the journey.

i have been really excited about attending a church in my hometown community that has really just revolutionized this county. they have been growing so rapidly lately because their vision is "to see people far from God, filled with Life in Christ." the pastor, Matt "Shapiro" Hudson, was called into ministry & later called to come back to his hometown to reach the 22,000 in our community who are lost. i have known Matt for many years through a friend who moved away years ago then to re-meet him later on in life where i discovered his church. today was the first day attending. the presence of the Lord in this place was amazing. Matt is a true gift to my hometown & gave me a new perspective on those who are lost, even those in my hometown i may know:

NEVER think anyone far from God can not be united with Christ.

the message today was called "upgrade." & i received such a move from God in this message. it was just amazing. it was talking about investing in God's kingdom: are we investing in our own kingdom or are we investing in God's kingdom? Matthew 6:33 tells us, "But seek first His kingdom & His righteousness, & all these things will be given to you as well." Are we going to give the Lord what's left or are we going to give God our best? we should ALWAYS bring God our best. The Lord promises us he will provide for us in seeking His kingdom. we shouldn't just want the benefits of what he will provide for us. we should want to seek His kingdom. we should bask in the goodness of the Lord!

investing in the kingdom of God can be scary. it can be going on a summer project like i did last year. i was so scared to raise the money to get me there. i was so scared of what it would be like. but, it was a life-changing experience for me. investing could be supporting someone who is called to ministry. investing could be investing in a church to reach those who are lost. investing could mean time spent on volunteering for the needy. investing could mean sharing the Gospel with those who are lost on spring break. investing can mean many different things. i've done some of these things & some i am about to embark on. while the beginning is always scary, it's all about stepping out on faith & trusting the Lord. so, will you take your cues from culture & society or will you take your cues from CHRIST?

i was in tears at so many different parts of this message. we were challenged to read Malachi this week because we referenced to it some in the message. this week i will be reading & pondering on the book of Malachi. join me if you'd like! :]