Coffee, Cake & Coversation

We're excited to be launching a 4-week Wednesday night series called "Coffee, Cake & Conversation" at Harmony Grove Church of the Way.  We'll be discussing some of the hottest topics in our culture.  I'll be joined by other pastors and community leaders to talk about the following issues:

Sept. 9 - RACE
Sept. 16 - HOMOSEXUALITY
Sept. 23 - POLITICS
Sept. 30 - DATING

There are a few ways you can be involved:

1.  Join us for refreshments at 6 p.m. and dialogue at 6:30 p.m.  Childcare available up through 5th grade.

2.  Send in a question!  You can do that in a variety of ways:

• Leave it in the comments here.
• tweet us @churchoftheway
• post it to facebook at www.facebook.com/churchoftheway
• email to info@churchoftheway.net
• Leave a card in one of the boxes at one of our campuses

Ashley Madison, the Virginia shooting, and our mirror

"Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account."  -Hebrews 4:13

I thought all the Ashley Madison clients whose names and emails were laid bare when I saw this passage.  I thought about all the men who thought they could 'get by' in secret with their lusts and betrayal.  I thought of the secrets that are now no longer secrets that are wrecking marriages as we speak.  And I thought about how we all have secrets that could destroy us.

Then, in broad daylight in Virginia, a disgruntled former employee went up and shot two innocent people, a reporter and a camera man, right on live television.  Sometimes our sins aren't even secret.  The tragedy in Virginia and the tragedy of the Ashley Madison scandal is a reminder of how broken our world is.  We are a sinful bunch, killing each other, physically and emotionally.  We are selfish and vindictive.  We are lustful and quick to react.  We are a mess.  We need Jesus.  We need His forgiveness, and we need him to shape us.

It's so easy to point fingers in these situations.  Men seeking sex outside the covenant of marriage is wrong.  A man walking up and killing two people is wrong.  But we don't really need to be reminded of that, though it does make us feel good sometimes to point a finger.  What I am reminded of in these situations is how much we have these things within us, and when we see ugliness on full display, it's a good time to look in the mirror.  You might not seek out a secret online affair, but what secret sin are you holding onto?  In what ways are we looking outside our closest relationships for affirmation and intimacy?  What do we have the capacity to do if we thought we could do it in secret?  And how have we let rage boil up in us so hot that we could just kill someone?  Maybe we wanted to hit them.  Maybe we did.  Maybe we just cursed them, to their face or behind their back.  Maybe we gave them the ol' 'unfriend' on social media.  Maybe we wished they were dead.

This is uncomfortable, but it reminds me that not only does our world need saving, not only do people whose sins have been in the limelight need Jesus.  I need saving.  I need Jesus.  If my life were laid bare, I'd be ashamed of the mean-spirited and hateful thoughts.  I'd be ashamed of my anger.  I'd be ashamed of my pride.  I'd be ashamed of my selfishness.  I'd be ashamed.  You would be, too.  I am convinced that the ONLY way this world will find peace and rest is if we each, individually, allow Jesus to change our hearts.  I believe that kind of change has the capacity to rub off on people.

First Try

This past weekend we had a first around the McInnis house -- my 11 year-old son helped cut the grass.  Well, sort of.  He did the weed-eating.  It certainly saved me some time.  It was not the prettiest weed-eating job you'll ever see.  The aesthetics left a little to be desired.  It was a little choppy and a little scalped in various places.  But it was his.  He was proud.  It was a landmark moment that Dad believed in him.

But it was also a landmark moment because he came out while I was working in the yard and said he wanted to help.  He wanted to do the work his father was doing, and because of that, I wanted to give him more responsibility.  I wanted to give him more freedom.  I believed in him more because he was about my work.

Does God have to poke and prod you to be about his work, or do you go outside and ask if you can do what your Heavenly Father is doing?  When we ask to be a part of what God is doing, our Father is happy to give us more responsibility and freedom.  He begins to believe in us even more.

We spend a great deal of time talking and thinking about our belief in God, but one our biggest hurdles in life is coming to the understanding that God believes in us.  He trusts us with earth.  He trusts us with our lives.  He believes in us, especially when we demonstrate that we get it.  When we ask to be a part of what He is doing instead of staying inside and doing our own thing, God believes in us even more.  I'll bet God looks at our work and it's a little choppy.  I'll bet he'd describe it as not the prettiest job in the world.  But he's proud.  And (get this), He's able to concentrate on doing the things that only He can do.  Riding the big lawn mower is too big a job for my son right now.  Only I can do that, but he can handle the trimmer.  There are things that only God can do in our world.  But, the bigger question is what are we NOT doing simply because we won't join in God's work.  He believes in you.  He trusts you.  He wants you to be involved in what He is doing.  Go ask him how you can help.  It's okay if it's not the prettiest result in the world.  Your Father will be proud.