IT WAS NEVER JUST YOU AND GOD

Good Friday to You, 
Have you heard the story about the two photographers who encounter a large bear? One immediately (but slowly) bends down to tie his shoes. The other says, “What are you doing Stupid? Don’t you know you can’t outrun a bear?” To which the first says, “I know that, but in this situation, all I have to do is outrun you!” 
Ironically, we are regularly tempted to apply this selfish principle to our spiritual lives. Here’s how it works: We know we can’t “outrun” Jesus, so we mistakenly shift our attention to “racing” fellow Christians. As long as we can outrun a few, we escape the clutches of the “bear” of conviction. 
The opposite happens as well. When we look up to see people seemingly outpacing us, we heap self-deprecating guilt upon ourselves. Doing so causes us to miss the joy of celebrating recent growth made by the grace of God and the power of the Spirit. 
We are running the WRONG race!!! 
As we continue our “Better Together” series this weekend, we will consider how to better view our fellow runners. Failing to understand this “race” causes us to regularly miss blessing others and being blessed by others. The Good News…you can stop tying your shoes!!! 
If you want to get a jump start, read Galatians 5:16-6:10. We won’t cover all of those verses this Sunday, but they will give you great context for what we are studying. And please know, if you come expecting to encounter God’s Word, you just might go away more fully appreciating the people He has placed (and will place) in your life! 
Hope to See You Sunday, 
Pastor Michael