Reflections On The Weekend

O.k.....truth time.
I'm writing this on Sunday evening...5:42 p.m.
It's been a good time for me....it's been a good weekend.
All last week, I was reminded of a question John Wimber use to ask at the church staff meeting that was held every Monday morning.
John would gather the folks and ask them:
#1 - "What's our business?"
and
#2 - "How are we doing?"
These simple questions became the basis for my teachings this weekend.
First at Vineyard ReCovery Church, and then this morning at Northside Baptist.

I believe there are two applications to these two questions.
First as members of a corporate group....a church family....
As a church, how are we doing? Are we being true to the call God has given to us.
As a part of Vineyard ReCovery, I have always said that we were downtown for a reason. Let me take that one step farther. We are downtown on Saturday night's for a reason.
We get folks who walk in off the streets from time to time. They come in for a lot of different reasons. Some have thought we were a restaurant. Some just knew we were a bar....they saw the worship team on the stage, and people standing as worship was going on, so they thought "Hey! Let's check out this new place."

So why are on Broad Street? To serve.
Serve how? However we need to. Each person we come in contact with is different. So we try to use a blanket approach to ministering and serving them. Our basic premise is that whoever comes through our doors on Saturday night, should leave knowing that God loves them and so do we. In this love, we pray that God will open their hearts and minds to the truth of the Gospel. That this Jesus we speak of can do more than make you sober. He can give you life. Real life. Abundant life.

Sunday morning @ Northside Baptist I taught from I Corinthains 13, starting the message off by reading the last verse of chapter 12. Paul writes that after all this discussion about the power gifts given by the Holy Spirit, "I will show you a more excellent way." Paul then begins to list the importance of love for God, for others, and for self as being the fuel that drives these gifts given to believers by the Holy Spirit. So, are we running around "doing" without "loving"? Are we trying to bake apple pies for Jesus in our strength, only to discover he never really cared for apple pies?

Maybe if we get this "love" think down, we'd see a greater advancement in the Kingdom. Who knows? So maybe today you can take a moment and ask yourself...."What's my business..and how am I doing?"

God on you....
mbb