This week we are going to be looking at the struggle we have in our lives. The struggle between living for ourselves, for "me", and living sent. Pastor Rick goes through 4 stories. Each of these stories has a similar issue, the point being made is missed.

The first story is of Cain who thought the offering that He and his brother Able were bringing before the Lord was a competition. He was going to win this competition in any way possible, even if it meant eliminating the competitor. You need to learnt o work with your brother in order to serve God.

Secondly, we have Israel's Refusal to Enter the Promise Land. God had performed numerous miracles in leading the Israelites to the Promise Land. What happened was they began thinking that God was meeting their needs to make them happy. As soon as the Lord "slacked off", they turned to idols to see if they could do better. They forgot who God was and how He had delivered them from Egypt. God continues to move and if you refuse to move with Him, you are not going to be with Him. God's blessings are conditional upon our obedience. Pastor Rick poses this statement and question, "If you are wondering where God is in your life, then the question is: At what point did you stop moving with God? Did you have a "Thanks, but no thanks" moment?"

The third story was Jesus Cleansing the Temple. Many people believe it was because only because people were selling stuff in the church and they were using the church building incorrectly. Which both of those are true, but these merchants filled up the "Court of the Gentiles". There was no room left for anyone to pray and if there was who would want to be in a crowded room with animals and people selling stuff. The Temple was for everyone to come and worship and pray. This was keeping the Gentiles from coming in and being able to pray. Jesus said, "My house shall be a house of prayer for all nations" and there is where the problem was.

Last we have the church in Acts. Jesus had died and rose again. Right before he ascended into Heaven he said, "You shall be my witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." From Acts chapter 1 through Acts chapter 7 they remained in Jerusalem. No movement. Acts 8:1 says, "A great wave of persecution began that day, sweeping over the church in Jerusalem, and all the believers except the apostles fled into Judea and Samaria." They loved receiving the Holy Spirit, but not obeying Christ and allowed persecution to come and then ran for their lives.

We are called to live sent, not live for ourselves, live for "me". We are called to be the people of God sent on mission to share His light and love until the whole world knows.

Pastor Rick will mention a 360 Prayer Card. Below will be the layout of the card so that you too can  join in the 360 Prayer.


3 - Choose three friends, family members, co-workers, etc…
6 - Pray for each person on your list 6 times a week
0 - You will miss 0 opportunities

Throughout history, we've been told to "love people." Whether it was that "all men are created equal" found in the Declaration of Independence,  the Gettysburg Address, and in Martin Luther King Jr's "I Have A Dream" speech. This is not a new concept. Going further beyond those historical moments we find in Luke 10:27 the two greatest commandments say, "‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’"

Scripture also bring to our attention the story of the Good Samaritan. A man was beaten and stripped and left to die on the side of the road. A priest and Levite came by, turned their noses, and walked by the man who was nearly dead. Then a Samaritan came by, a man despised by the Jews, and he bandaged his wounds, wrapped him in cloth, took him to an inn, had a doctor come and take care of him, and on top of that said to the innkeeper, "Look after him, and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have." He went the extra mile for a man he didn't know and a man who most likely wouldn't have done the same for him because of their beliefs.

Such an amazing story portraying the concept of "Loving People".

Stay tuned for this podcast and allow God to reveal to you the concept of "Loving People" and "Living Sent."

This week we are focusing on loving God and the invitation we've received to follow Jesus. Our main question that we are discussing is, "Where are you on that journey?" Can you answer that at this very moment? Are you having trouble deciding where you are on this journey? If you are uncertain about where you are on this journey…here are a few pointers that Pastor Rick discussed:

A. Having Daily Time With God
-Having a place and space to be with God
-Listen and Center in on God
-Pray
-Read Scripture
-Continue Praying

B. Listen for God's Whispers throughout the day.

C. Worship God
-Don't just worship on Sunday morning during worship, but throughout your week. Turn on Christian radio, pop in a CD, or reflect on hymns.

Lastly,

D. Have Community
-Surround yourself with "a cloud of witnesses" and be a part of the community formed within the church.

Don't allow God to be a routine, but a relationship in your life. Make this a choice you want to do, not one that you have to do. Also, don't assume that since you're doing something God has commanded you to do that you deserve something in return. These two things will harm this love. God deserves a real relationship with you, not a relationship that exists only in this special time you set aside for God. Remember, our time is not our own. We are taking away from God by putting in time for work, fun, and any other activity we plan throughout our day.

Continue praying that God will love you more. Don't be afraid to step across the line and say, "Yes! Jesus, I will come follow you!" It will be the best decision you will ever make!

"What do you think God thinks about you?"
Text to: 22333
Message: 14910 (I Think God…"your response")

IMPORTANT: 22333 is a phone number. It doesn't have 7 digits, but the number does work. Also, 14910 must come before your message as well. To complete the texting both numbers must be correct.