Last night a tornado tore through TN. The latest reports say that there are 25 confirmed dead. Besides the heart-wrenching loss of life, reports show numerous homes, apartment complexes, churches, schools, and businesses that have been demolished. Tennesseans in the tornado’s path are just starting to figure out how to work their way out of this stunning wreckage.
Like many others, Redemption City Church wants to do what it can to help. I’ve been in conversations with government and state relief leaders throughout the day. At this point, it seems that the best immediate course of action includes the following steps.
Pray – Because God can do more in a moment than we can do in a lifetime, we pray. No matter where you are, you can help by asking God to help everyone where they are. TN needs God’s help to move forward. Pray for those without water, food, electricity, and the disaster relief teams already on the ground.
Stay Out Of The Way – As tempting as it is to drive down to the areas most impacted by the tornado, Governor Lee and others have said that the most helpful thing non-essential personnel can do to help the disaster relief effort is to avoid those areas. With trees and wires laying on the roads, the ability to get around is greatly hindered. This doesn’t just impact the commute of those who live in those areas, it also impacts the ability of disaster relief teams to get their equipment to needed areas. That’s why staying out of the way is a great help.
Sign Up To Serve – There are a lot of ways that people will be able to sign up to serve immediately and for the foreseeable future. Whether it’s with our TN Baptist Disaster Relief teams, Hands On Nashville, or some other organization, sign up to serve in some way. To serve with some Redemption City folks this weekend, email us at info@redemptioncity.com. We are still exploring various possibilities, but it looks like there will be great ways we can help this weekend.
Give Financially – Because God generously gave his Son to meet our eternal need, we give generously in his name to meet the needs of those around us. Practically speaking, we all know that it’s going to take a lot of money to make things better. 100% of the designated financial gifts we receive will go to help the disaster relief work.
Jesus came to meet needs. He’s still doing that through his Spirit-empowered church. Let’s be available and engaged in this unique time to show the love of Christ to our fellow Tennesseans.
Around 1 out of 6 Tennesseans are hungry. 1 out of 6! That means over 1 million of our fellow Tennesseans have stomachs that are growling each week and can’t make it stop the way many of us can. And hunger, of course, doesn’t just impact your stomach, it impacts your ability to focus, listen, relate, your inner sense of well-being, and more. These problems are particularly felt developmentally by the 1 out of 4 children that make up Tennessee’s hungry population. If we reduce hunger, we reduce so many other problems that plague our neighbors.
That’s why, starting this year, Redemption City Church will be using a portion of our 30.9 acres to grow thousands of pounds of food that we’re going to give away in the name of Jesus. No, we’re not growing food because we want to be farmers. We’re farming because we want to be like Jesus who both SHARED God’s love verbally and SHOWED God’s love practically.
We know this is true because Matthew summarized Jesus’
ministry by saying, “23 And he went throughout all Galilee, teaching
in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every
disease and every affliction among the people” (Matt. 4:23).
Jesus drove this point home when he said that at the end of time we will answer for how we treated the most vulnerable around us. He said, “35 For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, 36 I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ 37 Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? 38 And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? 39 And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ 40 And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers,[f] you did it to me’ (Matt. 25:35-40).
Later, Jesus’ brother, James, emphasized that saving faith
is a working faith or it’s a dead faith. He wrote, “So also
faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead” (James 2:17).
There are, of course, many other passages in the Bible that tell us that Christians who have a saving belief in the gospel should make a practical difference in the lives of those around them. Christianity is compassionate or it’s counterfeit.
From the very beginning of Redemption City Church in 2013,
we have sought to be a people that SHARE God’s love verbally and SHOW God’s
love practically. We’ve seen God do amazing things as we’ve built houses for
people in need, fed the hungry, provided clothing and education to those who
desperately needed it, and supported missionaries who do the same.
But we feel like God is calling us to something more,
something unusual.
That sense of leading started in 2018, when God gave Redemption City Church over 23 acres of Williamson County farmland through the generosity of Frank and Francis Ingraham. Immediately, we started asking God to make clear how we could best use this gift—farmland that I grew up working on—to advance his kingdom purposes. About 8 months later God led us into conversations with a local non-profit doing amazing work called Cul2vate.
