Sometimes in life, we feel pressure to do good things and do our good works. It makes us feel better and productive, perhaps. But whatever we do, we do for the glory of God anyway, right? On our way to working or doing busy activities, we think we are a contributing person to society. We get involved in things that touch our heart, that drives us. Our passion.
Well, lately I've been on the road to pursuing those passions. With our new sermon series at church, Pastor Ray asked for volunteers to start and open up new small group Bible studies. At Bayside, we are going through a series based on Craig Groeschel's book, the Christian Atheist. And the subtitle is: Believing in God but Living as If He Doesn't Exist. It is a great book and challenges us to really live our faith in Him.
Anyway, I signed up to be a small group leader. Actually, at the time there were only options for leading a group or attending a group. There was no escape clause. No opting out.
I've led Bible studies before. It was part of my internship for my B.S. in Christian Leadership from San Jose Christian College (now William Jessup University in Rocklin, CA) in my church at the time, Pathway Community Church. And it was something I put aside because I just needed to be ministered to for a while, when I moved out to Sacramento. Well, now that I jumped back into it, God is stirring something in me. Yes, God called me to be a Christian leader (hence my major). As Christ followers, we are all called to serve in ministry. But with everybody serving, there need to be leadership.
And as this group is getting started (with strangers... people I have never met before), I'm actually getting excited. Yeah, me. Once socially inept me. Introvert by nature, grown up nerd, me! Well, not because most of those that signed up for my group are women (when I was younger, that would probably cripple me like Raj Kuthrapali on the TV show the Big Bang Theory... he can't talk to women), but God is going to work something amazing through me.
Not only is this leadership role emerging, I am getting an itch to do more writing (yes, in this blog and I'm thinking some Christian inspiration book). I will probably springboard from this blog into more of a book format. Who knows? Maybe the writings in this blog can translate well into book-form?
But I don't want to just write for writing's sake. I ultimately want to be an inspirational speaker. What? Once socially inept me? Introvert by nature, nerdy me! Don't you see, God wants people He can use to exemplify God's Glory and Grace!
God used Moses... stuttering Moses, to lead his people out of Egypt to the borders of the Promised Land. God used David, who was an adulterer and murderer, to become King and become God's beloved.
God used Peter, who was impulsive and abrasive, to become the Rock of the church of Christ. And God used Paul, once named Saul, who persecuted Christians, into one of the greatest Apostles and who wrote most of the New Testament as Christian doctrine. God uses anyone He chooses to.
That's God's relentless pursuit of someone's life; to grab ahold of someone wherever they are. And then change them into a beautiful testimony of God's grace, mercy and love. God's relentless pursuit of me began long ago and it's still transforming my life, my mind, and who I'm becoming. In Christ.
God is pursuing you. Relentlessly. Whether you want Him to or not, God is actively pursuing your life, relentlessly. And don't think you can ever hide from God.
Where can I go from Your Spirit? Where can I flee from Your presence? If I go up to the heavens, You are there; if I make my bed in the depths, You are there. --Psalm 139:7, 8
God loves you so much. Jesus Christ was that example of God's ultimate love, dying on the cross for all of our sins. But that's not the end of the story. Jesus Christ rose again from the dead and overcame death, so we can overcome all of the obstacles in our life. We just need to relentlessly pursue Christ in our lives. See how that continual pursuit goes?
If you have never pursued the love of Christ, come before Him and ask Him for forgiveness and ask Him into your life to receive the blessings of Jesus Christ reigning in your life!
Dear Lord and Heavenly Father, forgive me for my sins. I know I have turned away from You. Lord God, please forgive me and fill me with Your love, grace and mercy. I need you in my life as much as you pursue my life, I pursue You as my Lord and Savior. Come into my heart, I pray in Jesus' name. Amen.
If you prayed that prayer, welcome to a life of relentless pursuit. We pursue God as He is continually pursuing us to be transformed daily in out walk with the Holy and Living God!
Blessings,
Garret
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