I'm preparing for a June sermon series based on Bill Hybel's books, Becoming a Contagious Christian and Just Walk Across the Room, and I was touched by a couple of paragraphs he wrote in the Introduction to the latter book:
"...one thing I've learned is that life's greatest moments evolve from simple acts of cooperation with God's mysterious promptings--nudges that always lean toward finding what's been lost and freeing what's been enslaved.
"The adventure of collaborating with God involves bestowing the greatest gift a person can receive--the gift of amazing grace--on undeserving (and often unsuspecting) people like you and me" (p. 16).
These words reminded me of some sage advice I received from my first District Superintendent, The Rev. Susan Hagans," "God is almost always found in the interruptions in my schedule. Pay attention to those interruptions." Over the years, I've never forgotten her saying this to me and many times I have been surprised by the divine appointments found in interruptions to my plans.
Generally, I come to the office with a list of things I want to accomplish during any particular day. I've made plans about what I will get done that day. But rarely do I allow time or plan time in my schedule to encounter God...God is always the one who initiates the encounter (usually found by interrupting my plans)!
So for the next four weeks, beginning Sunday, June 14, we'll be talking about that much feared and dreaded word "evangelism"...personal evangelism in the 21st century.
What if you knew that by simply crossing the room and saying hello to someone, you could change that person's forever? Just a few steps could make an eternal difference. It has nothing to do with methods and everything to do with taking a genuine interest in another human being. All you need is a heart that's in tune with the Holy Spirit and a willingness to step out of your comfort zone and into another person's life.
Your faith journey, your personal faith story, may not be as dramatic as Jesus stepping down from heaven 2000 years ago to bring hope and redemption to broken people or Paul's blinding encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus, but it can have a life-changing impact for someone standing a few steps from you--and for you as well, as you learn the power of extending care, compassion, and inclusiveness under the guidance of the Holy Spirit...allowing God to use you in the interruptions to your already busy life.
I look forward to seeing you and sharing ways God is moving in our lives to bring others to a personal relationship with Jesus Christ!
Pastor Jean
"...one thing I've learned is that life's greatest moments evolve from simple acts of cooperation with God's mysterious promptings--nudges that always lean toward finding what's been lost and freeing what's been enslaved.
"The adventure of collaborating with God involves bestowing the greatest gift a person can receive--the gift of amazing grace--on undeserving (and often unsuspecting) people like you and me" (p. 16).
These words reminded me of some sage advice I received from my first District Superintendent, The Rev. Susan Hagans," "God is almost always found in the interruptions in my schedule. Pay attention to those interruptions." Over the years, I've never forgotten her saying this to me and many times I have been surprised by the divine appointments found in interruptions to my plans.
Generally, I come to the office with a list of things I want to accomplish during any particular day. I've made plans about what I will get done that day. But rarely do I allow time or plan time in my schedule to encounter God...God is always the one who initiates the encounter (usually found by interrupting my plans)!
So for the next four weeks, beginning Sunday, June 14, we'll be talking about that much feared and dreaded word "evangelism"...personal evangelism in the 21st century.
What if you knew that by simply crossing the room and saying hello to someone, you could change that person's forever? Just a few steps could make an eternal difference. It has nothing to do with methods and everything to do with taking a genuine interest in another human being. All you need is a heart that's in tune with the Holy Spirit and a willingness to step out of your comfort zone and into another person's life.
Your faith journey, your personal faith story, may not be as dramatic as Jesus stepping down from heaven 2000 years ago to bring hope and redemption to broken people or Paul's blinding encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus, but it can have a life-changing impact for someone standing a few steps from you--and for you as well, as you learn the power of extending care, compassion, and inclusiveness under the guidance of the Holy Spirit...allowing God to use you in the interruptions to your already busy life.
I look forward to seeing you and sharing ways God is moving in our lives to bring others to a personal relationship with Jesus Christ!
Pastor Jean