We are in the season of Lent and over the last several weeks we have talked quite a bit about allowing the Spirit to continue to transform our lives to look more like Jesus. Our message this weekend will be no different, as we look deeper into Jesus’s encounter with the man born blind in John 9. As I have been pondering this idea of transformation over the last several weeks, something occurred to me. In order for us to be a beacon of light in the darkness and to be having an impact for the Kingdom of God, we must have a willingness to be continually transformed by God and The Holy Spirit.

This is what people in our world today are looking for. Fancy lights, smoke machines, concert type atmospheres are great, but the reality is that people can find that anywhere. In the infor4mation age we find ourselves in, it is very easy to find information and evaluate a church before ever pulling into the parking lot. The church needs to be different – needs to be true to the fullness of God’s Word while portraying His mercy, grace, love, and forgiveness. The church needs to look like God’s Kingdom in action.

The simplest way I know to do this is to pattern our lives after the only perfect human that ever lived – Jesus Christ. Jesus didn’t care about societal norms, he didn’t care what people thought, he cared about the will of God, and representing his father in every encounter. Did you realize that most of Jesus’s miracles were performed with outcasts? It was those that thought they had it all together that missed what was right in front of their eyes.

As we continue in this journey to the cross and celebration of Christ’s resurrection in just a few short weeks, let’s be people who strive to allow the Spirit to transform us, whether it is pleasant at the time or not. Let’s also be people who are willing to minister and serve anyone, including the least of these, just as Jesus himself did.

On the journey together,
~ Pastor Todd