42 reasons why living out your faith matters. On Monday mornings, I try to clean out my email inbox, catching up on ministry updates and news letters. One of the links this week was a deep dive on some research about the spiritual "Nones." These are people who have stopped practicing any kind of religion period. 75% of nones stopped attending church by age 25. One of the most intriguing things to me was that when polled about why they left the church, the number one reason people under 25 left the church was because of the hypocrisy of those they followed. 42% of people responded that way! That's 42 percentage point reasons why it matters that you live out your faith - to the end. Holding strong to biblical convictions. Not just letting them be head ideas, but rather heart changing realities that flow out of your actions and interactions with others. Whether you're 26 or 76, living out your faith to the end matters to the next generation. You're helping them decide if Jesus is worth it. (In case you're interested in the rest of the study, click here)
A passage I pray every day. I was so thankful for David Wheeler's story and training about how to share the gospel in conversations! GREAT stuff! Over the years, I've found that the first step to having gospel conversations has been praying that God would open a door for them. Every morning at 7:30, this passage from Colossians 4:2 pops up in my reminders inviting me to pray that God would bring gospel conversations my way.
Biggest Love Shelbyville day of the year! More people were sent out to serve than any other Love Shelbyville day this year! Let's GO! We've got one more chance to top that on November 24, so mark your calendars and let's crush it!
The picture of the future painted by this sermon. This sermon was first mentioned to me by Daniel Bright. It's since made some other rounds. I'm still thinking about the picture of the future painted by Jesse from Revelation 7:9-10. Don't miss this one! https://open.spotify.com/episode/6hcJDe0d326Pu8EMnYNf28?si=03d4e229178d4709
If you want to see your heart, reflect on your corporate worship. As a bunch of our church family gathered in downtown Shelbyville to sing and worship last night, I was reminded of the above reality. There's something about gathering together and singing truth about God to God that invites the Spirit to reveal to us the truth about our hearts.
When you reflect on corporate worship, what is it telling you about your heart?
Perhaps your ambivalent and don't seem to care.
Perhaps you find yourself grateful in the midst of grief or sorrow.
Perhaps there's a joy you didn't realize you had or hadn't been living in light of.
Perhaps there's an anger or hurt that's gone unhealed and closed down your heart.
Think about the last time you worshipped together with other believers. What does it say about your heart?
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