically strong, but he also needed to be strong emotionally and spiritually to lead his people.

Like courage, strength comes from God. Verse 5 says, “I will not fail you or abandon you” and verse 9 says, “The Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” Joshua is commanded to be strong – not that he has to pull up his pants and muster the strength himself, but rather that he just has to believe that God will not fail him, will not abandon him, and will be with him wherever he goes. Strength comes from knowing who God is and where God is – that He is on our side.

As a kid, one of my favorite Bible stories was that of Samson (Judges 13-16). Samson was the strongest man who ever lived. He did amazing things like kill a lion with his bare hands, tear a city gate off its hinges, and kill a thousand men with the jawbone of a donkey – you know super-hero-type stuff – which is why the story appeals so much to boys. But this is no Sunday School story. It’s more like a Hollywood blockbuster. It’s got action, violence, sex, and betrayal – which is why the story appeals to men who used to be boys.

In popular renditions of the story you get the idea that Samson had this long flowing hair that was never cut and that was somehow magically the source of his strength. And it’s true that God commanded him never to cut his hair and when his hair did get cut, he was as weak as an ordinary man. But listen to what the Bible says about his strength:

Judges 13:25 – “The Spirit of the Lord began to take hold of [Samson]” (as he was growing up).

14:6 – “The Spirit of the Lord powerfully took control of [Samson] and he ripped the lion’s jaws apart with his bare hands.”

14:19 – “Then the Spirit of the Lord powerfully took control of [Samson]… and he killed 30 men.”

15:14 – “The Spirit of the Lord powerfully took control of Samson and he snapped the ropes on his arms as if they were burnt strands of flax… Then he picked up a donkey’s jawbone… and killed a thousand [men] with it.”

16:20 – (After Delilah shaves his head) “He didn’t realize the Lord had left him.” His strength wasn’t gone because his hair was gone, but because he sinned and the Lord left him.

16:28 – (Samson in prison is brought out as entertainment for the masses) “Then Samson prayed to the Lord, ‘Sovereign Lord, remember me again. O God, please strengthen me one more time…’ Then Samson put his hands on the center pillars of the temple and pushed with all his might… and the temple crashed down” and killed 3,000 people, including Samson.

Samson’s hair wasn’t magical. It was a symbol of his obedience to God, and as long as he obeyed, God gave him tremendous strength. But once he disobeyed, God left him and let him suffer the consequences. But he didn’t abandon him forever, did He? No God is the God of 2^nd chances and He empowered Samson to kill more enemies in his dying than he did in his living.

As I was reading this story again this week, it reminded me of my favorite super hero when I was a kid: The Incredible Hulk. (In fact, I’m quite sure that the creator of The Incredible Hulk drew inspiration from Samson). I never read the hulk comics, but The Incredible Hulk TV show with Bill Bixby and Lou Ferrigno was on when I was kid and that really impacted me quite a lot. It made it more real than the comic books and Saturday morning cartoons.

There are different sorts of superheroes. There are those who are just ordinary people, like Batman. Batman doesn’t have any special powers. He’s just a regular old millionaire who can afford all the latest gadgetry and technology to help him fight crime. Probably the largest class of superheroes are those who are born with their powers (these often come from alien planets), like Superman. Superman is super, but he’s not really a man. He’s an alien who was born with the super powers that he possesses. Then there are those superheroes who are ordinary joes until they suffer some sort of freak accident, like Spiderman, who was bit by a radioactive spider that transferred it’s spider strength and senses to Peter Parker. Then there’s The Incredible Hulk. Like Spiderman, the Hulk was created as the result of a science experiment gone wrong. But that’s where the similarities end, because unlike superheroes like Spiderman, Superman, and most (if not all) of the superheroes who have possess their super powers all the time, the Hulk’s strength only comes periodically, when ordinary scientist David Banner gets angry. Then the weak, vanilla, status-quo scientist becomes incredible – capable of unmatched strength, even stronger than Superman (that’s debatable, I suppose). In the TV show, David Banner is ordinarily a weak little coward. But when rage overtakes him, he transforms into an incredible fearless, strong unstoppable monster.

In real life, of course, there are no such things as super heroes. And, contrary to popular belief, there are no such people as “Super Christians.” There are only ordinary Christians who, like Joshua and Samson, can do extraordinary things by the power of God; ordinary average people who become incredible when empowered by God’s Spirit.

Sometimes we get trapped thinking that the Bible is a bunch of stories about super heroes who did all of these incredible things. But the truth is that the stories in the Bible are about ordinary people like you and me who God gave the strength and courage to do extraordinary things. And that same strength is available to each one of us because we serve the same God.

