What the Church and small groups meant to our family

Ephesians 5:25Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her,

Shortly after my wife and I got married, we recognized that the two of us needed to belong to a local church.  Going beyond that, we knew that we needed to be accountable to God and other younger couples to help make our marriages strong. 

In the beginning, we were all striving for the same things in life.  From building our homes to starting young families we were doing life together.  This group was considered a 'mini-congregation' or a small group within the bigger church where everyone knew your name.

  In the beginning, we even had a weekly newsletter  referred to as 'the blueprint.'  We celebrated marriage anniversaries, birth announcements, and even birthdays.  We sought prayer from others as we entered difficult phases of our lives. We were doing life together.

As we entered more difficult challenges in life, Homebuilders became a group that cared. It became the lifeblood that sustained our Christian walk through the most difficult challenges in life. From the great recession of 2007 to the physical losses of loved ones, this group sustained us as our friends prayed for us.

One thing I have learned on m journey is that everyone needs to be involved in a local church and a small group where your spiritual needs can be nourished. I won't sugar coat this because at times life can be incredibly difficult to handle, but  I believe God uses the local church and the people within it to help us as we face the difficult life challenges.

My message to all young people is this: find a local Christian church and begin attending every week regardless of how you're feeling.  Our feelings are like the caboose of the train. It has no engine and it cannot drive us, but it is our faith in Christ ( the engine that drives that caboose) that keeps us going one day at a time.

Life is hard and it can be especially treacherous as unspeakable losses enter our lives, but God assures us in his word that he will help you on whatever journey you're on.

Forrest Gump: My momma always said, "Life was like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get."

2 Corinthians 7:9-10 As it is, I rejoice, not because you were grieved, but because you were grieved into repenting. For you felt a godly grief so that you suffered no loss through us. For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death.

The quote from this classic Forest Gump film sums up what life is often like for all of us.  We all, I think, want the blessings of life- those celebratory moments worth writing home about, but when it comes to the pain we're likely to simply sweep it in the back of our mind and try to forget about it. Everyone, including Forest Gump, love a box of Chocolates.  Most of us desire the Chocolate's with the soft creme inside without the ones with the hard middles.  Like Forest, most of us encounter life moments that are simply emotionally impossible to handle, like:

That 2:00 am telephone call from local law enforcement regarding your child

or the telephone call letting you know your parent is at the emergency room and may not make it..

Standing at your living room window while two well-dressed military guys get out of their vehicle with a look that says that this is anything but a social call.

Today in Minnesota liquor stores can now sell on Sunday. I'm all for stopping off for a bottle of champaign or vintage wine to celebrate life's special moments, but sadly, people also drink to sedate the pain of their sorrow to try to forget about it.  Like bubbling homemade soup, the yucky things of life keep resurfacing- each time they drink to try to bury that pain.  Pretty soon it seems, all that drinking will have serious repercussions on the bodies of people who drink.

Sorrow simply isn't something you can bury into a rabbit hole and forget about it.  It must be processed one emotion at a time every time it rears its ugly head.  The Kimberly-Clark company, makers of Kleenex, knows their product is needed to wipe away the tears brought on by sudden losses, or when those sorrowful moments occur. As long as I remember, our home has always had this Kimberly Clark product.

Fortunately, we also have a living Savior in Jesus Christ who rose from the grave in the greatest redemption event of history who wants to walk with you through all of those yucky moments of life. But, it requires you to make a choice to allow Jesus to come into your life. He won't barge in until you freely open up that door to your life and ask him in.

Jesus Christ, not the Sunday liquor sales, is the key to overcoming those painful moments of life. Getting up on Sunday and placing one foot in front of the other and participating in a worship service nearby regardless of how your feel will do more to calm the sea of emotions within than all of the 6 packs at the liquor store.

I can assure you just as Christ did for my life, He will help you handle those life's moments you just assume forget.

No matter what obstacle you face God will help you overcome it.

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.Hebrews 12:1

Singer Mandy Harvey has an incredible story of faith and perseverance. She has always loved music and loved to sing, but due to an illness she slowly lost her hearing. For most people this would be the end of singing and performing, but not for Mandy. She has developed an incredible way to be able to 'hear' the music and herself, and the result is absolutely stunning. God truly gave this woman a gift, her voice is angelic! Hearing her sing 'It Is Well' to worship the Lord who gave her the strength and faith to overcome will bring a tear to your eye. What a beautiful and pure moment of worship!