Why I thought blogging was stupid.

Blogging, in my mind, means writing about all the crap that's happening in our lives and seeking to find others who have gone through the same situations or are currently going through it. It's a form of support. Internet support. Support that isn't sufficient. Support that doesn't grasp eternal support. Most "blogs" are daily stories about past events and future worries. They let you into the bloggers heart. This isn't a bad thing. Don't get me wrong, community is necessary. But are you involving yourself in the right kind of community? Is this a community that has your eternal life in mind? Is this a community that depends on God for help? The answer to this is no. This isn't a community dependent on the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  But it's something. Someone might come across this one day and think wow I'm going through that exact same thing, THANK YOU for posting this. But it's not how WE have overcome obstacles. It's about how Jesus overcame. 

As much as I would love to use this little page as a personal diary or daily entry, it won't be. You don't need to know me. You need to know who Jesus is. You don't need to know my deepest thoughts or how my boyfriend is, how my friends are, what I'm wearing or what I'm making. I want you to know how amazing God is. You don't need to know those little details about my life.
But you should know this one big thing... 

I follow Jesus. I love Jesus. I am for Jesus. Jesus is God.

This will be about the God who created me and who created you. 

In Christ there is purpose. 

Without you, I am nothing.

To someone who isn't a Christian, man that might sound a little insane. OK, a lot insane...

-You're nothing without this God? What if God leaves? What if he doesn't accept you? 

That's sad.

I've heard this time and time again. Why should I depend on God for happiness? Why should I live my life for someone else? Why? Why! Why. why. why. 

Well first off, I don't depend on God for my happiness, I am happy through serving Him. I depend on Him for holiness. God never promised to make me happy. But through promising to make me holy, I am happy. There is a genuine happiness that comes from serving God. It isn't easy to describe either. It can't be imagined. It can only be experienced. 

Our mission as Christ followers is to make Jesus known. 

In Church we've been discussing what it means to be All In. What does that look like? We are currently studying the Book of Acts. Oh how I long to be in a Church like the one in Acts. They were so FULL of the Holy Spirit power. They were loving, eager to serve not just God but others! 

Serving God means serving others. 

The mission of MRBC is to love God, and love others. 

This month, as we learn what it was like to see Jesus moving through his people, the church, we want to inspire you to be apart of His movement. We want the church to be All In. No matter what it costs. 

In this sermon series, Jon Morrison introduced the idea of "Up, In, and Out"

1) UP - looking up to Jesus before anything else. Seeking His heart first and trusting Him. 

2) IN - we've lost the value of Church. There is no urgency to get there on a Sunday morning. It's not a priority. We need to be reminded of God every single week. It's important.

3) OUT - we need to reach out. Being in community with one another doesn't just mean within the walls of the Church. It means people. People who know Christ and people who don't. 

We were made for mission. We were made with purpose.

This is our purpose. 

Jesus leads through leaders. He uses normal, uneducated people for His work. He's using me. I'm not all knowing. I know nothing. I struggle, daily. I don't have all the answers, but I follow the only one who does. 

Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."

John 14:6

Jesus is the only answer. He is the only choice. I live in a world that likes to have options. Here's a simple example: Everyone loves to create their own Starbucks drink instead of taking it for what it is. There are so many different options. Sugar free, low fat, coconut milk, decaf, cold, hot... you get what I'm saying? There are so many options all around us. So many turn when they hear of Jesus and this verse specifically because He is clearly saying that HE is the ONLY choice. To some, this is disappointing. It pushes them away from God. Just one choice. To follow, or to not. To be a Christian, or to not. To me, this makes things easier. I don't have to go through the choices and find out what I like and dislike. Because it's not up to me. There isn't more than one option.  I don't have to sift through all the false gods and religions. Jesus is the only answer. This makes it easy. 

I only have one choice. You only have one choice.

So, choose. 

Are you with Jesus or are you against Him?

#imperfecthuman