We are not like Superman or Superwoman who have incredible innate strength. We are more like the Incredible Hulk – ordinary men and women with many flaws and weaknesses that by the Spirit’s power can do incredible things. We can face trials and temptations and struggles that no ordinary person could endure, and not only endure them, but be content and even joyous in them, because God’s power is made perfect in our weakness.

Just because you’re not a super hero doesn’t mean you can’t be INCREDIBLE.

It was perhaps the greatest opportunity ever.  God tells Moses that he wants to come to his people and dwell right in the middle of their camp.  Not on the outskirts.  Not in the ‘burbs.  But right downtown.

You might wonder, “What preparations would a people need to make for God to live in their midst?”  Would it be like getting ready for weekend guests or someone special coming to dinner? You feel compelled to make sure your home looks as good as possible. You want to make a good impression and you want your guest to feel welcome.

God anticipated the question and told Moses what needed to be in place for his coming.  First, he wanted to be close to them but there was the problem of sin that created a barrier between them.  So God provided Moses with instructions about the practice of sacrificing, offering a covering for the people’s indiscretions before a Holy God.  Sin is serious stuff, not to be taken lightly, and the sacrifice of unblemished animals was necessary to give the people a picture of sin.

Second, he wanted to stay close to them.  Moses was given the blueprints for the building of the Tabernacle.  It’s a big word for “tent.”  A portable place of worship.  Kind of a mobile Motel 6.  And he wanted to camp out right in the middle of where they were camping.  God wanted to be close to his people.

But he also wanted them to be close to each other.  So he declared a third thing to get ready.  He gave them Ten Commandments concerning relationships.  The first four commandments focus on how we are to demonstrate our love to God.  The second set of six have to do with how to show love to other people.  In seeing these relationships of love it was God’s desire that people would come to know Him too.

Jesus said the same in John 13:34: “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another. . . By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

God gave the Israelites guidelines so that, when they sought to live by them, other nations would see them as different and know that they were God’s people.  God gave us Jesus so that, when we live like him, others will know that we are his people.

For those who know him, God took care of our sin through the sacrifice of Jesus.  He tabernacles in the hearts of those who have drawn near to him.  Could it be then that the degree to which we are obedient to him in this command to love each other is the degree of his presence we will find among us? It could be our greatest opportunity ever.

You need only ask the Israelites.  Behind them was a life of back-breaking work and slavery.  Ahead of them was a life in the land of Promise.  Behind them was the fierce army of a fanatical Pharaoh coming towards them.  Ahead of them was a wall.  Their obstruction was made of water.

Your “wall” may be a fear of failure.  Or maybe it’s a lack of confidence that has grinded your progress to a halt.  Or it could merely be too many problems that have piled up in front of you at the same time. And you have no clue which one to tackle first.

So you stopped.  And you aren’t sure if there is a way over, around, or under this imposing impediment.

At this point many people panic.  Anxiety courses its way through the body, atrophies the movement muscles, and rigor mortis overtakes their resolve.  Eyes which once had clear focus now only focus on the wall just inches away.

But some look elsewhere.  The Israelites looked to Moses.  They began belting him with blame.  Have you done the same?    Blame the boss.  Blame a co-worker.  Blame your dog.  Blame God.  Maybe even blame yourself?   Blame all you want but the wall remains.

While the Israelites were body punching Moses, he opted to look elsewhere.  His options?  He could have looked at the enemy’s army.  He could have looked at the ungrateful people he led.  He could have looked at the wall of water spread out before him, sat down, and given up.

Instead he looked to God.  And God opened an unlikely route through the wall of water.  Safely on the other side, the very wall that had halted their steps closed in on and covered the sources of their fears.

The very name of the book where we find this story serves as a reminder when we face our “walls.”  “Exodus” is a compound Greek word meaning “the way out.”  And in case you might have missed it, the way out was not a better job, a different spouse, or a victim mentality.

No, the way out is God.  Next time you find yourself up against a wall, look to God.

Most people try to free themselves from a pornography addiction by doing either one or a combination of these things:

1. Asserting their will (“I’m not going to look at pornography today.”). This is akin to the alcoholic declaring, “I’m never going to drink again” when he wakes up with a horrible hangover or does something regretful. This is admirable, but if it is just your will against your addiction, you will lose most of the time. And even if you win today, you despair because you know you will only give in tomorrow.
2. Constructing a bunch of rules and regulations (“All computers must be kept in a common area.”). This is not a bad idea, but in and of itself, it will fail because… well, because rules were made to be broken. And chances are you got to where you are by breaking a bunch of them already.
3. Praying (“God, take away this desire.”). Again, not a bad idea, but in many cases, our prayers are misdirected. Newsflash: God gave you the desire, so He’s not going to take it away. It’s not enough to just pray. We must pray the right kind of prayers in conjunction with the things listed below.

