… I am NOT the smartest man on the planet. In fact, 32 year old Jon looks back at 22 year old Jon and thinks, “that guy was a moron!”
But, I know some things then that I still know now and I want to take some time to share them with you, and though structures and strategies will change over the course of my life these things will never change, it’s what I go back to every time I am tempted to throw in the towel. I know…
- About 10 years ago I was lost as the day is long.
- Someone invited me to church.
- I [clearly] heard the Gospel there.
- It changed my heart,
- and, until this day it continues to change my thinking!
- I want everyone on the planet to have this experience!!!
- The majority of the planet is NOT having this experience, including some of the people we are in relationship with, and this bothers me daily
- I believe the local church has been commissioned to IMPACT, not ISOLATE from, the world!!! (Acts 1:8)
- I believe if “Christians” would shut the heck up about the HOW (the methods) and focus on the PERSON who needs Christ and be willing to do WHATEVER it takes to reach them then we would accomplish so much more than we could ever imagine. Please stop trying to clean the fish before they get into the boat.
- I believe (as Charles Spurgeon said) that the local church IS the hope of the world. Jesus established her, died for her and spent a lot of time in the Bible speaking to her. If Jesus says the church is important, then it’s important (regardless of what Andrew Sullivan says in Newsweek).
I don’t know what our church I will look like in 5-10 years from now, I have no idea what will change; however, I do know that the 10 convictions I have listed above WILL be the same and we will still be doing everything we can to reach as many people as we can for Christ!
What about you?