A Church of Influence:

We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God. 2 Corinthians 5:20


God has been rocking my world lately. I have been praying that God rock our world at HHBC as well. There are a lot of ways that God speaks to us: through the scriptures, through pastors and sermons we hear, through what other people say and sometimes do, through a still small voice or pull on our heart and sometimes he speaks in a loud thunderous voice that echoes inside our bones. God has used all of these to start sharing his vision for our church with me. Now it is ringing loud and clear it is echoing in my bones, we are to be a church of influence in this community. We are going to bear fruit. We are going to drastically change the community around us because we are going to be open to God’s work in our lives.

Sunday, I shared these statements regarding where I think we are going in 2009. I want to post them here incase you missed them:

• I want to share with you today a little of what I have been praying for this church and where I see us Going. I have been praying that we will remain open to God’s work in our lives. And we will continue to see him move in us and drastically change our circumstances so that we may be a church of influence in the community. When I close my eyes and think of where we are going. I see a church whose people are unified, praying, and full of God’s spirit. I see a church that is so dependant on God that nothing can stop it or stand against it. I see a church with a message so clear that lives are permanently changed and God moves working in our lives. I see a church so compassionate that people are drawn from impossible situations into a loving and friendly circle of hope, where answers are found in the word of God and acceptance is given in the hearts of all. I see Happy Hill Baptist Church as a Church of Influence in this community.
• Happy Hill will be a “Church of Influence” in this community, a church that bears fruit. We will bear fruit through Evangelism. We will bear fruit through Example. We will bear fruit through Engaging the community where they are.
• I know that we can become a church of influence because GOD CAN! Nothing is impossible with God.
• Happy Hill will be a “Church of Influence” that bears great fruit in 2009.
  

I hope that you are as excited about what God is doing in our church as I am. There is no better thing than to be used by God. Get ready for it. 2009 is going to be great.

Open to God's work.

The angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month. For nothing is impossible with God."

"I am the Lord's servant," Mary answered. "May it be to me as you have said." Then the angel left her. Luke 1:35-38

But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins."

When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. But he had no union with her until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus. Matthew 1:20-21, 24-25

We had a great time Sunday at the Christmas Fellowship. For those of you who weren’t there you really missed out. What a fun time! We had more desert than we could possibly eat and a wonderful ornament exchange. I haven’t ever seen that much stealing in a church. (Part of the game is that you can take gifts that have already been opened.) It was a wonderful time of fellowship and fun.

It is obvious that God is working at Happy Hill, if you have been here for very long I know that you feel the energy that has surrounded the church and our fellowships in the past 2-3 months. God moves in many ways in the church. Our fellowships are stronger and more fun, because more people are involved in programming, helping, and leadership. We have more people involved because God is moving and changing people’s lives around us. God is moving and changing people’s lives because we are opening ourselves up to his will and are keeping Christ the center of our church instead of our own self interests.

Mary, had to be confused and scared when the angel Gabriel gave her the news of Jesus. I can’t imagine the questions that she and Joseph must have had. But aren’t you thankful that they were both open to God’s work in their lives. Despite the fear, uncertainty, change, or un-comfort Mary and Joseph let God work in their lives. They let God Drastically change their circumstances, and the world has benefited from it.

As Charlie reminded us with his testimony Sunday night; God will always move his kingdom forward. It is far better to be where he is working than left in the aftermath, or on the outside avoiding God’s work in your life.

My prayer for our church is that we will remain open to God’s work in our lives. And we will continue to see him move in us and drastically change our circumstances so that we may be a church of influence in the community. I pray that we will be a church whose people are unified, praying, and full of God’s spirit. I pray that we will be a church so compassionate that people are drawn from impossible situations into a loving and friendly circle of hope, where answers are found in the word of God and acceptance is given in the hearts of all. I pray God work in us!

This Christmas you have a great opportunity to be a witness to your family and friends. Just ask them if you can share what Christmas means to you. You will find that when you make yourself available to be used by God he will never let you down. He will always do something great in you, or through you.