Church Planting & Window Watching

If you've kept up with Ryan and I over the past couple months, you probably know that we are a part of a church plant called Harvest Bible Chapel. For several months in the early spring, we had been wrestling with some things with our previous church and eventually decided the best thing to do was to leave and start the church hunting process. Again. It was a hard decision for us, since we had made several great connections with some people and staff there. After Googling what seemed like every church in a 30 mile radius of Fairfax and visiting a couple, we came up empty handed. What? There are LOTS of churches in Northern Virginia, and we couldn't find just one to plug into? We were frustrated and confused. We did know that Jesus calls us to be a part of the local church. So, we kept going.

The long-story-short version is that we found our church home in a church that didn't even exist yet. Through Twitter. Thank you social media. We've now been a part of a small team of a handful of families to help build up Harvest in Fairfax that just launched in the beginning of September. It has been a blessing to be a part of, but boy has it been a lot of work. I have a new respect for just how much work it takes to run a Sunday service. And right now, we're a bare bones version compared to some other local churches that have countless ministries that go on every Sunday. I also feel terrible for being a "bystander" for so many years. The truth is, I never really got plugged into a church until I graduated college. Sure I went, but I never served. I was strictly there to get fed and to evaluate how they did this and that. I was not a part of a local church, I was the window watcher and because of that, I missed out on really being a part of the church. So much of my mindset towards church was what was the church going to do and offer me, when it really should have been the other way around.

After jumping into facets of ministry I said to myself that I could never do, having to step out of my comfort zone and putting my "needs" and wants aside, I've found church planting to be both immensely rewarding and simultaneously exhausting. Sure we're the only couple without kids, we're the youngest and least experienced in life and we're in a completely different phase of life than most, but it's in those things that the Lord has chosen to use us and bless us beyond those differences. I've actually really enjoyed being around lots of kids, learning from those who are older and more established, and most of all serving under the same purpose.

The truth about church planting is that bottom-line it's not easy. There might be personality difference, you'll almost definitely do things that will stretch you, and Sunday will be a much longer commitment than your hour to an hour and a half service. My pastor, Dan always quotes Matthew 16:18 where Jesus says, "I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." Jesus will build his church regardless of bystanders and window watchers, like I was. But there is a greater joy that we can freely partake in by being a part of the building and serving of His church. I'm so thankful for the opportunity to use my gifts for a purpose greater and bigger than me and that the Lord changed my heart, the heart of a bystander.

From our first launch team meeting!

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Using Your Platform Well

So, I never thought that I would EVER write a blog post about football. And yet here I am! I, along with everyone else in Football Nation America, have been fascinated by Tim Tebow for many reasons. This one man has created quite a stir and ruffled LOTS of feathers. I love it. It's what he's doing both on and off the field that has my faith challenged--he is using his platform well.

Ryan and I watched a documentary on Tebow and his journey to the NFL draft. Talk about hard work and dedication and a willingness to be teachable! He had to reteach himself how to throw a football to better fit the fast-paced nature of the NFL! Here is a man who knew his purpose. He didn't just pray and expect the Lord to just give him an opportunity in the NFL--he worked HARD for it. Sometimes my attitude towards life and my future expects the Lord to just hand me my opportunities. But the Lord has called us to much more. To work for HIS glory and with all of our heart (Colossians 3:23). Working with all of our hearts evokes passion, determination and hard work; that is the kind of effort we should have. Doing it to the glory of the Lord; that is the attitude.

Now, something that is especially apparent is that Tim Tebow has a significant sphere of influence. This is a fact that I'm sure he is beyond well aware of. Look at Twitter, ESPN, the Washington Post, Facebook, any social media network. He's a highlight on ALL of them and the comments are a'flyin. Football or the NFL is what I would argue to be one of the most highly influential and highly respected arenas in America. The Superbowl is the most watched TV program ever with more than 111 million viewers last year. 16.6 million was the average number of people who watched per NFL game last year. This is Tebow's arena, his sphere of influence, and boy is he using it well. Even in the college football arena, Tebow used his platform well. When he wore face paint with John 3:16 more than 92 million people Googled that verse. Seriously people?! 92 million people read that God loves them all because one man was willing to use his platform to glorify the Lord.

