Life is a journey that will often take you to some of the most unexpected places!  Life can be fun, rewarding and exciting, as well as dull, burdensome and scary.  Of all the words used to describe life – I think that one of my favorites would have to be adventure!  Life is an adventure that brings both challenges to overcome and opportunities to seize.

God intends for us to live fulfilling, growing and blessed lives.  No matter where you perceive your life to be right at this moment, you can rest assured that it is somehow in some way moving toward a place that God has picked out for you to have a life-changing encounter with Him. There will be moments when you are afraid, but if you will trust in Him, He will see you through.  There will be times when you set and reach goals, but never ever start to think that you achieved anything by yourself!  There will be plenty of surprises that come your way – enjoy and get the most from each one!

I want to encourage you to take some time to meditate and think about where your life is right now in this very moment and where does God want to take it?  What does God’s Word – the Bible have to say about where you are and what you are going through?  Apply the wisdom of God’s Word by living in obedience to His directions and you will be amazed at how God can take the most mundane and achieve the supernatural.

Your life is a book that is not fully written – you get to decide right now what the next chapter will be and influence how it will end – hopefully in a new beginning!

Most of the people that I know live very blessed lives.  We have and know a lot of stuff.  God has been good to us in so many different ways!  One would think that our blessings would motivate us to live our lives for the One Who has blessed us, but the truth is – we tend to just keep living for ourselves!

This has got to change!  We need to enjoy the stuff that God has given us, but we also need to remember that we are stewards:  How can you use what God has given you for your enjoyment for His glory?  We need to enjoy the knowldge that God has placed into our lives.  But we need to do more than just know, we need to use what we know to live a life that gives God glory!

Stop for a minute today and think about all that God has given you!  What are you using and and will you use the gifts of God for more than just yourself?  I’ve got some work to do – how about you?  Join me this coming Sunday and we will take a few more foward steps!

Yesterday, I had the opportunity to go to Laurens with some other pastors to spend some time with a pastor from Atlanta who shared the following insight from Reggie McNeal that used to work in leadership with our State Convention.  He said that Reggie had told him that our churches had reached everyone that looks like us, talks like us and acts like us and everyone that was willing to change so that they could look, talk and act like us.  And the reason that so many churches are beginning to struggle, is because they are not willing to get out of their comfort zones to reach the people that are different.

On my ride back from Laurens I could not help but to think about the fact that on any given Sunday, statistics tell us that about 22% of South Carolinians are in church.  That means that the other 78% are still in bed, cutting grass or on their way to beating the local baptist to the best restaurants.  78% of our neighbors are not coming or going to church anywhere!  That means that you and I can’t help but to cross paths with some of these folks at some time or another, but because they do not look, talk or act like us, we fail to even give them a glance!

If we know and really believe that Jesus loves us, then we must love Him back – we can’t help but to love Him back!  And if we are really loving Him back, then we must love others – all others – the ones that look like us and the ones that do not!

Who are you reaching?  Who are you showing love to and sharing love with?  It is not our job to get people into Heaven.  It is our job to love people – just as Jesus first loved us.  Who are you reaching?  Stop right now and think about it – who have you shown and shared love with this week, month, year?  If each one of us 22% that are in church on any given Sunday were busy on the other days of the week loving as Jesus loved – then the percentages would change and I believe they would change big time!

We are always looking for someone to blame!  But, before you are so quick to place blame – take a look in the mirror and answer this question honestly = Who Are You Reaching?