LOST (spiritually) and FOUND

I talk with people every day who feel spiritually lost. I speak with non-Christians who are hung up on emotional and spiritual issues that keep them from trusting in the way of Jesus. I talk with disciples who feel let down by expectations that may or may not be biblical. I meet with ministers both paid and volunteer who feel God is a million miles away due to their fatigue. I listen to people share stories about tragedies in their lives that make them question everything they believe.

Why do people get lost spiritually? Sometimes it is due to neglect. Like any relationship if we neglect to pray and spend time with Jesus, the relationship grows cold. Sometimes it is a moral issue. I don't feel as close to my kids and vice versa if they are disobeying my desires. The same is true of God. Sometimes it is intellectual. The world has a way of making lovers of Jesus feel stupid with the prevailing worldview of cynicism and comfort. Sometimes it is God simply withdrawing from us so our faith can grow. It is easy to trust God when our prayers are answered and our hearts are flooded with joy from his presence. Even Jesus had to experience lostness (Psalm 22, Hebrews 5:8-9) in order to mature in his faith as a human. Let that sink in a bit and you will not feel so alone.

How do we find our way when we are lost?
1. Be patient.
2. Keep praying. See Psalm 22.
3. Find people who have gone through periods of lostness themselves and ask for help. It is encouraging to to know others have felt what you feel and have come to know God more deeply because of their trials.
4. Be humble. Ask God to teach you whatever he is wanting to teach you.
5. Trust. Others have gone through periods of spiritual lostness before and found their way to a deeper level of faith.
6. Give up comfort for character. See James 1:2-4 and Romans 5:3-5. God obviously cares more about the later than the former. The later is what leads to joy. Our happiness is so much more dependent on our character than our circumstances. The same is true of our experience of God.
7. Examine your heart. Do you want God more than anything else? If so you will find him. Jeremiah 29:13

This will be our topic week at Restoration Saturday night.

Join us at Restoration Community Church in Denver

Scooters and Slaves

Did you know?

* There are more slaves today than ever before in the history of the world?
* Human Trafficking is one of the largest industries in the world?
* 50,000 children are smuggled into the US each year as slaves?
* Thousands of prostitutes are brought into Denver for large events like the stock show?
* Many illegal aliens are enslaved by people who keep them in debt?
* There are likely people in your neighborhood like nannies, mail order brides and foreign exchange students who enslaved by debt, threats and the attitudes of those who use their services?
* God is grieved and angered by the injustice he see's in our world (Genesis 6:5-6).

We can do something about this. Tonight we will march downtown with Iempathize with the goal of raising money to both aid modern day slaves and to create awareness of how significant this problem is both locally and globally. This is the kind of worship God loves. For more information go to restorationcc.us.

Galatians 3:28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

Saturday Night Reflections

I don't know what I liked best about Saturday night. It may have been the baby dedication of Sydney Dann as her relatives all took pictures. It may have been Toph riding his BMW motorcycle (yes I am still coveting) down the middle of the sanctuary and then making a passionate plea to take up the cause of human trafficking awareness with this weeks scooter parade downtown. Then again it may have been Jill Horch sharing with us about all the hungry kids right under our noses and how God has given her a vision for feeding them. Or maybe it was me rolling around on the carpet trying to hug an imaginary balance beam. Okay, that was not my favorite part of the service!

It was a great night. God is creating a deep, externally focused, community that loves one another here at Restoration. Last Saturday night there was plenty of evidence that Jesus is at work in our new community. And to think we are in the middle of summer! I can't wait until the fall when things really get rocking.

Thank you God for a great weekend and many more to come!

Ministry Sweet Spot

How do you find your sweet spot for ministry? This will be our topic at Restoration on Saturday night. A study was done by McKinsey Consulting a while back that revealed that a large percentage of Christians get stuck spiritually and become disenfranchised with their faith because of old fashioned selfishness. They refuse to serve. Once again, Jesus command to "wash one another's feet" reveals his loving wisdom in helping us mature.

People find their ministry sweet spot at the convergence of three factors. The first is passion. God gives everyone zeal for certain areas of life. Some of us love business, others art, the outdoors, animals (except cats), technology, sports... God knows we will serve best where we are passionate. This is sustainable. Doing what you despise is not. Second, God gives us proficiencies. We are all good at something(s). The Bible calls these proficiencies spiritual gifts. The lists of gifts in the Bible is not exhaustive. I had breakfast with a guy today who is an innovator/activist. God is using his strengths to build a church building in Sierra Leone. We all have abilities to throw into the ring of ministry. The final factor is need. Buechner once said we find our calling "Where our great passion meets the world's great need." We find our ministry sweet spot where we find a burden that grips our hearts.

What are your thoughts about finding your ministry sweet spot?

Showing Up is 90% of the Game

Woody Allen once said that "90% of life is just showing up." That is so true when it comes to new churches. Those on the launch team rarely realize how their presence week after week is soooo important.

Showing up leads to new connections being formed that create the fabric of a church community. Showing up creates energy. It is hard to feel like you are a part of a movement when everyone is scattered in the mountains! Showing up invites God's presence. I know he is there when two or three have gathered (Matthew 18). How much more when 200-300 people gather together seeking God? Showing up is what it takes to be a body. Jesus said we are the body of Christ. When some of us are missing it is like trying to drive a car without an arm or a leg. We need all of us gathering regularly to be the fully functioning presence of Jesus that God wants us to be.

It is summer and we all need to get away. We need sabbath, solitude and silence, not to mention fun, in order to grow and recharge. We also need to make memories with our families. Let's realize though, that when we are in town we are needed. We meet at 5:00 p.m. There is still plenty of time for BBQ's and parties after our service is over. After all, 90% of being a church is just showing up!