Over the past 5 years, Cul2vate has been growing food to feed the hungry and using the chronically employed to do it, helping equip them to get back to the life God created them for. Cul2vate was founded by and is led by a childhood friend of mine, Joey Lankford, who also worked on the Ingraham farm with me.
Just when we were praying for a partner that could help provide the needed expertise to grow food on this kind of scale and help people along the way, Cul2vate was looking for an opportunity to multiply what they’re doing somewhere else. The timing was perfect!
After agreeing to work together, this past December we launched our “Hope for the Hungry” initiative, asking you to give $15,000 to get it started. This money would cover costs like putting in a small gravel parking pad, purchasing needed tools, seeds, and more. And you responded by giving over $27,000!!! Yes!
Then, this past Sunday, I spent half of my normal preaching time to interviewing Joey at Redemption City Church. I thought it was so important for everyone to hear his powerful story of walking away from everything the world could offer to give his life away through this ministry. You can listen to it here.
This past Sunday we also began asking for 250 people to commit to work 1 hour a month for 7 months, starting mid-March, to provide hope for the hungry. You don’t, of course, have to be a farmer, just willing to provide hope for the hungry in practical ways. You’ll plant seeds, pull weeds, harvest food, and deliver food, just to name a few of the key jobs. Families, groups, and anyone else, can do this together. It’s going to be something you’ll never forget.
Will you pray that God would use our efforts to provide physical and spiritual hope to the hungry this year? We believe that we need God’s help to advance God’s purposes, so we pray.
Will you be one of the 250 people who sign up to help 1 hour a month for 7 months? If so, let us know here. Signing up in this way will enable us to get the needed information to you as easy as possible.
God is going to do amazing things through this new ministry effort. I’d love for you to be a part of it. Check out the Cul2vate’s video below to learn more about this awesome ministry (btw, Dr. Coffey, who you will meet in this video, will be volunteering full-time at RCC’s property!).
God can do more in a moment
than we can do in a lifetime. Whether creating the universe with a word, splitting
the Red Sea for the Israelites, enabling Daniel to walk out of a lion’s den unscratched,
raising Lazarus from the dead with a word, walking Peter out of prison the
night before he was supposed to be executed, the Bible portrays a God whose
power and love is unstoppable and unending.
That’s why we pray. Or, at
least, that’s one of the reasons we pray.
Unfortunately, most people
don’t have a daily prayer life. The reasons for this lack of prayer are many,
but the proposed solution to it usually includes something along the lines of “I’ll
try harder” or “I need to be more disciplined.”
But I’ve found over the years
that a change in prayer life won’t happen in any lasting way by simply trying
to be more disciplined. I’ve had more success in my own prayer life and in
helping others with theirs, in trying to be more childlike, not more
disciplined.
It’s interesting that when Jesus taught on prayer, he didn’t start by telling us to be more disciplined, he said to be more childlike. When he teaches us to say, “Our Father,” he is teaching us to think of prayer as a Father-Child conversation. Jesus didn’t call people to a higher, more sophisticated spiritual level to pray differently, he told them to act like children.
As I’ve meditated on this truth over the years, it’s radically changed my prayer life from a “once in a while” prayer life to an “every day, throughout the day” prayer life. This change hasn’t happened because I’m strong, but because I’m more aware of my weaknesses. The more you grow up in Christ, the more childlike you become. And I’ve found that there are four childlike traits that every christian needs to see God work through their prayers.
Childlike Faith
Just about every child has a moment or a stage where they think their parents can do anything. That’s the feeling Jesus wants us to have about “Our Father in heaven” (Matt. 6:9). Because he is “in heaven,” he is unstoppable. Jesus is connecting the Father we speak to in prayer with the God “who is in the heavens and does whatever he pleases” (Ps. 115:3). Why is this so important? Because your view of God determines your practice of prayer. If you think he can help you today with your work, relationships, finances, or whatever, you’ll ask. If you don’t, you won’t. Battle the specific sin of unbelief that says, “God can’t really make a difference in my life enough today for me to ask him for that help in prayer.”