Lust is a matter of the heart before it is an act of the body. Therefore, just simply modifying our behavior won’t solve the problem. It may for a time, but if we don’t address the heart issues, our lust will rear it’s ugly head again even stronger. Jesus doesn’t want our morality. He wants our hearts. We must allow God’s truth to change our hearts and transform our minds.

Put simply: Our love for Christ must outweigh our love for porn.

That said, here are 7 practical things I believe are necessary for finding freedom from pornography.

1. Confess your sin to God and a trusted mature Christian (James 5:16). The primary way that Satan holds us captive is by shaming us into thinking we’re all alone. You are NOT alone. Statistics reveal that 50% of Christian men and 20% of Christian women are addicted to porn. The first step in finding freedom is admitting your “dirty little secret.”
2. Pray. You know how strong your desire is to commit your sin? God’s desire to free you from it is infinitely more powerful. But, as noted above, you must pray rightly. Instead of “God, please take away this desire,” pray “God, give me eyes to see the lie.” “Give me courage and humility to admit my problem.” “Give me discernment and wisdom to stay out of temptation’s way.”
3. Make a covenant with your eyes not to look at another woman (or man) lustfully (Job 31:1). I’m not exactly sure what this mean for Job, but for me it means that I “bounce” my eyes. There is an old Puritan rule that to look once is okay, but to look twice is a sin. I’m not really into rules, but sometimes you just can’t avoid letting your eyes see things they shouldn’t. It’s what you do after that that matters. Make a habit of “bouncing” your eyes from that person/thing to something else.
4. Take sinful thoughts captive (2 Cor. 10:5). Starve your mind of sinful input and feast on God’s truth in His Word and with His people.
5. Flee from temptation (1 Cor. 6:18; James 4:7). Most of us don’t sin “all of a sudden.” There are often steps or patterns that lead us into temptation’s path. And once there, it is difficult for us to resist. So be honest about your triggers and be diligent to avoid the road to temptation.
   • Destroy and cancel any questionable catalogs and subscriptions.
   • Don’t travel alone.
   • Monitor or disconnect the internet.
   • Avoid questionable places.
   • Turn off the television late at night.      
6. Redirect your desires (Eph. 4:28). It’s not enough to just “stop.” You have to redirect your desires into something that gives instead of takes.  God has given us passions, energies and desires. He doesn’t want us to suppress them or deny them, but to redirect them. Find a hobby or cause that you can use to channel your harmful desires into something good, beautiful and true that connects you with God and others rightly.
7. Get help (Ecc. 4:10; 1 Cor. 10:12-13). A person who is not accountable to anyone is not responsible for anything. Most people can’t repeatedly resist temptation without the help of someone who can ask them the hard questions, offer forgiveness and challenge them to purity. People with long patterns of addictive behavior will most likely need professional Christian counseling to help overcome their sin.

We can make our plans,
but the Lord determines our steps. (Proverbs 16:9)

I’ve realized this week that I’m dealing with some anxiety over some directional issues with Epiphany Station. Now, let me say, these are good issues to have. They are issues of growth and vitality. I’ve been on the other side dealing with issues of death and decline and I have to say I do prefer this type of anxiety over that one. But that is also what scares me. I’ve never dealt with this before. I’ve dreamed about it. I’ve envisioned it. I’ve prayed for it. I’ve prepared for it. But I can’t say, “Been here, done that; this is what you do next.” And frankly, it’s a bit unnerving.

We all deal with fear at one time or another. For some the fear is fleeting. For others, it’s constant. Sometimes we have fear of good things (“Don’t screw it up!”). Fear of bad things (“Don’t hurt me!”). And fear of the unknown (“I don’t know what to do.”). Sometimes fear can motivate us. Other times it paralyzes us.

Whatever the case, fear is an instrument of the devil. The Bible makes it clear that we are to fear one thing and one thing only: Him (see Matthew 10:28 for instance). This fear is one of respect, reference and awe for the power, knowledge and holiness of God. All other fears must be submitted to Him.

There is a well-known Proverb that I’ve been going back to this week in dealing with my fears.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart;
do not depend on your own understanding.
Seek his will in all you do,
and he will show you which path to take. (Proverbs 3:5-6)

It’s probably obvious how this speaks to fears of good things and the unknown. The reality is, I can’t screw it up! If I am trusting God and seeking His will, He will take care of the rest. Same applies to fears of the unknown. Trust. Seek. Go.