All stats aside, Tim Tebow is inspiring us to live for something that he knows is bigger, more important and far beyond the world of football--and that is the message of Jesus. He has been blessed with a massive sphere of influence to verbally communicate that very message to. He is using his platform well.

I think it's easy to feed ourselves the lie that as Christians, we do "enough" by attending our campus ministry/church functions, surrounding ourselves with Christian influences and living our lives as a Christ-like example (Matthew 5:14-16). While all of that is great, I know that we are called to more than that, and that part my friends is the hard part and what Tebow is doing so well. Not only is he being a light by living a life of example, but he is speaking. He is completely outspoken about the love of Christ in every chance he gets in front of the media. And ladies and gentlemen, he's only 24 years old. What does that mean? We are way capable of this!

So I'm guilty; I haven't been doing enough. Although my sphere of influence is much smaller, I haven't been actively taking the initiative with people in my workplace and even people in church. I've been sitting back and letting life slide by wondering when my "opportunities to share my faith" will show up. While many people sit on two sides of the camp--relational evangelism vs. initiative evangelism, we're called to do both. We are called to be fishers of men (Matthew 4:19). But what both involve is using our words and speaking! We have to start speaking and using the platform the Lord has given to us well.

So Timmy, thanks for being a light on a hilltop, for showing us what working for the Lord and not for men means, for being a true example of a disciple, and for using your platform well. I hope you keep winning, beat the Patriots next week, and keep stirring the media pot!

"How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? 15And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!" - Romans 10:13-15


Here's a great article on Initiative Evangelism from Cru that I highly recommend reading!

And a vid from Tebow's documentary because he's a baller:


Tim Tebow: Everything In Between from FCTN on Vimeo.

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Our Hope is Certain!

People always say that the 1-3 years following college are the seasons in life where frequent changes and adjustments are made. Um yeah, can I attest to that. It's fun (and scary) to think that I literally can't even comprehend where I'll be in the next 3 years--I could even be in a different state! Let alone I'll be married, living with a man, and have a new extremely long signature.

I don't know about you but for me, I think changes and adjustments can be particularly difficult. This is something I've come to learn about my personality, accept, and be more aware of over time. I am naturally resistant to change as I would much rather be comfortable. Ah, that C-word that doesn't push growth. The great thing about change is that it DOES force us to grow, to adapt, to learn in a new situation. Within the last few months, I have felt myself go through so many up and down emotions--I've been happy and content, I've cried, I've felt purposelessness, and I've felt like I belong. The reality is that things are going to keep changing! This makes me crazy! For someone who likes to be planned and calculated this is bad news bears. And yet, that's the kind of life that the Lord has called me to--a life that's always changing and growing and a life that's not controlled by my me.

While life can, and will, pull us in different directions, and even the thought of all of those possibilities can become overwhelming, it continues to becoming more and more clear to me why it's so important to remember the steadfastness of our God.

"We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, where our forerunner, Jesus, has entered on our behalf. He has become a high priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek." - Hebrews 6:19-20

I love that--while my life feels crazy, unmanageable and out of hand, I have a hope that is certain. Even though I have no earthly clue what's ahead for me, Jesus, our forerunner has already gone before me. Beyond that, I can rest in the fact that Jesus has already secured my ultimate future--a future in Heaven with Him. And now, all those silly little plans get put into their proper perspective--it's really not so bad after all!

On a completely different note, here's an update on life in true Type-A format:

• We picked a date! We'll be getting married July 14, 2012 in Fredericksburg. I'm so excited!
• I found a dress! And a caterer, and a venue, bridesmaid dresses and all the major stuff. Now it's on the fun part of wedding planning! Jesus help me not think I can DIY everything...
• My pinterest is stacking up. It's been cool to see our wedding evolve over time into something I NEVER would have thought would be our theme.
• We love our small group! Ryan and I joined a young marrieds small group and we are loving it. We've loved the community we have and the things we are learning through them.
• In 37 days I'll be in Jamaica! My family is taking a "last family trip" before I get married and we're going to Jamaica! I can't wait to be warm and go on a vacay.
• I'm already wishing I was still in college. You college people have no idea how much free time you really have! I miss breaks so bad when I see everyones tweets and facebook statuses.
• I had my first hospital visit 3 weeks ago. That was an adventure. I went from thinking I was dying to praising Jesus for life! I also kept thinking I was on Grey's Anatomy.
• I'm thinking I'm definitely going to have to do Black Friday. I've never been before believe it or not. I have so many practical things that I need that go on intense sale during Black Friday, so I'm thinking it might be worth my while! Who wants to come?!
• We got our engagement pictures done! Our wonderfully talented friend Katelyn James Alsop shot our engagements in Washington DC! Don't laugh at our serious face pictures--we're going to be practicing before the wedding! We just like smiling too much!

