Having been your pastor for a full 5 1/2 years, I have seen The Lord do amazing things in my life personally and I have seen Him do incredible things with us corporately. Each year I have presented a state of the church message which recounts specifics of each year and share some of the things we anticipate happening in the coming year. However, this year it seems to me that any attempt to convey my heart on the state of our church would be woefully inadequate.
As your pastor, I believe some of the most exciting days of our life together are in this very moment. Clarifying the vision, changing our name, experiencing God in new ways and anticipating an even greater sense of His presence are things happening now. My conviction is that there is a special call for us to prepare for new things God desires to do.
The point of the 40 Days of Focus is to help us gain an intimate understanding of God’s heart for us as we proceed forward. We should have a great sense of the profound nature of this effort because Jesus modeled this kind of practice. In Luke 6:12-13 we read of Jesus’ preparation for calling the 12 Disciples, “In these days he went out to the mountain to pray, and all night he continued in prayer to God. And when day came, he called his disciples and chose from them twelve, whom he named apostles.”
In order for us to experience a fresh and powerful movement of God, we must refresh our relationship with Him. In order to refresh our relationship with Him we must draw near in unique ways that present us those intimate moments to hear Him clearly, know His will confidently, and obey Him immediately.
There is a story told about a farmer and his wife who were driving to town in their pickup truck. The farmer was sitting behind the wheel driving in silence; his wife was sitting on the other side of the cab against the door. After traveling several miles Louise turned to her husband and said, “Jed, when we first got married we didn’t sit this far apart.” The old farmer dryly replied, “I ain’t the one that moved.”
So this first day of these 40 Days of Focus I am asking that you move. Don’t hesitate to draw near to God, His Word, and one another over the coming weeks. Doing so, you will experience the refreshing of God and together we will discover more than we may ever anticipate.
James 4:8-10
Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.