But this passage also has a lot of truth for those dealing with fears of bad things. The fundamental issue is trust. Your fears may seem rational, plausible, and real, but do not depend on your own understanding. Satan is a deceiver and one of his primary tactics is to get you to feel fear. But your own understanding deceives you. It is not truth. Are you going to trust your own thoughts and feelings or are you going to trust God who tells us that fear and timidity are not of Him. Instead He gives us a spirit of power (to conquer fear), love (to endure fear), and self-discipline (to resist fear) (2 Timothy 1:7).

In addition to trusting God, we are told to “seek His will.” This isn’t as complicated as we often try to make it. God’s will is that you not be afraid. God’s will is that you trust Him. God’s will is that you obey. If you do this, He will show you the way out (“which path to take”).

Don’t be afraid, for I am with you.
Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you.
I will hold you up with my victorious right hand. (Isaiah 41:10)

¹ Sing a new song to the Lord,
for he has done wonderful deeds.
His right hand has won a mighty victory;
his holy arm has shown his saving power!
² The Lord has announced his victory
and has revealed his righteousness to every nation!
³ He has remembered his promise to love and be faithful to Israel.
The ends of the earth have seen the victory of our God.

We literally have been singing a lot of new songs lately at Epiphany Station because God is doing such wonderful things! He is winning victories over sin, addiction, fear, and complacency. He is saving people from cycles of poverty, despair and depression. The Lord Almighty has declared victory in Thief River Falls – over every hidden power and evil authority in the unseen world (Ephesians 6:10-12). The Lord is proving His love and faithfulness to us and people all around the Red River Valley are seeing the victory of our God.

This is the truth.

But Satan is a robber and a liar. He will try and steal our joy. Knowing that he has lost, he will try to make us think that we are the losers. He will dig up old hurts and dirt to try and get us to question our victory. So watch out! Our enemy prowls around like a lion looking for someone to devour (1 Peter 5:8).

But despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ Jesus! (Romans 8:37).

So keep on singing new songs! Keep on praising God for His wonderful deeds! Keep on declaring victory! For our God is mighty to save!

I took a bit of a different track in the 2nd service (the one that is online), so I wanted to just share some of the reflections from 2 Corinthians that I shared in the 9 a.m. service.

2 Corinthians 5:16-21 (New Living Translation)

¹⁶ So we have stopped evaluating others from a human point of view. At one time we thought of Christ merely from a human point of view. How differently we know him now! ¹⁷ This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!

¹⁸ And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him. ¹⁹ For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation. ²⁰ So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!” ²¹ For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ.

1. People matter to God for who they are, where they are. Paul says in v. 16 that “we have stopped evaluating others from a human point of view.” We have to look at each and every person with God’s eyes and see what He sees – a beautiful person made in His image and for whom He sacrificed His Son. The obvious implication is that we not judge people by their appearance, but perhaps a less obvious notion is this: that we not rush people through a process or program trying to force them to reach their potential. People matter. Not for the potential they have, or the results they can produce, or the amount they can give or serve. But for who they are, where they are.

2. God loves you just the way you are, but He also loves you too much to leave you the way you are. “This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” (v. 17). God loves you and accepts you just the way you are – with all your history, junk, and mess. And because He loves you so much, He’s not going to leave you just the way you are. He’s going to change you; transform you from the inside-out. You can’t come to Christ and not be changed. But this is why #1 above is so important. Because it is God that does the changing, not us. We can put steps in place to guide the journey, but it is God that transforms the heart and mind.

3. Our transformation is for other peoples’ reconciliation. “And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him” (v. 18). We are transformed not just for our benefit, but for the benefit of others. So that people can see what God has done in our lives and be reconciled (literally “to change a relationship”) to God by the powerful witness of God’s miraculous work in our lives. In the words or our mission statement, we are “turned inside-out by the life-transforming hope of Jesus Christ and sent out to embrace thousands more…”

Now, I must admit, I wasn’t really sure how we were going to measure such a thing because we are not simply praying for 7 new guests, but for 7 new families or singles to “sign on” and make [e]stat their church. People don’t typically just show up and say, “I want to join your church.” If they do, then you’ve got good reason to be suspicious. So even though I believe that God could grant this request, I wasn’t exactly sure how He would do so.

Well… Yesterday I met with my 7th family in less than 3 weeks that essentially has said, “We want to make [e]stat our church.” Now let me just say that in the previous 18 months, this happened exactly zero times. Although guests have been coming, people have been sticking, and we’ve been growing, I’ve never actually sat down with anyone before who has said to me, “We want to commit to this church. What do we do now?” But in about the last 18 days, it has happened 7 times!

Now to be fair, most of these people have been coming on and off for several months already, but something has happened in them that has made them want to move from the crowd into the level of community, which is exactly what we have been asking God to do.

I feel very humbled and blessed to be a part of something that is far bigger than me and way out of my control.