Southview Connect

Easter's about Jesus?

In reading an article earlier today, I ran across the following quote:

"People simply do not have the exposure to the Christian message that they did in years past.  Some people (46% of unchurch people, in fact) do not even know that Easter has anything to do with the resurrection of Jesus.  They may come to church for a variety of reasons that have nothing to do with spiritual seeking."

Yes - Easter is about Jesus.  It is a time when we celebrate what God did.  Out of love for you and me and every other person who's ever lived, God sent His Son Jesus to come to earth, to teach us about Him and Who He is, and to create a way for us to spend eternity with Him, not separated from Him.  This is the great Hope of the gospel - eternal life with God, starting today, right now - life as it was meant to be when God first created mankind.  God wants you and I to lead a life that matters - a life that is meaningful and purposeful. 

That's a message of hope that we need today, especially in the midst of a society that is so rushed and hectic that every minute must be "productive," every hour must be billable, and every day must be long to be "good."  There IS more to life than that - life WAS meant to be more than what we see in the lines of seemingly endless traffic on the Beltway or in the cubicle "farms" that litter our workplaces, in endless "to do" lists and datebooks cluttered with appointments.  Easter is a time we can slow down and remember what God did for us - what He asks of us - and what our mission is to be for Him. 

That's the message we have from God - that's the hope that we've received - that life can be lived with God, not apart from Him.  We can do life with God because of Jesus.  That's why we celebrate - because of the love of God that is tangibly evident in Jesus.

This Easter, many will come and hear the message of hope from God's Word.  Who are you praying for this season?  Who are you inviting to "come and see", to come and hear about a God who desperately loves them and wants them to come home?  Let's be ready.  Start now - start today.  Don't put it off. 

As Rick Warren says so well, "who's going to be in heaven because of you?"   

Don't assume that others understand the meaning of Easter.  Don't say someone's "no" for them.  Ask them to come with you this Easter to hear the reason for our hope - to come and hear about a love that is amazing, a forgiveness that covers all, and a new life that is available for the taking.  Yours may be the most important invitation of their life.       

Who Are You Praying For?

Hi all,

I appreciate your prayers, calls, and emails as you prayed for me yesterday in service and later.  It seems to have been just a 24 hour virus - I'm feeling better today, and the fever is gone, for which I thank God!  Charlotte did a great job (as always!) of taking good care of me, and I should be back at 100% in no time.

A few weeks ago,  I challenged each Southview member to write down one person that you know is living far from God and to pray for them at least once a day, every day, for the 40 days leading up to Easter.  We're well into that now, and I wanted to encourage you as you continue in this challenge.  If you've forgotten or lost track, start again today!  Every prayer of a believer is heard by God - and I believe especially those concerning one of His children who are living apart from Him. 

Keep your focus - don't let the worries and challenges of this world distract you from the main thing in your life as a Christ-follower - your relationship with God. 

Know that I am praying for you as you do this challenge - and I'm doing it alongside you as well.  Together I believe we can reach out to those who are living far from God with His message of hope, and that always begins on our knees in prayer to our Father. 

Praying with you,
--Pastor William

International Justice Mission

It was really great to have Larry Martin with International Justice Mission with us last weekend.  If you were away last weekend, you can listen to the audio here.

You can also check out more information about International Justice Mission here.  What a great ministry dedicated to what is near to the heart of God - I cannot say enough good things about what these folks are doing.  As  a church, we support them through our Alternative Gift Fair each fall, and have done specific events like the Youth Rock-A-Thon to raise money for them - individuals can and do give to them directly as well.

If you're interested in learning more about IJM, or want to get involved, check out their website or talk to our own Dave Yarbrough who works with them.  You won't regret supporting a ministry that is dedicated to rescuing those dear to the heart of God.

Great quote from N. T. Wright

Great quote from scholar N.T. Wright in his book Simply Christian:

"According to the early Christians, the church doesn't exist in order to provide a place where people can pursue their private spiritual agendas and develop their own spiritual potential.  Nor does it exist in order to provide a safe haven in which people can hide from the wicked world and ensure that they themselves arrive safely at an otherworldly destination.  Private spiritual growth and ultimate salvation come rather as the by-products of the main, central, overarching purpose for which God has called and is calling us.  The purpose is clearly stated in various places in the New Testament: that through the church God will announce to the wider world that he is indeed its wise, loving and just creator; that through Jesus he has defeated the powers that corrupt and enslave it; and that by his Spirit he is at work to heal and renew it.  The church exists, in other words, for what we sometimes call "mission" to announce to the world that Jesus is its Lord."

Anyone who has spent time with me knows that I agree wholeheartedly with the above idea - we don't attend church to hide or to pursue our own quest for a sphere where we can exercise some measure of power and control, but instead we gather together at least once each week to recharge our batteries, to encourage and teach and learn from each other - all that so that we can then go and do what Jesus told us to do - share the message of hope that we have freely received with others who are living far from God. 

The minute we start thinking things are all about us, making us more comfortable, doing "church" the way we want to do it, focusing on our own desires instead of what the Word of God teaches - we are in serious trouble.  May it never be so with us.  I pray that we stay focused on the mission that Jesus gave us - that we remember whose disciples we are - that we be like our rabbi, Jesus, in every way, and more today than yesterday. 

May this be true of me and of you.

Difficult Questions: Does Prayer Really Work?

This week we're continuing our series on Difficult Questions, and we're tackling the question "Does Prayer Really Work?" this week.  In my study this week, I read the interesting quote below from C. S. Lewis in his book Miracles:

"The impossibility of empirical proof is a spiritual necessity.  A man who knew empirically that an event had been caused by his prayer would feel like a magician.  His head would turn and his heart would be corrupted.  The Christian is not to ask whether this or that event happened because of a prayer.  He is rather to believe that all events without exception are answers to prayer in the sense that whether they are grantings or refusals the prayers of all concerned and their needs have all been taken into account.  All prayers are heard, though not all prayers are granted."

What do you think of this quote by Lewis?  Is the lack of empirical proof a spiritual necessity for us?  Does this lack move us toward faith or away from it?  I'd love to hear your thoughts as I prepare to teach on prayer this weekend.