Just had to laugh…
I just saw an old friend at a local restaurant and he asked what I was up to these days. I told him that I am the pastor of a local church and began to describe to him a little bit about The Pointe Church (Canton, GA). As our conversation continued, he asked me a question that made me laugh out loud. As I was telling him about the church, the question he asked was, “so where is The Pointe- is it hard to find?” I immediately began to chuckle (as did the pastor from one of our partner churches who was seated across the table from me).
“Well, right now we meet outside at a dairy farm”, I reply.
“Sounds hot,” he states.
“Yeah it is.”
My thoughts began to drift. I was trying to envision the planning meeting in my mind. Could you imagine pitching this idea… “Hey, I know it’s going to be a little hot…I know that it’s going to be in the middle of summer…I know it could reach a 100 degrees…I know that it could rain…I know that we’ll lose some people over this… But why don’t we move the church outside? Isn’t that an awesome idea?”
Strategically, it doesn’t seem like a great idea. Certainly seems inconsistent with the idea of creating a “seeker-sensitive” environment. Nevertheless, it’s exactly what God has done with us. He has really shaken things up!
And believe it or not- I’m lovin’ it!
Now don’t get me wrong, I don’t want to be having our worship gatherings outside forever. But it’s been nice to break free. It’s been refreshing to simplify Sundays for a season. It’s been exciting to dream about where God will take us next. It’s been encouraging to see people who are committed to this vision of the church being the people of God, on mission with God in the world!
This past Sunday it was 90+ degrees in the shade with 96% humidity, but that didn’t keep the people of The Pointe Church from gathering together to worship Jesus. And the stories shared were amazing. How awesome it was to hear so many people share about what God is doing in their lives right now.
I will post more later about what God is doing in our church through all of this, but right now I want to speak to a question that many of you have in mind. The question is, “where to from here?”
For starters, I want to invite you to participate with us as together we seek God’s guidance for our lives and for the future ministry of The Pointe Church. This month I want to ask you to exercise spiritual discipline in your life like never before. Dedicate yourself to God and to honoring Him in your daily living. Spend time studying, memorizing, and meditating on God’s Word- The Bible. Pray consistently, asking God to provide us with wisdom and understanding. Surrender yourself to Him and to His will. As we join together and seek God’s direction, He will guide us.
The Scriptures tell us that “If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.” James 1:5,6 So ask God for wisdom- and trust Him to provide.
I also want to ask you to journey through the book of Proverbs with me. Proverbs is divided into 31 chapters and the month of August has, of course, 31 days. So join me as I read a Proverb per day this month. Even if you didn’t get to start right on time with Proverbs 1, jump right in and begin today. You can pick up with the current date or you can read the previous chapters to get caught up to today’s date- it doesn’t matter with me, just do it! The book of Proverbs was compiled to give us practical wisdom for daily living. Just look at the opening lines:
1 The proverbs of Solomon son of David, king of Israel: 2 for attaining wisdom and discipline; for understanding words of insight; 3 for acquiring a disciplined and prudent life, doing what is right and just and fair; 4 for giving prudence to the simple, knowledge and discretion to the young– 5 let the wise listen and add to their learning, and let the discerning get guidance– 6 for understanding proverbs and parables, the sayings and riddles of the wise. 7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline. Proverbs 1:1-7
God speaks through His Word. I know that as we delve into the Scriptures, God will speak to us- both individually and corporately. Let’s move forward with boldness- committing ourselves to one another, trusting Him, and obeying His Word.