What does your prayer life say about God’s abilities?
Childlike boldness
Most kids go through a long
season where they don’t think twice about barging into their parents’ room in
the middle of the night. Whether it’s a bad dream, they can’t find their
blanket, or something else, they never apologize for the disruption. That’s a boldness
that no one else could get away with. And that’s precisely what you need to
have, especially once you understand the greatness of God. God’s power is
matched by his love. That’s why we can ask the amazing God who “is in heaven”
to give us “daily bread” (Matt. 6:11). Because he’s “our Father” we can
approach his throne like a child, boldly (Heb. 4:12).
How can we, an unholy people,
approach a holy God? Because Jesus bought our access with his blood. Our
childlike boldness is a blood-bought boldness. He took our place on the cross
to secure a space for us in his family. Because of this, we can be bold as we
talk to God, asking God anything and everything.Do your kids get
organized before they talk to you? Hopefully, not normally. Do they only talk
to you about subjects that are “proper”? Nope. When you’re bold like a child,
you feel the freedom to talk to God about what’s really going on in your life.
What does your prayer life say about God’s love? Do
you have a high enough view of God’s love that you think he will help you today
if it’s best for you?
Childlike Specificity
The older I get, the more I
struggle to come up with “gift ideas” for Christmas and for my birthday. It
didn’t used to be this way. When I was a kid, I could throw out all kinds of
worthless things I was dying to have. My kids are the same. Most are. I believe
God uniquely loves specific prayer requests from his kids. Why? When we get
specific with our requests, we give the invisible God an opportunity to become
visible in our lives in a way he wouldn’t be able to without that request. Specificity
leads to visibility. Don’t know what to get specific about? Pray your problems.
Pray your plans. Pray your Bible. Fight the “vague prayer syndrome” and write
down specific enough prayer requests that you’d know it, if God answered it.
If God answered every one of your specific, written
prayer requests, what would be different for you, your loved ones, your church,
and the world?
Childlike Trust
“Ouch! I’m telling!” I heard my youngest son say, just before he made his way into the kitchen. After he told me what happened, I said to him, “I’ll take care of it.” With that, his countenance changed and he joyfully walked right back where he came from. I overheard him self-righteously say to his sibling, “Dad said he’ll take care of it.”
He didn’t, of course, know
“how” or even “when” I’d take care of it. Frankly, shout out to imperfect
parents like me, he didn’t know “if” I would take care of it. He simply knew “who”
would take care of it. Because he knew who would take care of his problem, he
walked out of that conversation without the burden he brought into it.
That burden-relieving,
peace-producing, change-you-right-where-you-are-from-the-inside-out kind of
interaction in prayer only happens when there is an unshakable trust in the one
to whom you just presented your problem. That’s childlike trust. That’s wrapped
up in the “your kingdom come, your will be done” (Matt. 6:10). If you have a God
who is great enough to do something about your problems and plans, you have a
God who is great enough to have a better way forward that you don’t understand.
That’s why you have to trust God to do what’s best with your request. If you
don’t trust him, you won’t rest. You won’t experience the “peace that transcends
all understanding” (Phil. 4:6-7). Thank him for doing what’s best with your
request before you know what he’ll do with it because you know WHO you’re
talking to, not HOW he’ll handle it.
Is there any area where you need to trust God to do
what’s best for you, even if it’s the thing you most fear?
How different could this year
be, if we started asking the God who can do more in a moment than we can do in
a lifetime, to help us everyday? How different might our relationships, work,
inner sense of well being, churches, country, world, be if we starting acting
like children who have a Father in heaven who does whatever he pleases?
The Bible’s a BIG book. With something around 783,000ish words, the Bible easily fits into the “longer than average” category for books. A book of this size, as important as it is, can be hard to work through in the busyness of life.
That’s why I love the infograph below. It breaks down the amount of time it takes on average to read through every book of the Bible. This info helps busy people see how much time is required to read through a book of the Bible. When you compare the amount of time we spend on our phones, watching T.V. (several hours a day), and other things like this, you see we really could work through the Bible in the year.
