One week and counting...

When I first met the kids in this picture I wasn't sure what I had gotten myself into. I was a new youth pastor fresh out of college. I thought I knew something, but really knew nothing at all. My first few attempts at teaching failed horribly. Nothing seemed to come easily.

This picture is from year four with those students. What you can't hear is their beautiful voices lifted up praising Christ. What you can't see is the four year process of change that took place in all our lives.

How did that change occur? I know it was not one big thing, but many little things done over a few years. Here is a list of the key things that helped us to change: prayer, teaching the gospel and studying the bible, eating meals together, serving other people, playing lots of dodge ball, singing with our band, sharing our hurts and confessing our sins, learning to love people who got on our nerves, and spending time with older people who loved Jesus too.

Seven days and one hour from now we will see each other face to face in what we hope will be a two hour feast in the presence of God. We will not have time to do all of those things. But we will have time to do some. The question is will we be ready to do them together?

“Now may the God of endurance and comfort give you unity with one another in accordance with Christ Jesus, so that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Romans 15.5–6 NET)

It is so important that we not gather as individuals to worship, but that we gather as ONE. We are ONE body, we serve ONE Risen Savior, we are indwelled by ONE Spirit, and we are children of the only ONE true God.