So What's Next... (review of Sunday, Aug 21)

I didn't make it to The Grind on Saturday, but I showed up bright and early on Sunday morning! Though I wanted to attend the "Bob Good Seminar," I really needed to hear Jessie Prince's message today.

The over-all topic was "What to do when you've grown stagnant with your walk with Christ," or in other words, "So What's Next?"

JP spoke with conviction and fire while hitting 6 main points:

1. You are never so far gone that you can't find what God has for you
2. You must begin doing the things of God
3. Take time for humble soul searching
4. Learn what God said for sure
5. Don't be blind-sided by spiritual struggles
6. If you allow it, God will strengthen you during the down times

This message was full of awesome sound bites...it would behoove me to mediate upon some:

• His Will does not take you out of bounds
• God's grace is sufficient for EVERY circumstance
• We tend to focus on the end-game and forget the steps it takes to get the victory
• God will reassure you if you give him time to
• People are strategically placed in our lives
• If prayer doesn't change the circumstance, it will for sure change you

Even outside of the context, the above "blurbs" carry weight. Yeah, The Prince did awesome today.

2 of the pieces that really jumped at me:

"Take Time for Humble Soul Searching" - wowzers! So, I have been doing a little digging lately...but when I walked out of the darkness and saw the blinding light of my inadequacies and faults...well that just hurt. To be honest, I know that I need to change. I need do better in every facet of my life. I have a short list of things to hit quickly then a long list of "fixer-upper" work that I have to do on the inside.  Have I ever told you how thankful I am that we serve a forgiving God? Without his grace, I would be crushed.

"If You Allow it, God will Strengthen You During Down Times" - when this is over, I should be roughly the size of the Incredible Hulk. I'm sure most of us have heard the story of the man pushing the rock. If not, here is a VERY quick recap: A sick, weakly man was praying when God spoke to him. God told him to go outside where he would see a massive boulder. Every day and every night the man was to push this rock. Every day and every night the man did so. For days, then weeks, then months - he pushed with all his might all day and all night; only resting to eat and sleep. One day the man begins to doubt God and the devil arrives. The devil tells the man, 'Your God has told you to push this rock and you have done so every day for months...yet the rock has not moved. If you bow down to me, I will give you the strength to crush this rock!' The man considers this but does not give in. Instead he prays to God and asks 'why?'  He tells God, 'I have pushed on this rock day and night, yet it has not moved...not even 1 inch! Why have you sent me on this impossible task of moving this rock?'  To that God replies, 'I never asked you to move the rock. I asked that you push the rock. You have done so. Day and night, only resting to eat and sleep. Now look at yourself. You are stronger than you have ever been. your arms, back, chest, and legs are hard with muscle.'

When we go through our struggles, it is so that we can learn something and grow spiritually. God does not give us more than we can handle. This does not mean we will not hit low points. It's then that we should be holding onto God's words and know that we will be stronger when we have come through.

Please feel free to share some of what you learned or thought about this weekends class.