Going Viral?

Every week, I think I will blog about church but I never do. I am short on time tonight, but I will attempt to do so anyway.

The message series at my church is called "Going Viral," and the gist of it is that we ought to be building relationships with the world around us and as we build relationships, genuinely share Christ. I mean, who isn't willing to share Christ with someone they already know and love? especially when the cost is an eternity of torment in hell. Our pastor did not speak of hell today, but a man sharing with our LC class did, and Daniel and I noticed how out of place it seems to speak of hell, even though it is a reality. People are dying, and they are not just going to a place of indifference, but a place of eternal punishment and suffering. So this is great cause to get up and do something. It think it should make all of us wonder whether we love our God if we are not willing to love others as He loved us first and meet people's genuine needs. Do so not just because we need to increase our numbers at church, but because God did something so enormous and life changing through Jesus that we cannot help but to serve others. We need to stop what we are doing to stay "busy" and start doing the things that we are commanded to do.

So church has been good, and LC has been great. God is doing awesome things in my LC class. We got to watch a video during class about Hope Baptist Church in Las Vegas. I wish everyone could watch this video. I cannot share all the testimonies here, but I will tell you about what had the greatest impact on me. Hope was started though God calling some people in GA to plant a church in LV. When the leaders got there, the pastor, Vance Pittman, got a phone call from a Philippinian (?) woman. She had moved from the Philippines to Hong Kong to make some money for her poor family. She moved in with an American family to nanny and do housework, etc. They moved from Hong Kong to the US - Woodstock, GA, in fact. She began attending Woodstock Baptist Church and became a Christ follower. Then the family moved again to Las Vegas, NV, and everyday since the day she moved there, she prayed that God would send people from Woodstock Baptist Church to start a church there. She prayed for over 3 years I think, but God answered her prayers and these men were sent to start the church she had prayed for! Amazing! Imagine what great things we could see God do if we only prayed for them. Start with prayer and join the work that results for as Vance Pittman said in the video, "Prayer is the work, God does the rest." This church which is only 7 years old has already planted 8 churches in the LV area and they are in turn planting more churches. God is Awesome!