I’m always encouraged by my Central Church family, but for me, yesterday was one of those incredibly impactful days. For instance, Life-Stage Groups 1C and 2A are combining for this month as we discuss the core values at Central. Brian Beck and Lezley Cooper led a tremendous discussion on the values of “ACCEPT” and “RELATE”—how God accepts us and relates with us, but then how we are to accept and relate with others. Being Missions Month, our worship service began with an interview of Amy Williams and Renada Burt on behalf of Laundry Love. You can tell that anyone who has served with this ministry has been touched by how personal it becomes. Yes, you’re helping to meet a specific need by a specific person, but you’re also making a relationship. What a perfect example of our call to “ACCEPT” and “RELATE”. How cool it is to hear testimonies from brothers and sisters in Christ who are actively and passionately reaching out to those who need to be loved.
After our church family shared an intimate time of communion with each other, it was great seeing the smiles on every face as we witnessed the CentralKids bring their gifts up to the front on behalf of our Peru Mission to children. Our church family has long valued this emphasis on sharing what we have with those who have needs, be it in our community, or through our mission efforts around the world.
Wade also shared a challenge for our church family to review the idea of the gospel in our lives. As Christians, how we define precisely what the gospel message is for us may vary subtly from one person to the next; however, what change has it made? The power of the gospel isn’t limited to its definition but is empowered through the transformation of each person who believes. The gospel doesn’t sit on a shelf collecting dust. The gospel is not meant for but one day out of a week. The good news of the gospel is a life-changing, world-altering, relationship-transforming way of seeing the Kingdom of God.
If the gospel is old news to you, it will be dull news to everyone else.
-Ken DeYoung
We don’t believe something by merely saying we believe it, or even when we believe that we believe it. We believe something when we act as if it were true.
–Dallas Willard
So, what if we lived every day as if the gospel wasn’t “old news”? What if the church believed in the transformative calling of the gospel and acted—each day—as if it were true?
What would be different today? What would be different tomorrow, or next Sunday? How is the gospel changing our lives every day?
Chad Tappe
growinggodskingdomdotlive 