Here are some of what was said:   

“Global expedition has a motto for this summer 1 million acts of Love .   Jesus demonstrated sacrificial love, and his sacrifice is our standard that we should live by. Jesus drew large crowds of people, but took time to pull away and touch one person’s life with his love. Our part to play is going to chicago, and God is asking us to sacrifice for others, whether through our giving or our going. A.w. Tozer  made this statement: “God is looking for people through whom He can do the impossible. What a pity we plan only things we can do by ourselves.”  I want to challenge you to sacrifice through your giving.  Let me ask, “what can God do in your life by your giving, through your sacrifice how can God make a difference in your  own life? “

1st John 3:17-18

 ”If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or with tongue, but with actions and in truth.”. 

After the presentation the congregation stepped up, and let me say  “Victory has some of the most generous and passionate people.”  You are AWESOME. 

I am both challenged and energized to be apart of this Mission.  God has called us to Go and as a church we are doing just that.  We are not Talking church we are Being the church.

We have challenged you to Invite your PEEPS ( Peeps is a play on words for your friends, family members, co-workers etc )  to our  11 oclock series:  HOPE NOW. 

Here are some random thoughts about The Invite : 

Now lets get out  there my peeps  and Invite your PEEPS !

We woke up the next day at 4 in the morning and arrived at Cleveland airport.  On arrival we checked in our bags at the ticket check -in counter, and from there we would not see our baggage until we arrived at our tropical paradise. 

Throughout the flight from Cleveland to Miami and then to Jamaica, we were doing what most newlyweds do the day or two after their wedding, SLEEP.  On landing we were directed to walk down a ladder.  That’s right you read correctly a ladder, I was used to going through a tunnel but in our new tropical paradise a ladder would have to do.  When we walked into the terminal I started looking for the baggage claim, but I did not find one, so I found a terminal assistant and asked where my baggage was located.  His response, “Ah man no worry be happy, they are over there.” he pointed to a dirt floor with hundreds of bags scattered, tossed and tagged out in the open. 

As I recall this moment I can’t help but relate that too many of our lives.  We have baggage (emotional, physical, spiritual) that for many of us have been scattered, tossed and tagged throughout our life’s journey.  And for some of you it has ruined your honeymoon, you have done what many honeymooners do: Ignore the obvious.  Let me challenge you to face the reality of your situation. 

That day in the Airport terminal no one was going to pick up my bags for me that was my responsibility.  I had to find them and pick them up because if I didn’t I would never have arrived at my destination. 

I was told that my bags were in the terminal that is all I knew.  For many of you God has revealed your baggage but you have let it sit in the terminal, not dealt with and ignored.  It’s your responsibility to pick them up, but this is where it gets good. 

After I picked up my bags I still was not at my destination.  I found a man who came as a representative of our resort and asked me if I would allow him to help me carry my baggage.  I gave him my baggage but it came with a price.  Not knowing that I forgot to separate my smaller bills from my bigger ones, I gave him a twenty.  He only took my bags about 30 steps, but I didn’t care my bags were handled and I was on my way. 

Today let me be a representative and challenge you to give your bags to the One who can help you carry them.  The One who can heal your broken heart, forgive a past that is checkered with pain and regret, and restore that which was lost.  Of course it will come with a price: 1) you have to locate your baggage  2) you have to be honest about your baggage  and 3) you have to give them to the One who will get you to your destination. 

Needless to say  that though our honeymoon got off to a rough and stressful start,  it did not end that way.

And we all know or have come in contact with Spandex –like people. Sure they may not actually wear the forbidden fabric, but they have many of its characteristics. 

These people will cling to you, and cling tightly. They will grab onto you and not want to let go. It won’t feel right, look right and you should get it off.  These are what we call overly needed people; those who have by their own bad choices are always clinging to you for a bailout.  As I was thinking about this if we are not careful we can get a Spandex Complex. 

How do we avoid the Spandex Complex?

Set healthy boundaries by allowing them to face their own consequences.

Consequences are a natural part of God’s system, and when helping people who are overly needy, as difficult as it may be, we must love them enough to allow them to face their consequences. 

Look at scripture.  Galatians 6:7-8,

You will reap what you sow

You can see a great example of this in Luke 15.  The Bible calls it the parable of the Prodigal son.  It’s actually a father who had two sons, and one of the sons said, “Dad, I don’t want to live your way anymore.  Give me my share of the estate.”  And this son went out, took his father’s wealth, and he blew it, partying hard.  Well, his father was wise enough to let this son hit bottom, and when the son hit bottom and faced the consequences of his sinful behavior, the Bible says the son came to his senses and he thought to himself, “Hey, even my father’s servants have food, and here I am out dying because of these bad choices.”  The consequences led him to the right decision, which was to go back to his father’s ways. 

Rescuing isn’t always helping

Moms, dads, sometimes one of the most loving things that we can do is step back and say, “I don’t want to see you hurt, but if you make these choices, then you are going to have to go down that road on your own.”  Rescuing isn’t always helping.  Now, as soon as you don’t rescue someone who is overly needy, and you have rescued them in the past, the first thing they are going to do is say, “You don’t want me anymore.  This isn’t fair.  If you love me, you would’ve helped me.” 

