Getting Back to Basics

As some of you may have noticed, blogging was a little sparse in June. This wasn't by design, it just sort of happened. I know for me, work got crazy, life got crazy, planning and getting ready for Nick@Night happened, and I wasn't being told anything specific to write about by the Holy Spirit....so i just didn't write (probably because I wasn't really listening very closely anyway).

So as leaders; Fritts, Joe and I are going to get back on track with the blog. It's a commitment that I made to God last week and I'm making to you now.

So how did this happen? How did I get so caught up with 'life' that I didn't have time to write the blog? How did I get so caught up with life that I didn't have time to read the bible everyday and talk to God as well as listen to him throughout the day? How did I get so caught up with life that my number 1 priority (God) became 2 or 3?

My passion for God lost it's passion.

I didn't mean for it to happen...but it slowly did. But I'm not ok with that....and I want it to change. So how do I get back to a place where my life is focused on God...where I'm living for Him?

I need to get back to basics.

That passion I felt when I first came to know Him, at that point of my salvation, has lost it's brightness. So I'm going to return to the foundation of my faith - to put some mortar where the foundation has gotten a little weak...it's taken a beating from the trails of life. I'm coming to realize that it's ok to have to return to the foundation and make some repairs. There's no point in beating myself up about it. I just need to do what it takes to get the foundation strong again.

We're never too spiritually mature to reflect back on the foundation of what it means to be a Christ follower. Let's, together, take a look at the basics...

read John 3:11-21

God sent us Jesus to give us hope and a future. We are all sinners and without Jesus we are all destined to an eternity separated from God - since God cannot have sin in his presence. If we believe that Jesus is the son of God sent as our sacrifice to cleanse us of our sin - wash our hearts clean - then we may have an eternal life with God in heaven. Jesus is an example of how we should live our lives - but God still forgives us when we don't live that way, that is...if we believe that previous sentence. We were and are in a world filled with sin. Jesus came to save us - and many of us reject him because we are so content with our sin - but God offers so much more. He offers true contentment. He offers true happiness. Not that it will always be easy - but as least we'll be living a life with love and fulfillment ...and a future...rather than a life of deceit and empty promises. Verse 21 made me challenge myself with this: I'm a christian....let's make sure I'm living that way!

So where do you stand? What do you believe? Do you believe it with your heart and are you living it out? If not...get back to basics. It's ok. It's between you and God. He loves you. He forgives you.