Today is Saturday, and you know what that means....COLLEGE FOOTBALL. Today I am rockin' the Faux Hawk for the Jayhawks. Their football game isn't on TV today. It is only on pay-per-view, so me and and a couple guys are going over to a Doctor's house to watch it on a Big-Screen TV! Prediction for the game: Jayhawks 35, Nebraska 24.
Last Sunday I had the opportunity to preach at my home congregation in Topeka, Kansas. It was a great experience. The best thing about the whole situation was not that I made it through the entire sermon without peeing my pants or running off stage from embarrassment, but it was the encouragement and support that people were giving me.
For example, minutes before I was to go on stage, Bill Westling put his hand on my shoulder and prayed for me. Bill is one of the greatest Christian men I have in my life. His example and the heart he has for Jesus really shows me what a man of God looks like. Bill was my Junior High Sunday School teacher, and will always be my friend.
The night before my sermon, I received a text message from Josh Reed, a friend from school. He simply wrote, "throw down tomorrow Chuck." Just to know that people were thinking about me made me realize how many people care about me. Josh is a great guy, and I know he will do awesome things in ministry, because he has a heart for people.
There were many other people supporting me through the entire situation. Jayne sat through my sermon a couple times as I practiced it in the Sanctuary Saturday afternoon. She also came to both services, so I would always have someone by my side when I got off stage. I love her, and I am so excited to see her heart for lost people, especially for teenage girls. She is a blessing, and I am thankful for God placing her in my life.
I tell you all of this to say that I am amazed when Christ's Body functions as it is supposed to. The Christian community is supposed to establish an environment where love and care thrive. In Acts 4, we find the early church sharing everything they had so that there were no needy persons among them. From the very beginning, the foundation of the Christian community was love. They loved each other through their generosity, and the people I talked about earlier loved me through caring and encouragement. My question to you is...How are you loving Christ's body?
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