  What my mom and dad did for me when I was a freshman in college was one of the most painful things that they ever did.  Alcohol had been a, had caused a lot of pain in our family.  And for whatever foolish reason, I thought I could handle alcohol.  Well, I couldn’t, and so my parents said to me, “If you go down that road, you will go down it by yourself.  We will no longer support you.”  And they told me what that meant, and it basically meant that they wouldn’t support me, and so, I hit bottom.  Hard.  My wrong decisions, although fun for a season.  Eventually, caught up and I lost my friends, reputation, resources.  I crashed and hit bottom, and when I hit bottom, I had nowhere to turn, but up.  And, not even sure if this whole Jesus thing was real, I called on the name of Jesus, and I’m telling you, in a moment’s time, the risen Christ touched me and changed me, and that’s why I believe with everything in me that sometimes, some people have to do it the hard way.  They have to hit bottom so there’s nowhere else to turn but up, and when they turn up, He will be there for them. 

I asked my mom, I said, “What was it like to watch me go down that road?” and she said, “Bryan, it was the hardest thing I ever did to know you were on a path to destruction, but you just wouldn’t learn any other way.”  And they wisely stepped back, and prayed for me, and let me crash.

 You see, rescuing isn’t always helping.  Sometimes it is.  Sometimes it’s not.  It’s the tension.  You have to be sensitive to the voice of the Spirit of God.

I want to take a few minutes to focus on the city.

We have according to most sociologist have entered into the century of the city.

In 1980 there were over 175 cities in the world with a population of 1,000,000 each.

In 1989 there were over 348 cities in the world with a population of 1,000,000 each.

In 2000 there were over 500 cities in the world with a population of 1,000,000 each.

Which shows us cities are growing exponentially, as a matter of fact the top 60 cities in the world collectively hold almost 1 billion people 1/6 of the planets population is presently contained in only 60 cities. We live in the century of the city. It was estimated that in the year 1900 only 1 in 20 lived in a city it is also projected that in the year 2020 3 out of 4 people will live in a city.  This simply means the greatest mission field in our generation is found in the city. We love the city not just because the city offers diversity, or opportunity, we love the city because we know God loves the city and the reason God loves the city is because the city contains the greatest concentration of what God loves the most : PEOPLE.  That is our assignment to redeem that which God loves , to restore what the enemy has laid claim too, to revitalize that which God desires to fulfill with His love. God’s passion is always found in the city and the bible shows us that principle time and time again.  More then anything we should love our city because God loves our city, He set his love upon it and has assigned us to be here at this critical time in history so we can impact it, love it ,we can change it, you are here on assignment not by accident.

Do you love your city ?

If you love your city what does this mean for us practically:

1) We must take our cities into our hearts

 If we look at our city as a place to be avoided and resented we will never change anything . This applies to anything; If you resent your job you will not be able to change it ;If you resent your marriage you will never receive the grace you need to nurse the marriage to health We never restore what we resent , and its only in loving our cities that we begin to include them in the great plan God has for them.

2)Approach the city with the faith that God can do something great

Ever feel powerless to change something in your life? Anytime you feel small like you can’t make an impact remember what it’s like going to bed with a mosquito in the room. Small irritant promote major actions and reactions. Even though we may feel insignificant powerless if we start right where we are, at your home, in your apartment, your university ,where you are living out your faith serving those around you it only takes a small step for God to use you in a big way.

Do you ever notice the time you go places and someone steps out of their way to open the door for the elderly, or assist someone with alot in their hands ? Maybe you seen someone drop things they were carrying and someone stopped to help pick them up.  The list could go on and on.  A broken down car, letting someone in front of you at the grocery store, giving someone that piece of gum when asked.  When people help others it gets noticed and as Christians we must stop and ask ourself , ”are we doing our part ? ” Some religions believe that their good  works will get them into heaven, and we know that this is not true (Ephesians 2:8-9).  As a Christian I want to do these “so called good works” (aka. nice things) not because I have to but because I want to, and out of my love for God and my love for others.   Matthew 5:16 says, “let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your father in heaven.”  I think we need to reevaluate our good works mentality and be as dedicated to them as Christ was dedicated to serve others.  Let’s start putting our love into action.  In other words don’t let grace be an excuse for laziness !

As I replayed those moments, as a pony league baseball player, I realized winning the trophy didn’t happen on accident.  It started when the coach came in with a game plan. He cast a vision for the team, he told us it would be work and he worked us.  The coach knew where we were going, he seen our potential and he made us believe it could happen, we could be winners. 

Fathers you are our coaches. 

What vision have you cast for your family?  

(Proverbs 29:18)

What plan have you made for your marriage to be a trophy- esk type of marriage?

(Colossians 3:19)

Have you spoken into your children’s life, told them their potential and help develop it.? 

(Ephesians 6:4)

Visionary coaches make all the difference. 

Jen’s blog: 

  I must confess I am out of shape, so I decided to start walking with my dad whose  a walking machine ! We walked a few miles the other day and I woke up to cramped legs and sore muscles, but just the day before he walked all the way to bellevue and back about a 20 mile walk and was fine.

I guess that’s why these verses popped out at me :  Joshua 6:2-5 .  These verses say that  the children of Israel were to march around the city of Jericho seven times.  Does any one else think , ” Wow that is alot, an entire city”, but I realized I was looking at this verse from an I AM SO OUT OF SHAPE mentalilty.  These people were conditioned.  The children of Israel had been walking in the wilderness for 40 years with the goal to get to the promised land and here they are right in the midst of it. 

You know God has good things in store for His people. Right now may be a wilderness time where you feel like your wandering (walking) aimlessly, but let me encourage you to be working on those spiritual muscles.

If your following God, the wilderness will lead to the promise land and you’ll want to be ready and  conditioned for the victory! 

preperation time is never wasted time …

Go after the vision God has for your life, and I promise you will never be the same.