What a weekend! Got to see all my loved ones that I have been missing, watch Noah play some good baseball, see my Rangers SWEEP the Red Sox, and listen to my man Tim Montgomery LAY IT DOWN from the pulpit! Now I am sitting here finishing some work and watching the country music awards before hitting the sack.
I gotta tell you, I love watching my Rangers. Growing up in the DFW metroplex, I feel like alot of my childhood was spent in the right field bleachers at the old ballpark. My heroes growing up were those guys out there in that Texas heat on that diamond. This team now is full of personality, from the top of the organization all the way down. I think that sets them apart. It is truly about the team and not the individual.
That gets me to my own personal Spiderman---Tim Montgomery. I grow to respect him more and more all of the time. The reason I adore this man and hang on his every word is the same reason I love my Rangers---because there is no "I" in team! Tim is a great leader, teacher, and mentor. His biggest asset in my mind though is his absolute adoration of Christ, and his desire to humble himself and share that love to all who will listen.
So today he was preaching on Jesus's mother Mary, standing there at the foot of the cross that her son was hanging on, not saying a word. In the midst of this amazing sermon, one in a series all leading to Easter, he laid the facts out there for us. I have gotta tell you---I am on board and fully agree with what he was saying. He was speaking to the sickening numbers of people in our world who have yet to hear the name of Jesus! About how our churches fail all the time when it comes to the true ministry of Jesus--spreading who he is and what he has done to the people that haven't heard. To me, that goes well beyond the church walls. That is an individual issue that we should all bear daily in our lives. I did also agree with what Tim said about our sense of urgency and how if we truly had broken hearts about this stuff, then we wouldn't spend our money how we do, spend our time how we do, and wouldn't sleep at night knowing our neighbors and loved ones might die and go straight to hell!
I feel like I personally try to do what I can when I can. But I can tell you today that I left there feeling like I sure don't do near enough. It breaks my heart to think of people that I love that might not go to heaven, especially when you stop and think of how simple it is to accept the gift of Christ's blood that he graciously and willingly laid out there for us. Tim was right in the fact that the only thing that we can take to heaven with us is people---not money, things, clothes, titles, authority, jobs, hobbies, etc---just people.
I encourage you to think of the people in your life that you know don't attend church, and encourage them with who Jesus is in YOUR life. It isn't all about church, and I get that. But there is a direct correlation with being a believer and attending church regularly. We are called to it, and it is a vital part of our growth in our faith. Take time to make extra steps to invite people to church for Easter. I invite any of you personally to Heritage that morning. But don't stop there---INVEST in lives. We as humans like to see investment as a monetary thing. What can we get back from OUR investment. Well, stop thinking that way. What has GOD invested in YOU? Why should we not willingly be servant hearted and giving of ourselves towards others for him??? It's alot bigger than any of us individually. ALOT bigger. We HAVE to take the "self" out of it and leave it in God's hands.
Be blessed me peeps, and have a rockin week out there!
No comments:
Post a Comment