"Getting Our Big 'Buts' out of the Way"

On Monday night our doorbell rang. It was Seth Zellers. Seth is a high school senior in our Living Hope family and a part of our Teen FUEL ministry. He had called me the week before to see if he could do a Knife demonstration for us. So, Monday evening, I sat down for his sales pitch. I respect any young man who takes the initiative to work, but I was curious about for what he was working. So I asked, "Why did you take this job?" I expected him to say the usual..."I'm saving money for college" or "I'm saving up for a car" or "I want to go to Florida for Spring Break with my friends." However, that was not Seth's response. Seth said,"This is how i am going to pay my way to go on the Expedition Ukraine Trip."

To be honest, from that point on, Seth could have been selling poop and I would have listened intently and bought it. Something inside of me jumped up and down and sang praises to God! "That young man, is one of our own," I thought to myself. He could be making a lot of plans for a lot of things for the summer after he graduates and he is out selling knives to make sure he can serve orphans. I pray that Seth never looses his ability to hear God's voice nor the willingness to do whatever he has to do to follow God's call.

Let's face it...I bet there are at least another 50 or more people in our church family who have said, "I would like to go and serve orphans and street children in Ukraine, but..." I wonder how often our big BUTS get in God's way? I wonder how often our big buts keep us from experiencing first hand God's personal power, provision, peace and presence. I wonder how often our big buts keep us sitting on our butts, when God had planned to use our hands and feet to bring his hope to the hurting.

If the Story of God teaches us anything it is that the difference between those who see God work in real ways in their every days lives are those who surrender all their "buts" and just say, "yes!"

Think about it...
Had Noah said, "but," the world would have come to an underwater-end...
Had Abraham said, "but," he would have died believing he and his wife were
infertile...
Had Joseph said, "but," he would have never seen how God can take what the
Devil means to use as evil and turn it around for good...
Had Moses said, "but", the story of God's people would have ended in slavery...
Had Joshua said, "but," God's people would have missed the promised land...
Had Daniel said, "but," he never would have known that God can keep lions
mouths shut..

Had Esther said, "but," she would have been comfortable in the palace and her
people would have been dead...
Had Isaiah said, "but," we would never have seen Jesus centuries before he was
born...
Had the 12 disciples said, "but", the truth of Jesus would have ended with
their generation...
Had Paul said, "but," only Jews would have been given the opportunity to know
the life -changing love of Christ...
Had Seth Zellers said, "but" he would not be going to Expedition Ukraine and who
knows what of God he and orphans would have missed out on...
Had Pastor Ryan Riddell said "but" he would not be preparing for an interview
with Diane Sawyer to help children aging out of foster care have an
opportunity other than homelessness (www.30dayshomeless.TV)

What "buts" have been getting in the way of the story God has for you? What "buts" are getting in the way of what God wants to do in your life? What "buts" of yours and mine are keeping others form experiencing the love of Christ first hand?

"Viral"

A man made a "Youtube" video talking about drawing personalized cartoon, stick figure cats. He has had thousands of hits and orders....yes, people are paying him to draw stick figure cats. Then, just last week, an Ohio homeless man's voice received national attention because of his internet video. It is amazing how the smallest ideas can now go viral because of present technological conveniences.

But what if something could go viral that is about more than silly attention-getters and self-promotion. What if something of meaning could be made to go viral? We are seeing that happen with www.30dayshomeless.TV. We along with the other Synergy Network Churches are a part of this viral phenomena.

Pastor Ryan Riddell's 30 days homeless to raise awareness for homelessness in Dayton and in particular those children who age out of foster care and become homeless over 25%) has gone viral. Last night channel 7 highlighted his mission(see http://www.whiotv.com/video/26458088/index.html), this Friday K-Love will air an interview with him every hour nationwide and we will see what comes of the interview he had today with ABC.com. All of this started with one simple web site and 9 churches coming togther to spread the word. Thank you for being a part of it!

Going viral is great imagery for the Church. We, the followers of Christ, ought to make Jesus' justice and righteousness go viral. Our lives are to tell his story to our world. Is my life telling the story of Christ to others? Is yours? By God's grace make God use you to make his love go viral in our world!

"Over 25%"

That statistic...over 25%...blew me away. Over 25% of children aging out of the foster care system in Montgomery County become homeless. So, this week, what is on my mind is http://30dayshomeless.wordpress.com/

Please take some time this week to check it out! All the Synergy Network Churches (9 churches sharing together in being real, transformed, connected and poured out) are participating. Let's have a huge viewing of www.30dayshomeless.TV from Living Hope.

Also, know that a portion of our annual 100% offering give away on January 30 will be going to "New Family Tree Ministries" which will give the "over 25%" another option...an option besides being homeless. Together, in Christ, we can change this statistic to 0%!

After all, one person and one church doing something, even small, always does more than many people doing nothing!