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The Ongoing Debt

Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law - Romans 13:8

If I learned anything in Finance, I most certainly took away from that class that taking out a loan would cost me WAY more than I ever could think. The interest on those things are outrageous! You could end up paying it back more than twice over before you are "debt free". Thanks to that class, I now have a perpetual fear of debt. Not the gripping kind, but the good kind that makes me want to steer clear of it. Before I got off on a nerdy business babble, this verse super convicted me and I hope it convicts you too!

I have an ongoing debt to everyone to love them because I owe them that love. You and I owe everyone an exceeding amount of love during our lifetime. That means loving people when they're unfair, backstabbing, hateful, different, insert word here, and so on. That should make you think about loving people so differently! Love them like you OWE them that love and that you owe an outstanding amount of it. You can never love anyone too much. Like the verse says, by doing so, we fulfill the law or, we are obeying His calling for each one of our lives.

So to put it in "business terms" which I so often love to do :) A transaction involves an exchange between two people who are informed about the offer, agree on the terms, and exchange something of fair and real value. When you accept Christ, He has paid for the sins of the past, present, and future. He paid our "debt" to sin. Because this debt was so large, we owe back an outstanding amount of well, something. Paul is saying that we owe it back in love.

I definitely can be the first to admit that it is so hard to love people like that. I slip into the mindset that tells me that it's okay for me not to love them and that I'm better than them. How completely wrong that is! Yes, Jesus came to die for me but he came to die for soo many more! I have absolutely no authority to decide who can be loved by Jesus. So who am I to limit Christ's love within me for others?

So, love the heck out of people today! You owe it, and will never stop owing it to them.

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Forgiven & Loved

If anyone listens to Jimmy Needham, you'll understand where I got this blog title from. I love the music that Jimmy (who I like to refer to in first person, pretending that I actually know him personally) writes. One of my all time favorites is a song called "Forgiven and Loved". It's a song that reminds me frequently that I can't earn the salvation that Christ gave me. I am physically unable to repay the debt that Christ paid for me on my behalf. Not only did he die to give me eternal life but he also died to set me free from the bondage of sin. I find that I often need to be reminded of both: that I am both forgiven and loved. So here I am reminding both myself and anybody else :)

Forgiven
"In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace" - Ephesians 1:7

I can be the first to admit that I am imperfect and sinful. My favorite part of Jimmy's song goes like this: And His blood commands my guilt to leave/Now on Calvary I stand/ Empty pockets, open hands/ Oh there is no condemnation for me. Aren't those words so freeing? Christ's death has the authority to command any guilt over sin to flee because he forgave all of those sins. Seriously, praise God! That God would look at me and see me not as sin-filled but Christ-filled and pure. Even when you don't feel worthy of that forgiveness, you are still forgiven. When you can't understand why you're forgiven, you are. When you don't want to believe that you are forgiven, you are. His forgiveness is abounding and grace is abundant.


Loved
"But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." - Romans 5:8

Isn't it sooo awesome that the Creator of the world, the One who knows exactly how big this universe is, and how many hairs are on your head, loves you and I? Not only does he tell us that he loves us but he proved it--by dying in our stead. Even though we will continually mess up and prove just how unworthy we are of saving, he still died because he loved. Um yes, that should blow your mind. I hope you know and feel the intensity of that kind of love!

Soooo with all that said, I hope you realize how mind boggling it is that our God both forgives and loves sinful man. I know I need reminding constantly. Know that this is the God we serve! Relish in it because you can. Tell yourself when you don't want to believe it. And live the forgiven and loved life out so that others can see the complete and true joy it offers. Love you all!

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