Picture this: it’s Monday. The alarm clock sings its everyday song and your feet meet the floor to begin another day. Another workweek. Another breakfast. Another round of the daily grind. It’s not bad, in fact, it’s going pretty well and you’ve grown comfortable with this routine. The breakfast, the school drop-off, the working, the bill paying, and the bedtime craziness.
Sometimes we get so caught up living life that we forget to acknowledge the One who makes it good – the One who graces us to live each of these moments. The One who’s also right there in the dirt with us when things aren’t as wonderful as we’d hoped. Sometimes we walk into church on a Sunday morning only to realize we’re saying hello to God for the first time since we were there last week.
At Faith Community, it’s our mission to help you move from where you are to where God wants you to be. That process looks different for everyone, but one thing is true for all of us: your journey should continue all seven days of the week.
Sundays are awesome. It’s a privilege to see your friends, drink amazing coffee (That does good, by the way), worship together and be empowered by a message from the Bible. But, if your faith lives and dies within the walls of the church building, you’re missing out on the vibrant life God has for you.
Did you know there are 168 hours each week and only about one of those is spent in a church service? That means approximately 167 of those are available outside of a service experience to grow and cultivate your own relationship with God. Spoiler alert: He created you on purpose, for a purpose, so He really does want to hang with YOU. No matter how messy life gets, He’s quite fond of you.
In Psalm 139, David (an ancient King of Israel with a seriously crazy life story who’s also recorded as a man after God’s own heart), writes about how we humans are intentionally made by the hands of God and that not one moment of our lives escapes His sight. He writes:
“You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb. Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it.” (vs. 13-15)
“O Lord, you have examined my heart and know everything about me. You know when I sit down or stand up. You know my thoughts even when I’m far away.
You see me when I travel and when I rest at home. You know everything I do. You know what I am going to say even before I say it, Lord. You go before me and follow me. You place your hand of blessing on my head.” (vs. 1-5)
God wants to walk with you as you navigate the twists and turns of life, and that kind of relationship is only built through intentional time and focus.
With that all being said, have you ever found reading the Bible or looking for a way to take your next step (maybe your first step) in your relationship with God a bit, well, overwhelming? Me too.
We live in a day rich with access to resources and information, and while that’s super helpful (Can I get an amen from everyone that had to use the good ole’ fashioned library Encyclopedia for school projects?), it can sometimes be difficult to know where to start.
That’s why I’m really excited to announce the launch of the Faith Community Blog! *Cue cheers & confetti poppers* I believe this resource is going to be a valuable tool that will help you embrace the 167 hours between Sunday services and move from where you are to where God wants you to be! Of course, you’ll hear from some of our Pastors & leaders, but we’re really excited to share the insight of some awesome people in the Faith Community family – as well as other resources we know you’ll love!
On the Faith Community Blog, you’ll get to hear from a variety of voices covering several different topics: relationships, series topics, lifestyle & fun – and my personal favorite – stories about what God is doing in people’s lives.
Our heart is to connect you with resources and tools that will equip you to strengthen your faith, take your next step towards God, and have fun along the way. The blog certainly won’t be the whole solution to your everyday faith journey, but we do hope it provides a little extra “oomph” in the middle of your week. A little encouragement, a little challenge, a little reminder that you’re not alone. That God is with you in the average, in the extraordinary, in the right now, beautiful mess of life. It’s my prayer that you would follow the words of David and recognize God in your everyday life. If you’re not sure where to start, here’s a prayer I often pray from the Psalm we talked about earlier:
Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.
(Vs. 23-24)
Sometimes, it’s as simple as that.