This past week I was listening to "Let's talk it's Relationship" and I believe it was the podcast from 10.21.09 (http://familyroommedia.com/podcast.html). Anyway the thing that got me to thinking more than anything was this.... does institutional "church attendance" cause us to fall into a trap of selling or marketing our "club / church" to people instead of sharing the love of Jesus Christ with others more naturally?
Instead of teaching believers to invite people to a "church or institutional Sunday morning club" shouldn't we teach believers to simply befriend people? Then after befriending someone we walk in friendship with that person and allow the love of Christ to live in and through us. We can't befriend someone with the goal of getting that person into your "church" because most people can see right through that and truth is... who pulls a bait and switch with a real friend?
I guess I say that to say... maybe I should be less concerned with planting a new church and more concerned with helping people grow to be great friends and follow Christ passionately. Then they'll be a great church - whether they gather on Sunday's or not.
With that in mind I pray that aplacetotalk.net will become exactly what God wants it to become.
I decided to blog today as a safety valve for me... I have to be very careful not to get trapped back in the same trap that many people who desire to follow Christ get caught in. It seems that one plan of the enemy is to find people who desire to share Christ and His message and convert them to sharing religion, a church, or morality. When the enemy successfully gets those who know Christ to give their energy to religion, and institution, or the following of rules that person is neutralized and not an effective tool in the hand of Christ.
Father, I used to live for myself and I realized how meaningless that was when I met Your Son Jesus. Then for some reason or another I began to live for whatever church, pastor, or institution I served. Then I re-discovered You and the freedom that comes from living for and in You alone. Over the past six months or so, I may be slipping back into living more for an institution than for You. Today I am reminded how easily I could fall into the trap of living for aplacetotalk and while that looks honorable to religious individuals I have experienced the freedom that comes from living for You and You alone. I wouldn't trade that freedom and peace for anything. God please help me to put You first daily and allow aplacetotalk to simply be a gathering of Your friends with Your agenda. Amen
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