I am marveling at how God is working in the lives of the men who are now part of the Thursday Men's group that I lead with a friend of mine. For many years now, our group has been 3 of us. In the past month, we have grown from 3 to 10 and still growing! One of the guys who joined us for the first time last week is out of town today and early this morning posted his thoughts on Facebook on the passage of Scripture we will be reading and discussing today. We are using the 5 Q Method. WOW! I have been told that a new guy is joining us today! I LOVE Thursdays because I get to see how God is working in some men's lives!
Yesterday, I met with my area one Church of the Brethren collegues and our District Executive. We were to be discussing a great book by Henry Cloud called "Necessary Endings" and to introduce the book, our DE told a story that had happened to him the day before.
He met with a church in the midst of pastoral transition.... the current part time pastor is leaving and a new one was interviewing... The congregation is about 10-12 on Sunday morning for worship. As they sat in the church building, the sounds of lots of children playing in the 11 acre park across the street were coming in the open windows and the church is located in a growing neighborhood. The potential for growth in that congregation is very strong. The interview was going well until two questions were asked of the candidate who is a woman. First question, "Will you wear slacks to worship?" Second question, "there are two ladies in their nineties who wear a prayer covering and will feel that you should too, so- do you wear a prayer covering?" When the answer wasn't what they wanted, the interview turned south in a hurry!
That deeply saddens me!
On the way home from that conversation, I was reflecting on a passage of Scripture in Genesis 22. Where God asks Abram to sacrifice his only son - Isaac - the one that God had given Abram in his old age!
When God asked Abram to do that, Abram had a choice. The same choice we have when God asks us to do something. Are we willing to sacrifice things that are dear to us in order to obey God?
If not, then we will miss out on what God is doing in and through us in the world!
It is those things that we hold dear to us that we are unwilling to sacrifice for the benefit of the Lord, that keep us from growing as the people of God - as a congregation - as congregations, districts, denominations, etc.
So, what is God asking you to sacrifice? And are you willing to do so?
Pastor Craig Groeschel says, "the difference between where you are and where God wants you to be may be the painful decision you refuse to make."
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