
This picture is of Benny (worship pastor), Bob (care elder), and Mike (worship elder) waiting for the rest of us who were stuck in traffic to show up. Robert (adult discipleship elder) was taking the picture. Soon after this picture was taken we were all physically hurting from laughing so hard at Jeff Foxworthy. He attends Northpoint Community Church, which sponsored the conference.
It has been over a week now and I am still processing the last message Andy Stanley brought at the drive conference. You can get the notes from their website by clicking here. He gave five quotes and expanded on how they are impacting him. He also offered a practical takeaway. I am going to post each of his quotes and takeaway along with other notes I took and the way I am processing this information.
Quote #1: “To reach people no one else is reaching, we must do things no one else is doing.” Craig Groeschel
TAKEAWAY: Become preoccupied with who you haven’t reached, as opposed to those you are trying to keep.
People who do not know Christ will not call the church or show up to a meeting to complain about how the church is not reaching them with the Gospel. They will just walk away from the greatest news they’ve never heard.
Andy had a girl in China ask him, “Pastor, why doesn’t everybody in the US go the church and believe in Jesus?” Could it be because they’ve been and they didn’t see Jesus in the people? Could it be that in a culture that marginalizes Christians and where Christians marginalize themselves that they can’t see or hear the Good News? In the fog of life, it seems that all they can see is another religious institution.
My Thoughts: I must not allow those who know Christ to miss out on reaching someone because they are too busy with programs they think they want and have always had. There is no greater joy and means of spiritual growth than reaching someone for Christ. There is nothing that changes the world and has a greater eternal impact than evangelism.
Within a 20 minute drive of Living Hope there are said to be over 60,000 who will not be in church this week. How can we help those people know the love of God revealed in His Son Jesus Christ? How can we help them get to God and grow in Christ through the serving and learning that takes place in the community of believers?
We can share our hope and the journey we are on with Jesus. The church can provide programs and environments that make it easy for those far from God to get to know Him and receive Him as savior and lord. Let’s pray and work toward that end.