Ephesians 3:20
Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.
God’s word is alive. I believe that. But sometimes… He gives me a reminder. Sunday night… this verse… came to life.
Just under 200 people… in fact it could have very well been 200… people kept coming in and it made it difficult to get an accurate count. But it’s not about the numbers… well… that’s what we’re supposed to say, right? Let’s be honest… it’s okay for it to be about the numbers… just as long as that’s not where the focus is… before and after the event planned.
The event was a pre-game pep rally for two schools… two rivals… Salem… Centralia… a showdown of epic proportions. We did some crazy showdowns like… see which school could have 2 people finish off a 2 Liter of Coke first… or which school had a person that could blow up a balloon until it popped… WITH THEIR NOSE! We added points for each showdown and Centralia ended up the victors in the Pre-Game Showdown… we will see this Friday Night who wins the Real Game Showdown.
We had my boy Craig Smith and come and rap about his #JesusSwag… available on iTunes soon. Gave away and iPad and had some free pizza.
We had a ton of fun… but even in having fun… you can learn so much. Here are a few thoughts on what I learned the night my dream collided with God’s will…
– You have to Dream… this night began in the form of a dream. When I found out that I would be working at a church in Centralia… I instantly had a vision and a dream to see 2 towns… 2 schools… 2 rivals… come together for the glory of God. This event was not the end of that…. that rivalry will always live on… but its a little less intense because 2 rivals see that IF we belong to God… we are all a part of one family.
– You have to Prepare… I don’t like to announce that I fast… but in this case I think it’s okay. Craig and I both took a day last week and we prayed and fasted together for this night. Jesus said, “blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness for they will be filled.” This promise came true for us on August 21st, 2011.
-You have to Work… this is a part of preparing. You have to do the work that is necessary to get people to show up. The principle of sowing and reaping is so true. We sowed seeds by passing out postcards that announced our event.
-You have to Celebrate… it’s okay to have what Craig Smith calls #JesusSwag. What is Jesus Swag you might ask? It’s confidence in Jesus Christ and everything that He has done for you.
Here are a few lyrics from the song “Jesus Swag”…
movin to the right
feelin so nice
movin back to the left
feelin so blessed
Our life’s on track
And it’s feelin fantastic
haters gonna laugh
until they have that Jesus Swag
The central message of the song is that Jesus gives us everything that we need. Craig’s message was true… relevant… and heart piercing. I think Craig and his wife Tashia would both agree that their dream has collided with God’s will… and that has resulted in their Jesus Swag.
It’s okay to celebrate that.
When God’s Word comes to life for you… tell somebody… immediately. Don’t procrastinate those moments. They are a gift from God to show you the truth of His existence… His love… and His grace.
Having #JesusSwag is living for today… it’s not procrastinated.
What has God done for you lately?
Procrastinating Tomorrow 