I mean REALLY love it. The atmosphere, the people, the vibe, the worship, the message, all of it. I love how REAL it is; you can feel this church. There's a pulse, a rhythm of a group of people that acknowledge shortcoming, pull weight, and come together for a purpose to share God's love. Powerful stuff.
Recently we have begun a transition to a new facility. My church's growth spurt. We've completely revamped the sanctuary and kids/teens' room (refer to visual aid below). And I have been amazed by the countless hours of volunteer work. It seems as though someone is ALWAYS there doing something to have us ready Sunday, January 1st.
I had the pleasure of speaking to the youth of the church during SLAM Wednesday night, a pre-kickoff of sorts to life anew in our very own building at Revolution church. I spoke to them about living the message of Live. Love. Serve. That if they placed their faith first in God, were honest with Him, that He would show them the way, pick them up, carry them when they could go no further, and love them when they deserved it least. That when you give a little bit to God, He gives you back tenfold in blessing, peace, joy, and love.
And then when I was supposed to be the teacher, God was schooling me. I reflected and remembered that we persevered. My wife and I have kept the faith. It hasn't been easy at times; we've tithed till it hurt, put in volunteer hours until we're weary, and the payoff that God has given us has been amazing. We gave money to our church when we had very little to give. God handed me a promotion. I volunteered at the church on my days off until I was weary. God gave me paid time off from work and extended vacations to recharge the batteries. Give it to God; I promise you He pays back.....and with crazy interest. I'm living PROOF.
Sometimes it's been difficult to give it all to God. I am far from perfect; in fact, I'm your typical class A garden variety Christian. I love God, try my best, and still finds ways to screw things up. But this church has given me new energy in Christ, reminded me what my passion was for, reminded me that it was okay to be broken because I love a God that heals. Oh God how I love this church.
And we're in a unique position to share that vibe. A new building, a fresh start. So brace yourself, folks. January 1st my God is going to start blowing people's socks off. Care to join?
Lights.....Camera......God.
