Seeking God First

Last week we had a "Vision Meeting." Now some churches have meetings where the leadership tries to "cast a vision" of what direction the church is going to be taking over the coming months and years. Here at NAC, we usually do something different. We gather for a time of prayer, worship and discussion to try to discern what God wants us to be doing. Through this process new ministries are started, old ones reinforced or laid aside and a sense of unity and anticipation usually fills the night.

Our meeting this summer quickly led us to the conclusion that God want us to make seeking Him a priority. I think that one of the reasons for this focus is that we can very easily develop a sense that we have "arrived" now that we are in a new facility. We can think that we have it all figured out and a sense of pride and complacency can develop.

We need to avoid that at all costs.

Instead, we need to drive a stake in the ground and say that seeking God will be our top priority. We need to take time...extended time...to pray and read the Bible. We need to place our ideas on the altar and give God's ideas the most value. We need to recognize that God does want to lead us and to speak to us by the Word and the Holy Spirit.

We'll be talking about this more in the coming weeks, but for now will you join in this prayer?

Lord, you have called us to seek you, but I find that my hands and mind are filled with the busyness of the times. Lord, I lay down what is in my hands and place my concerns at your feet. I want to learn from you. I want to hear Your voice. I want to spend time in your presence. I want you above all else. Lord Jesus, I am your disciple. Teach me. Help me to set aside time to learn from the Scriptures. Help me hear the voice of your Spirit. Help me to learn to live my life the way you want me to. Mold me into who you want me to be. In Jesus name. Amen.

Pastor Karl