Respond or React

You better be careful what you teach or you just might find yourself being tested.

At the end of another incredible worship service yesterday (another huge crowd, 2 baptisms, 5 people asking Jesus into their heart), I got news of a couple of things. One person backed into another car in the parking lot. Another person got bad news about their job and some health issues. React or Respond?

See that was one of the points in my message yesterday. When things get wacky, how does your faith play out in your life? Do you react and freak out or do you respond with confidence (faith)?

So I'm driving along this morning and my Jeep starts making a weird noise and smoking. Respond or React Doug? I have to confess that I did get impatient with my wife when I called her then I just started asking God to help me find the part I needed to fix it. Several phone calls, a trip to the other side of the county, $45, five hours later, the Jeep is great.

So What? If you can't practice what you preach, don't. If you want to really experience God's best, hang on. It is not always going to be smooth sailing. And one more thing, the stuff you learn in the Bible really can help you in real life.

BTW...you can listen to the enitre message on our web site, www.midtownechurch.com.

What a Splash!

I really wasn't even sure he would fit. I mean, his shoulders are probably 50 inches wide. He is a huge guy! I wasn't so concerned about his height. I knew we could move him way forward and take care of that. But the shoulders...not too sure.

He climbed in the portable baptistery and I introduced him to the huge crowd that had gathered for our third service. I noticed that the room was full again and the "extra" chairs had been brought in. I briefly described baptism and began to send him down when it happened. Oh he fit just fine. But he threw himself back with such velocity that the largest wave I have ever seen in a baptistery was created! The water hit the back of the tub so hard that it curled back up and splashed me in the face. It poured out of the tub and hit the wall of the building some 10 feet away! What fun!

Just our third service and another baptism. For those who are counting, that makes 5 plus the one from our first preview service.

I am once again amazed by what God is doing. He keeps sending people our way and we keep sharing His love with them. They respond and commit. And now we have the awesome responsibility of growing them in their relationship with God. I knew it would take time and a lot of hard work. No problem there. I guess I just wasn't expecting the need for space so quickly. For get putting signs on classroom doors. We keep moving them each week.

What a great problem. What great fun. What a great splash.