Monday, August 18, 2003

The Good News
Yesterday's sermon by Pastor Joe was really good. Well they are pretty much always "really good." The main vision of Impact Christian Center is to spread the gospel, or "good news". To much of the church, and the world, the Christian message is not "good news". It is pretty much bad news. God is a mad god. God is bringing His judgement down on the world. Nothing is further from the truth!

God is a good god and He loves us. In fact He loves us so much, He sent his only son to die for us!

Anyway... I'm not going to preach much. He's on the radio, check it out, or come to church, or get a tape.

So my point was on yesterday's sermon. The main point was "Are you in the right church" and "Does it matter." Yes it does. You have to be in a church that God has called you to, if you are going to serve it what He has called you to do. Part of that was reaching the lost and letting them know how much God loves them. Seems like pretty simple stuff... In one way it is, and in another it isn't. Yeah, it is pretty simple to tell people that God loves them... But the point is, not many people know that. As Pastor Joe was speaking about that, I was thinking how right on he is.

I think that was one of the biggest messages we took to Costa Rica on our mission trip this year. Not only did we bring a message of salvation, but we brought a message of hope. Costa Rica is a largely Christian country. They are a churched country... I'd say more so that the US. But they have a lot of people that do not have a personal relationship with God. That have walked away from the church. That believe that God is mad at them for something they have done. Letting them know that God loves them brought them so much hope and joy. And it brought them into a personal relationship with Jesus and plugged them into the local church. And that is what it is all about. Letting people know that God loves them, so they can get into relationship with him, and grow. Its not just about getting to Heaven. Its also very much about how you live your life here on earth... Not in a "good vs bad" way... but in a "life vs death" way... the ability to walk in the healing, prosperity and power that He desires for each of His children.

Its good to be in a church you are called to, doing His work.

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