Tag Archives: Unity

Dream Big pt. 4

We have talked about dreaming BIG and empowering others to see their dreams come true. In part 2 we talked on how God will in turn bless yours, when it’s done in love & we had an encouraging pep talk from kidPresident! Now lets look at the result of what happens when we dream BIG. It’s summed up in one word: COMMUNITY.

iStock_000009094909SmallCommunity is generally defined as “A group of people living together in one place, esp. one practicing common ownership.” I love this and I would tweak it to say “a group of different people living in one place of like heart & like pursuit in faith towards Jesus Christ.” When you and I dream BIG, when we live BIG, we will find ourselves in community with those around us. Our community is a band of fellow believers in various stages and callings but we have our common ground in our love and pursuit in relationship with Christ.

True community is flexible and vigorous. Flexible in the fact that it is open to anyone who cares to join us in everyday life. Vigorous in the fact that we never settle for where we are in and are always pushing ourselves and each other further in our pursuit, identity and calling in Christ. Where you are weak another will help be your strength. In your strength you will encourage and strengthen those around you.

Community is not easy to build or maintain but the fruit of it is worth it! Community results in real life-change that flows to all involved. As you and I dream BIG and BIGGER we will watch God move in and through us. Even when it doesn’t make sense, even when it hurts, through community we end up walking in God’s will making an Kingdom impact everywhere we go!

Join me in dreaming BIGGER and use the hashtag “#dreambigger” to share in what God is working in and around your community!


Return

It is great to be back to blogging and up and running with everything again. For the past couple of weeks I’ve been out of commission technologically speaking. I was having problems with my Mac as my hard drive just went bad on me and I could not do the simplest of tasks as posting new updates. I am back up and running and I want to thank everyone for the follows/comments/encouragements on Twitter (@atheway1) Facebook (facebook.com/atheway1) and Instagram!

We recently had our presidential elections here in the US and although it was a close race it revealed a disturbing fact in our nation that we have been sorely divided. To make matters worse, it exposed the division that truly laid down at the depths of our hearts and that is a cancer that the Church has not avoided. It would be ideal to live like the Church is above division over politics when the King of Kings still reigns supreme but we have sadly been proven wrong.

Jesus desires us as Christians to be lights before men: “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven (Matthew 5:14-16).” Jesus also said: “By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another (John 13:35).”

Given the events of the past week, regardless of what candidate you supported, can we as the Church say that we are glorifying God with our actions? As the Church are we setting the example for living in unity in the midst of our world? Are we showing Christ in our actions? We should be spurned into action to demonstrate our love for God and each other above all else and walk in unity at this point in history. I know I am. Are you in?

 


God Belongs in My City

This past Saturday in Fayetteville, NC there was a large gathering downtown that consisted of over 5,800 Christians praying for our city, its people, our leaders and our military members. This was a stunning act of unity in our city of people from so many different churches walking throughout downtown Fayetteville.

God Belongs in My City, Fayetteville NC 4/14/12

This event was the first of its kind in the state and it was a great success because you didn’t hear a church promote themselves or it being about any one person other than God. We gathered in downtown’s Festival Park where we began the event with worship where God showed up.

As we began the walk it was amazing to know that though I was with a small group of friends, we were surrounded by thousands of our brothers & sisters in Christ. It was a dazzling display of unity in the Body of Christ in Fayetteville.

The question now looms: Where do we go from here?

Those of us in the city have two options:

  1. we can go back to the secluded stained glass security within the four walls of whatever church we attend or…
  2. we can continue to be bold and come together on what unites us instead of what divides us.

I don’t know about you but I choose the latter; I’m choosing to unite on that which brought us together, that is our love for our Lord Jesus Christ. It doesn’t matter if you’re a baptist or pentecostal or methodist or if you are white black or tan we are all one in Christ. I believe this event is just the beginning of bringing us into more unity and more boldness so God can do what He desires in this city. Where we go from here is in His hands but we can’t neglect our responsibility either; are you in?


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