Attract, Connect, Grow and Serve

Last week during ministerial staff meeting there was discussion about an important issue. The question was whether the people of immanuel (members, attenders and guest) knew exactly what they were supposed to be doing. This opened up some great dialogue that I believe will do nothing but help us fulfill the great commission as a church. If you want to read what we believe God desires for us do you can read my post on June 21, 2007 (Matthew 28:19-20 would not hurt either). My intention over the next month will be to take each of these four elements (ATTRACT, CONNECT, GROW and SERVE) and give insight to each individually. So starting Monday I will begin with the task of ATTRACT! Stay tuned.

Leavened bread

It's funny how we can read through scripture many times and not see something. That is the great thing about God's Word. It is alive and speaks fresh Words every time you read it. This morning I was reading in Exodus about when the children of Israel left Egypt. Get this picture 600,000 men (plus their wives and children) left Egypt in a single instance. A place where they had lived for 430 years. That was when God stepped in, in a big way, and got them out. They left in such a hurry that they had not added leaven to the bread they were making. Many times leaven is thought of as an agent that represents something bad (beware of the leaven of the Pharisee's...). To the Israelites the leaven was supposed to reemind them of the fact that God had set them free from the Egyptians. It was a reminder that He came through in a big way. That got me thinking about the big things (actually all things) God has done in my life. He certainly has come through in a big way in my life. I have many reminders of this fact. Some of those reminders are the source of joy while others are a little more painful, nevertheless, they are reminders. I pray that I will not turn those reminders into anything more than what they truly are. Reminders of when God came through in a big way.