I don't know how long I'll be able to keep up the renewed theme or if it something that I even want to stick with in the long run anyway, but it works well for tonight, so great.
I've been at the catalyst 2008 conference the last two days. It's kind of a network of churches that I haven't every really run in too much so I've been enlightened as to a new movement of young leaders who are passionate about God and compassionate for our world including the least of these and some major global issues. I still don't know too much over all, but my experience has been great. I've heard of guys like Andy Stanley, Craig Groeschel, and Steven Furtick, but this has been my first time hearing them speak and I really enjoyed them all for the most part.
All three were great communicators. I'm always more for the content than just great stories and such and all three of them had great content (even though all of them weren't extremely in depth or anything with maybe the exception of Andy Stanley). Certainly they were all inspiring. Especially Craig and Steven. Steven for the fact that he is so young, so passionate, so yielded, and God is using him im such amazing ways. It is always inspiring to see such an example of what God can do through a passionate and humble heart. Craig because his talk particularly hit home.
He talked about being stretched, but that first we have to be healed and that before we can be healed we have to be ruined. He used the text from Joel chapter two which call God's people to return to the Lord with fasting, weeping and mourning. I think it is true that this may well be the only truly fruitful way in which we can return to him. I'm by no means in a bad place or a desert. I've been there and I'm not there. I've kind of in the in between zone, the no man's land of spirituality. The place where its safe and that's usually the way we like it if you know what I mean. As I start on this new endeavor at Christian Life Center I don't want to be there, because I won't be leading people anywhere. I want to be moving forward into the great things that God has wherever that is and whatever that takes. I'm willing to stop the things that keep me from going there and being the things that help me to go there. In a small, yet monumental way, my heart has been renewed.
From the time that we left the last church we were at I too felt like I was walking in a neutral zone. Only after jumping back in to ministry an a renewed focus on God and His kingdom, do I feel myself beginning to break out with a renewed joy and excitement to be serving Him. I am praying that God continues to renew your spirit and that He completely draws you out from the "land of in between" and into a time of renewed passion for what He has called you to do and who He has called you to be.
ReplyDeleteLove, Mom