a glimpse towards Sunday 5.15.15

Henry was a big cuss. I first met him at a wedding reception. He was nursing a beer, smokin’ a cigarette, and sportin’ a mean looking goatee. Someone suggested Henry might be a great guitar player at our new church plant. Before you knew it, Henry was sliding into the seats of our Sunday gatherings.

Eventually Henry started playing guitar with our church band. He also became a Jesus follower. And then it happened…

We were in one of our usual, routine, house-basement band rehearsals, when Henry let it loose. “What are ya’ll doing? Where’s the passion? Where’s the joy? We’re singing about the greatest thing ever. We’ve gotta do better!” And with that, conviction dripped all over our little band. A fire was lit, and joy began to transform our music.

In a classic line, C.S. Lewis once said, “Joy is the serious business of heaven.” How serious are we about joy? Do we know when it’s lacking, or has our busyness and doing and fears masked our joy leak?

The Galatians were ragamuffins like us. They were beat up and bedraggled folks whose only hope was found in Jesus. But then they started adding stuff to Jesus. They started doing and getting busy and elevating commandments and laws as the point — as opposed to the laws getting them to THE point. Eventually their joy was as empty as a beach in January.

How’s your joy quotient? Would you know when your joy tank was on “E”, or would stuff & doing keep you from checking the gauge?

This Sunday we’ll gather to talk about the serious business of joy. Paul asks the Galatian ragamuffins directly, “What happened to your joy?” We’ll ask ourselves the same question as we study through Galatians 4:8-16. We’ll get to some practical answers on how to restore joy. And… you’re gonna love our creative application. Literally, you’re gonna love it.

Did I mention there will be an all-male, manly, macho choir rockin’ the house on Sunday? Oh yeah. We’ll keep our focus on the gospel — THE ONE THING that has the power to save, restore, and bring joy.

I’ll look forward to seeing you and your friends at our 9 & 11 a.m. gatherings.

Blessings!

Weekly Giving | 5.10.15

$28,000.84

Weekly Need $33,000.00