Momentum

Those of us who are sports fan know exactly what momentum is. It is that undefinable, yet very definite force that gives one team an edge in a game...and has the other team on its heals. Momentum will often swing, or move, from one team to another during a single game. It is Final 4 time in college basketball, and this just happens to be the first year that all number 1 seeds have ever made it to the Final 4. Eventhough all four made it, it wasn't necessarily easy. Momentum is the key. Davidson (a #10 seed) almost made it.

In church terms, momentum is soooo huge!!! All over our country, the big churches get the attention, because momentum is often in their favor. People are joining, lives are being changed, and good things are happening. Yet, for every "large" church, there have to be at least 50 - 100 churches that literally cannot buy momentum. Many will try the exact things that their larger, "exciting" counterparts are doing, yet with very little results. There are also many of these smaller (and some bigger churches) that have sunk into complacency, or worse - tradition. I firmly believe that complacency and tradition are momentum killers.

What is momentum in churches - I haven't defined it, yet it really exists. It, obviously, begins with the movement of the Holy Spirit. God will move and see if a church will respond. Some churches see God move and they react in fear. Others will see the same thing and (while praying for more of that movement) will say, "What do we need to do to keep it happening?" Ironically, if a church tries to do the exact same thing to get the same results, it seldom ever happens. I believe we serve a God of newness. Jesus, himself, said that we must put new wine in new wineskins, because the old wineskins will rupture. Once a church has a little momentum, it must keep things new and fresh...not rest on a single accomplishment. In other words, things have to keep changing.

2 Great "F" Words

Have you ever had someone say they love and/or accept you just as you are, but then you later find out that they really didn’t? Not only that, but that person held a grudge against you for something you’ve done. From that point on you probably felt anything but free. You felt like that you could not be yourself as long as that person continued to hold this against you.

Freedom is a great word, a better concept, and better yet…the great reality. We experience many freedoms in this country, but really to be free we do not have to be American…we only need to experience God-given forgiveness. Forgiveness is a word that is a better concept and reality than freedom because one cannot experience real freedom without forgiveness. We need to forgive those who have done something to hurt us (Mat 5:39 NLT But I say, do not resist an evil person! If someone slaps you on the right cheek, offer the other cheek also.), but just as important is our need for forgiveness.

Easter is just over a week away. The whole message of Easter is that God became human to live like us (only perfectly) so that He could die for us, then conquer sin, hell, and death so that we can experience real forgiveness and freedom. (Rom 8:37 NLT No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.) Thankfully, God forgives perfectly and doesn’t hold grudges against us. He allows us to grow to be like Him and that is what you can be.

Would you like to find out more about God’s forgiveness and freedom? First, you don't or can't earn it. God offers it to everyone...and because the price is to hight for you to afford, God paid it through Jesus. Second, it starts by entering a relationship with Jesus. By wanting this relationship, by entering into this relationship you are telling God that you want his free gift of forgiveness.