The Gift of Perspective

One of my great friends, Stephen Snyder, just got back from South Africa where he spent a few weeks helping missionaries in a squatter camp. You can read more about it here.

He shared a bit of his trip to our students last Wednesday night and one part of his story really struck home with me.

He told the story of a young man, about 17, who he got to know while he was there. This young man had been through more than any old man would want to. He was on his own. He had seen his aunt burned alive by a group of men, he had been abused by his dad, and he was now completely on his own.

Stephen shared how this young man called him over one night and asked Stephen if there was anything he could pray about for him. Needless to say Stephen was floored. This young man asked to pray for Stephen. Unbelievable.

You know what this young man wants more than anything? To learn to read so he can read the Bible. Unreal. This kid has seen more than many of us will in our entire lives and he simply wants to know Christ more.

One thing I have learned in my short life is this… perspective is everything. I get physically sick sometimes at the things we get upset about. The pressures we crack under. We have no idea what hardship is. We have no idea what it is to be starving, yet we say that we are everyday we eat lunch late.

So the next time we update our facebook status with how our worlds our falling apart because we had a bad day, our friends have hurt us, or our relationships don’t work out, remember this. There is a young man in South Africa who wants to learn to read so he can know Christ more.

Chick-fil-a

I visited a Chick-fil-a today with my family. As usual we had a great time. I was sitting there watching my daughter play in the indoor playground and saw a case of moist towlettes hanging on the wall right beside the door of the playground. I was really impressed by this. I looked at my wife and said “I am going to write a post about what the church can learn from Chick-fil-a.” Well, a few hours later and here you have it.

Chick-fil-a is incredible. I have never had a bad time in Chick-fil-a, they are always well staffed, always say “My pleasure”, always clean, the food is unreal (especially the nuggets), and they are prepared for their guests!

Now I could probably stop right there and let you carry the analogies over, but there is so much more I want to say! Well at least a few more lines.

They know who they are serving and they make every effort to make their guests comfortable, from moist towlettes on the walls and those really good mints, to having people come by to fill your cup or carry your tray to the table. They go out of their way to make sure you want to come back.

Think hard, have you ever had a bad Chick-fil-a experience?

What if people would say the same thing about your church?

Generations

We had our first Generations, a family worship experience, at Elevation last Wednesday. We had right at 300 show up and worship together. Children of all ages, moms, dads, grandmas, grandpas, aunts, uncles, you name it we had it. Everyone but the family pet. It was great!

Check out what my wife had to say about it and some pictures from the event here.

You need to make plans to come to our next Generations!

Compassion Weekend

There is an old hymn that says “and they will know that we are Christians by our love.” In this simple line to a song that may not be sung very much anymore, there is great truth. The world should know that we are Christians by our love. Love is a funny thing. It comes in all shapes and sizes and, many times, in ways we least expect it to. We see love when Jesus weeps over Jerusalem and when he turns over the tables in the temple. I show love when I hold my kids after they fall and when I discipline them. Love is wonderful, it is extravagant, it is too much for us to fully comprehend.

This weekend we are going to show love in many different ways to our community and our world. From cleaning bathrooms at the pregnancy center and running a basketball camp for neighborhood kids, to partnering with Compassion and sponsoring children all over the world.   This isn’t a fund raiser or a scalp hunt.  This is so that they might know that we are Christians by our love and that God would be glorified.

We invite you to join us. Come out and help us reach out to our community and tell the world that Jesus lives!

Contact us for information on how you can help!
Elevation@gsdurham.com
919-286-2281

Worth it

I have been astounded by God the last few months of my life. Not by material blessing or answered prayer, but just by Him. I have been continually reminded that even without his blessings, or his stuff, that He is worth it!

I wonder if more often than not we get enamored with God’s stuff instead of with Him. He is the greatest good in the universe and yet we just focus on what he gives us (or doesn’t give us). This really convicted me a few weeks ago. I wasn’t ungrateful for what God had given me, I just kept wanting more. Not of Him but more of his stuff.

The one thing that keeps exploding in my mind every day is that He is worth it! Just Him. Just God. Just His presence. Just Him. He is worth it!

I have found a great treasure. A great freedom, and peace, and comfort in remembering this every day, He is worth it. I challenge you to stop focusing on Gods stuff. Stop praying for safety and security. Pray for His Kingdom, His purposes, His move in the lives of those around you. After all, He is not safe…but He is good.