So Far....So Good

Hebrews 10:24-25
And let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds., not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another. And all the more as you see the day drawing near.

We had our third service this past Saturday night of Vineyard Recovery.
The one comment I keep hearing from those who were there is "It's very different."
Remember that different doesn't mean better....
It just means different.
The passage from Hebrews is something that I think God wants to work among us as we continue to meet. I love how Paul puts this in the Hebrews passage.......Let us consider. Always be seeking God and focusing our thoughts on how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds. In other words, our focus should not be on ourselves, but on those around us.

Stimulate: : to excite to activity or growth or to greater activity :
In other words, we are not to be a complacent people.
We are not to be apathetic or uncaring, toward God or each other.
It is so easy, in our society today, to be in a group of people and still not be connected. I like how it says that we are to stimulate each other to "growth". To me that is the heart of what Vineyard Recovery is all about. Growth in Christ.
Character development: as we allow God to remove the defects of character we possess. I see some who embrace God at the expense of having their character changed into the person of integrity that God desires us all to be.
In other words, they allow emotion and feeling to become the gauge they measure their spirituality by. All the while, they still possess the very heart of their problems, a character that hasn't been changed, which will open the door for a return to old ways and old lifestyles. All it takes is the right situation or circumstance to drive them back to their old way of doing business in the world. By "doing business" I mean that they seek out old ways and old friends at the first sign of trouble or problems. In other words, they didn't learn anything or allow God to enact true change in their lives.

Week 1 Of Vineyard Recovery: 
We gave a simple overview of where we thought the meeting was headed. The focus was very simple. Just Jesus. Although we may mention the Twelve Steps from time to time, that really isn't the focus of our meeting together. It is to know and understand who Jesus truly is. Not the "church" Jesus or the "religious" Jesus, but the Jesus who stands above our definitions and rules our hearts and lives. As I have said over and over...."Hey--It's Just Jesus!"

Week 2 of Vineyard Recovery:
Taking a page from the book of Daniel, we talked about the response of the three Hebrew men who were about to be thrown into the fiery furnace for not worshiping the statue of the King.  "Oh king...you can kill us if you want to. But know this....Our God can deliver us from your hand......but even if He doesn't and we die....He is still God!" (loose translation by me). We need to understand that God's greatness and His ability and power do not always translate into things working out the way we think they should. We are always to leave Him room and allow Him to be God in our lives.

Week 3 of Vineyard Recovery:
I shared what I refer to as "The Fine Print" of following Jesus. The call to surrender everything to possess the Pearl of Great Price (Matthew 13:45).
We have a tendency to spiritualize this passage and the instruction of Jesus, yet all through out the gospels we see example after example of surrender. Peter, immediately leaving his nets, followed Jesus. In other words, Peter surrendered all he knew and was comfortable with to go after this man named Jesus. 

This Saturday Night, Seth Barber will be speaking. Seth has been a regular contributor to our meeting from the very beginning. He also heads up the Celebrate Recovery at North Glencoe Baptist Church which meets every Sunday evening. If you are free this coming Saturday, come and join us. 
7 p.m. /  419 Broad Street Downtown Gadsden located between 4th and 5th streets. Who knows....you might just like Saturday night church.

God on you...
mb