Take a look at it and commit to saying “no” to a few more television shows or hours spent on social media, and yes to God’s life-giving word.
In Mid-TN, where there seems to be a church on every corner, a Bible on every bookshelf, and Jesus in every heart, it’s easy to forget that 85% (ish) of the people here don’t have a relationship with Jesus. It’s common to assume that everyone has “arrived” spiritually. It’s not unusual for people to think there are no more new steps of faith to take.
This type of thinking isn’t accurate and it isn’t harmless. I believe it represents one of the most successful lies of the Enemy, causing people to ignore the everyday opportunities God gives them to advance his kingdom. The people in our area aren’t just from our area. In fact, it’s very rare to meet people in Mid-TN from Mid-TN. Our city attracts people from all kinds of families, regions, and more. And like all of us, they’re broken, living in a broken world, looking for an eternal, satisfying life. We believe Jesus is the life they’re looking for. And we also believe that people typically find Jesus and follow Jesus through the church’s Spirit-empowered, imperfect efforts.
One of the greatest parts of being a pastor is the opportunity to hear so many life changing stories to capture both the great need for Christ that exists and the great progress that is happening. One of the worst parts of being a pastor is the challenge of communicating so many life changing stories to so many people. It’s easier to hear and celebrate them than it is to pass them on in a way that does justice to them.
With that said, I’d like to share a few stories, imperfectly, that I can’t keep to myself! All of these happened in the last week. I’ve removed sensitive details, but I want you all to know that God is at work in our midst!
“You have no idea how much of a miracle it is that they are coming!” Recently an RCC couple pulled me aside and told me, that someone they invited has been coming to RCC worship gatherings consistently for the past few months. I knew who they were talking about, but I didn’t know much about them. And the RCC couple told me with an excited seriousness, “you have no idea how much of a miracle it is that they are coming.” I had no idea. Turns out there is quite a history there. Praise God he’s allowing RCC to be the people amongst whom God is working this miracle!
Perhaps there are people around you right now in your neighborhood, at work, or some other well worn path in your life that God wants to work a miracle through your invitation?!
“For the first time, I’m asking God to show me something ‘big’ that he wants me to do.” Recently a couple was invited to a group for the first time. They went and God changed their life! They said as they listened to the group talk about following Christ, it made them realize that they hadn’t been including God in their lives in a significant way. So they started asking God to show them something “big” God wanted them to do with their lives! In the next couple of days, something “big” came along and they acted courageously and took the step out of their comfort zone. Praise God he’s using Groups to change lives!
Perhaps there are people around you right now in your neighborhood, work, or maybe at the worship gatherings, who you can invite to your group and see God change their lives?!
“Thanks for the invitation to grab some coffee. I’ve been waiting for you to ask.” A guy that had been hanging around RCC on and off for the past couple of years was recently asked to coffee by one of the people that saw him the most frequently. And the guy immediately said he’d love to and that he’d been waiting for someone to ask him! How many people is God preparing for our invitations?
Perhaps you could ask God to show you someone that you can invite to grab a cup of coffee and see God work?!
The people of Mid-TN need Jesus. And Jesus loves to use his imperfect church to advance his perfect, miraculous purposes in places like this. I’m praying that God would allow everyone of us to play a meaningful part in helping people start a relationship with Jesus and grow in their relationship with Jesus. Are you making yourself available to him and his purposes today?
Life after a mission trip can be difficult, especially when it was your first trip. It’s difficult to make sense of what you just saw while handling all of the responsibilities that have piled up. But with a little forethought, life after your mission trip can be a powerful, life-changing season. I’m praying that God would use these 12 insights to help you advance further, faster into the mission of Christ. In the last post, I offered up 6. Here are the remaining 6.
Remember what it’s like to meet God outside of your comfort zone – There are a lot of places mission teams go around the world. Rarely, if ever, does this list include a “comfort zone.” God’s mission pushes outside of our comfort zone. It’s important to remember that God offers his children special blessings outside of their comfort zones, not in them. This is true when you head back to “normal life.”
