From time to time in reading the Bible a verse or particular passage of Scripture will LEAP off the page at me and consume my mind…
Recently it has been II Chronicles 2:5 -
Solomon had a vision…it was to build someone to show the world that his God was different, that He was greater and more powerful than any other “god” on the planet.
Honestly, I believe church leaders should have THAT SAME PASSION…to work as hard as we can to build a work that SCREAMS to the world that our God is different…that He is GREATER than all other “gods.”
With that in mind I am specifically praying for 15 things for the church…
#1 - That our church services would be a reflection of the fact that Jesus is alive, not dead!
#2 - That leaders would take what we do seriously and not EVER allow things to slip into cruise control.
#3 - That we will understand that the creative potential in HIS CHURCH is greater than the creative potential in the world! Disney created a mouse…GOD created the Grand Canyon…HE HAS THE TRUMP CARD!
#4 - That we would have a heart for the same things that God has a heart for!
#5 - That we would meet people where they are and actually answer questions that rhey are asking rather than thinking they actually want to know more about where the Hittites came from!
#6 - That we would challenge people with God’s truth instead of worrying about how many people MAY get offended.
#7 - That our view of God will INCREASE…because the GREATER we see that He is the GREATER things we will attempt in His name. (People who have small vision often have a small view of God.)
#8 - That we will STOP doing church for the already convinced and begin doing it for those who are far away from God.
#9 - That we would embrace an Acts 15:19 mindset by NOT giving people a list of rules but rather teach them how to have an active, vibrant relationship with a HOLY GOD!
#10 - That the church would actually begin to minister to “one another” rather than depending on “paid professionals” to do it all.
#11 - That our agenda would be Jesus and HIS KINGDOM and not a particular political party.
#12 - That we would model John 13:34-35 to a world that is ALWAYS changed when they see these verses in action!
#13 - That we would reject the notion that God deserves “just enough” and instead we would offer Him the very best we’ve got!
#14 - That we would STOP looking for a formula but rather seek God and HIS agenda for our church!
#15 - That we would spend LESS time declaring what we’re against and more time living out WHO we are for!
He is a GREAT GOD…far greater than ANYONE or ANYTHING on this planet. And we as the church are called to point other people to that greatness…and I think our church services are a great place to begin displaying that truth to the world. (Yes, it DOES go beyond the doors of the church…but it has to start somewhere!!!)