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Mine!

Every year at this time, the Weekly is filled to the brim with various opportunities in the life of our church. By my count, there are 23 opportunities this week alone!

A recent member of the Good Shepherd family recently e-mailed me to share of the fun they’re having in our church, trying all the various programs and activities. And like this message explained, all of them are great!

It’s possible though - some might even say likely - to get lost in the shuffle, in the dizzying array of the myriad options. All the various opportunities in our church can be like trying to order from the menu at the Cheesecake Factory, with its pages upon pages of various types of cuisine.

Like the Cheesecake Factory, all the various things going on in the life of our church taste great (to stay with the metaphor), but at their best, they aren’t just there for our consumption and satisfaction.

Remember, the mission of Good Shepherd is not “to offer a bunch of different programs to keep us busier than ever running from here to there.” No, on the contrary, it is to “invite all people to grow into a Christ-centered life in God’s family.”

At our recent Session retreat, I shared my conviction that a “Christ-centered life” of discipleship includes three areas: our heads, our hearts, and our hands. Put differently, Jesus wants to infiltrate all we think, feel, and do. Like he says to one of the teachers of the law, the greatest command is to “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.” (Mark 12.30)

And so with all the 23 options available this week, it is my hope and prayer that you would prioritize these three areas of head, heart, and hands: worship Sunday morning, commitment in a group, and some area of service in the name of Jesus. Less Cheesecake Factory menu, more In-N-Out.

So what’s your next step?

If you’re plugged into worship, great! When could you make space in your life to join a group?

Are you worshipping and in a group? Where is God calling you to serve?

Do you worship, lead 17 groups, and serve in 5 places? You might want to think about taking a nap. (A Christ-centered life includes naps, too - even Jesus took ‘em!)

Abraham Kuyper put it this way: “There is not a square inch in the whole domain of our human existence over which Christ, who is Sovereign over all, does not cry, Mine!” What area are you being called to surrender to him this week?

Your head? Your heart? Or your hands?

Pastor Curtis

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