Remember what it felt like to be an outsider – Most mission teams feel what it is like to be an “outsider.” For many, feeling like an “outsider” is a first. We typically stay in circles where we feel like “insiders,” especially the older we get. Yet, on the mission field, we feel strange. When we go to the worship gathering or the work site, we aren’t in control, we don’t know everyone. We’re outsiders. Remembering this experience will help us do a better job following Jesus’ example and reaching the “outsiders” around us back home.
Remember what it’s like to be on guard – Mission teams know that they encounter strange situations and pressures when they decide to join Jesus on mission amongst the nations. So they put up their guard. Often times, people let their guard down when they get back to the states. Unfortunately, the Enemy often works harder to stop the kingdom momentum generated by the Spirit on these trips. Stay on guard when you’re back in “normal life.”
Remember what it’s like to be flexible – Flexibility is the name of the game on the mission field. You have to learn “to hurry and wait.” Plans change quickly and often. But most mission teams understand that God sets the agenda on the mission field, so they face their changes with expectancy, not anxiety. The same God is setting the agenda at “home.” Face your unexpected problems with expectancy, not anxiety, when you get back to “normal life.”
Remember what it’s like to be a missionary – Most mission teams are made up of people who see “missionary life” for the first time. Often times, people are both inspired by their example and encouraged by their normalcy. Missionaries aren’t the super heroes that we often make them out to be. They are regular sinners, like you and me, following Jesus in normal, grace-dependent ways. By God’s grace, you can live more like one where God’s placed you.
Remember what it’s like to be saved by grace – I’ve never met a person that followed through perfectly on their post-mission trip commitments. So many of them end up struggling from what I call, “post-mission trip guilt.” You experience this when you don’t feel like you did on the trip, don’t change like you hoped you would, or don’t _______________. Remember that you are saved by grace, not by your works. Jesus is the only one who has ever performed perfectly. So expect to be imperfect as you take new steps of faithfulness. Rest in his grace, even as you reach for more.
I hope these have been helpful. I’m sure I’ve left some off. What would you add?
I love “mission trip meals.” Not so much for the actual food, as much fun as that can be, but to watch the way team members respond to the “exotic” meals placed before them. These meals aren’t the kind that you’ll find at Whole Foods or any other American restaurant. They are, shall we say, “unique.” Thankfully, most people find a way to show their appreciation for the great generosity being shown to them. While it’s rare for anyone to eat everything, most of us end up eating something.
As you make your way back into “normal life,” I’d like to offer you some food for thought. I’d like to serve up a few pieces of advice that might help you transition back into American life in a way that energizes you and positions you to take greater steps forward for the kingdom. Like your “mission trip meals,” I doubt anyone will take everything I offer here. But, perhaps, you’ll find one or two pieces of advice nourishing to you as you go. Here are 12 insights I think are worth remembering when reentering the States.
Remember What It’s Like To See Past “Normal Life” – When you spend time amongst people from different cultures, you realize pretty quickly that your definition of “normal” really isn’t “normal.” You don’t have to be on the go all the time, pursue more and more, care what’s happening on the internet, or be involved in ___________, to have a life of joy, hope, love, peace, and meaning.
Remember What It’s Like To Be Thankful – Most of your days on the mission field are filled with gratitude. You’re thankful for big things and small things. Often times, you’re gratitude naturally overflows into conversations where you share your thankfulness with others. Gratitude is supposed to be one of the key marks of every Christian’s life, although it’s often missing in our normal lives. If you discover it anew on the mission field, don’t let it go when you come back.
Remember What It’s Like Not To Be “Too Busy” – The slower pace of the mission field often helps us realize the hyper speed we’re accustomed too. It’s amazing how much more of life you actually see when you slow down a bit. You won’t be able to keep “mission field pace” when you return to “normal life,” but perhaps you are better equipped to slow down in life giving ways.
Remember What It’s Like To Disconnect From The Internet – Limited internet access on the mission field is steadily becoming one of its most transformative elements. After a few days of detox, people often realize they enjoy life more when they have limited internet access. When you go back to normal life, try to maintain “limited internet access” so that your life can be more of what you hope it will be.
Remember What It’s Like To Be Present – Mission trips are typically filled with people talking with others more often and more deeply than they would otherwise. The amount of time you spend with a mission team requires you to move past the surface. Some of this level of fellowship is caused by the lack of Internet access. Indeed, when we lack internet connection, we often find personal connection. There’s, of course, more to this dynamic. At the very least, remember to be like Jesus who prioritized consistent, unhurried conversations.
Remember What It’s Like To Engage With God Daily Through Bible Reading And Prayer – Most people find themselves praying and reading the Bible more on mission trips than they did before. These habits are necessary for any relationship to grow, especially one with someone you don’t “see” everyday. Remember how meaningful these moments were to you on the mission field as you get back to “normal life.”
In Part 2, I’ll offer the remaining pieces of advice. In the meantime, would you pray with me for a team that is transitioning back into “normal life”?
We’re just hours away from our 2nd Monthly, Student Worship Night at Redemption City Church! Tonight, at 6:30pm, students and leaders from all across our area will gather for a time of fun, eating, and worship! Here are just 2 unusual reasons why I’m grateful for tonight’s student worship gathering.
The Monthly Student Worship Gathering Is A Unique Moment Of Kingdom Unity – Jesus calls his people to unite in Him. In one of Jesus’ most famous prayers, his “high priestly prayer,” Jesus prayed that his followers would be united (Jn 17). Christians are commanded to be united with one another. While some level of unity is often present, unfortunately, it’s rare to see expressions of our unity in Christ that reach beyond one church’s particular ministry. That’s why I’m so excited about tonight’s student gathering. At it, there will be students and leaders from several other churches and ministries. These other churches and ministries could have done any other number of things tonight, but they chose to join arms with other churches and ministries for the sake of the gospel. I think that’s a big deal. What a beautiful picture of kingdom unity!
The Monthly Student Worship Gathering Is A Unique Moment Of Kingdom Diversity – Jesus is building a united and diverse kingdom (Rev 5; 21-22). The kingdom is diverse ethnically, socio-economically, generationally, and more. But, unfortunately, our local church expressions of the kingdom aren’t usually as diverse as we’d like. That’s why I’m so grateful that tonight I’ll get to see churches and ministries gathering tonight that are made up of students that represent an unusually high level of diversity for our area. Students are coming together that don’t usually come together. What a blessing it is to see the Spirit bring all of these churches and ministries together in the gospel!
I’m so grateful for what God’s doing amongst Redemption City Church’s students and the students in our area. Would you join me in praying that God’s kingdom would advance powerfully and discernibly tonight? Would you join me in praying for these students, their leaders, and their ministries? Let’s ask God to do above and beyond all we could imagine or think in these students’ lives tonight.
I love Franklin, TN. It’s an amazing city. Everything you could want from a city, small town, and country is just within a few minutes. There are great schools, people, and events. It’s the heart of Williamson County, which is one of the wealthiest counties in America. Since I’ve lived here most of my life, it’s filled with incredible memories too.
But it isn’t a perfect city. For instance, many people new to Franklin are surprised to hear that life in Franklin isn’t great for everyone in Franklin. There are food shortages in Franklin. Yep, that’s right. Food shortages. There’s poverty. Drug abuse. There’s homelessness in Franklin. There are deep divisions in Franklin. An “Historic Franklin” that has some “must see” plantation homes that survived the Civil War means that the mixture of pride and pain in this city isn’t new.
Thankfully, Franklin has some fantastic men and women working to make this amazing city even better. Elected officials, school administrators, business leaders, churches, and many other types of people of goodwill are leaning into the complex problems facing our city. I’m grateful that God allows me to pastor a church, Redemption City Church (RCC), that has invested a great deal of time, money, and energy in serving our city.
But I want to see more. I believe we can see more. I want to see changes in our city that far exceed our abilities. That’s why I’m asking God to help RCC serve our city in a way that adorns the gospel. Out of the many ways we are trying to do this “adorning,” I’d like to ask you to pray with us as we pursue a more ethnically diverse RCC. I’m praying that RCC will be a church marked by greater ethnic diversity than we see in our historic city. And I’m asking you to join me praying for and pursuing this for the following reasons:
I’m Praying For More Ethnic Diversity At RCC Because The NT Church Prioritized It – One of the greatest evidences of grace in the early church was the uniting of diverse and divided peoples. Nobody could get the Jews and Gentiles together in Ephesus, but the Apostle Paul insisted that the Ephesian church use the gospel to make it happen (Eph. 2:11-22). He told the church in Corinth, a church ministering in a divided city, that their ministry is fundamentally a ministry of reconciliation (2 Cor. 5:18). This emphasis shouldn’t come as a surprise, since, after all, Jesus’ “High Priestly Prayer” asks God to unite his people—a people made up from all nations (Jn. 17:21; Matt. 28:18-20). Christ’s church has always made uniting diverse peoples a priority. In light of this, the question really becomes more of a “how could we not pray and pursue greater ethnic diversity,” than “should we?” That’s why I’m praying RCC becomes more diverse ethnically.
I’m Praying For More Ethnic Diversity At RCC Because God Says The Church Will Be Ethnically Diverse In Eternity – There’s a lot that God hasn’t told us about heaven. Thankfully, He’s not completely silent. He’s revealed the most important aspects, one of which is the fact that people from all over the world will be united in Christ (Rev. 5; 21-22)! What a glorious sight that will be. I can’t wait. So, if that’s where Christians are headed and that’s how God defines “Heaven,” why not work towards it now? If Redemption City Church is going to become more of a preview of the coming Redemption City (Rev 21:1-6), we’ll need greater ethnic diversity. If this aspect of the coming of God’s kingdom is going to be a visible reality, we need to pray for it.
I’m Praying For More Ethnic Diversity At RCC Because The Power Of The Gospel Shines Brightest When It Unites Diverse People – Ancient Philippi was divided. In Acts 16, we learn that it was divided politically, socioeconomically, and ethnically. And yet, unbelievably, a church was started with people from each of these diverse groups! How did the Apostle Paul get Lydia, a slave girl, and a Roman jailer together? The gospel. The gospel was powerful enough to bring these diverse people together. And it still is. That’s why I’m praying that the diverse and divided people of our city will be united in Christ at RCC, revealing the unbelievable power of the gospel.
I want to be a part of a church that is a shining example of what the power and grace of God produces with the gospel. I’ve been in enough conversations and read enough about this to know that God alone can produce what I want to see. Join me in praying that the God of the impossible will do the impossible in our church, in our city, and in our day.
Thirty days. That’s what we’re asking for. 30 days of specific prayer, starting this Saturday and ending March 12th. Redemption City Church is inviting anyone and everyone to join us as we take a “30 Day Prayer Journey.” We want to see the children of God call out to their heavenly Father like never before. We want to see God work in miraculous ways. We want to see lives changed!
Over the past several weeks, as RCC explored Jesus’ “5 Life-Changing Prayers,” we have seen God answer specific prayers in amazing ways. People are praying that have never prayed. Seasoned saints are rediscovering the life-giving benefits of prayer. God’s answered prayers for jobs, finances, health, difficult situations, and more.
We want to see God do more. And we believe he will. We believe that our heavenly Father loves to answer the prayers of his children. He loves showing his strength in our weakness. He loves to surprise and energize us with his wisdom and might. He loves to hear the voices of his kids.
Take this journey with us. All you have to do is pray specific prayers about whatever is on your heart for 30 days. Simple, right? We made a bookmark that provides direction for your specific prayers, if you need it. You can download it here.
As we approach Saturday’s launch, I’ll post a few brief summaries of each of the “5 Life-Changing Prayers” for those of you who didn’t get a chance to hear about them or may have forgotten them. Until then, let’s spread the word for the #30DaysOfPrayer journey. Let’s pray for the journey as it approaches. And let’s watch with expectancy, as our specificity leads to His visibility in our lives, families, churches, cities, and world!
