WHAT ARE YOU DOING?

Good Friday to You, 
“What are you doing?” 
When casually asked, this question functions as a great conversation starter. Asked a little more seriously, it gets to the heart of motivation. And when firmly asked, it demands careful thought about the consequences of life choices. 
It really is a great parenting question! 
In a family of seven, this question (in all of its forms) gets asked a lot. As parents, we are “equal opportunity” askers. Yet, our youngest, Keyan, has a special aptitude for prompting the question… especially the slightly more serious and firm versions! 
“What are you doing?” was asked just moments after this picture was taken as he directed his strand of weed eater string at Trinae’s face. It was a situation where a few strikes to her jacket-covered forearm hadn’t yielded any reaction from her. In his developing mind…, reaction from his big sis was the goal. To act and get no reaction was… well… kind of a waste of time, right?! 
Asking “What are you doing?” is quite effective! Not just when you are challenging a child to consider the wisdom of (or lack thereof) the act in which they have engaged. It’s truly a thought provoking question. Why are you doing what you are doing? Or why are you not doing what you are not doing?
Last weekend, we challenged our entire church family to get involved in a small group from September 10th through October 15th – six weeks of discussing the most important questions we will ever answer in life. As we continue our new series The Church, we begin seeing how much of God’s vision for His Church simply cannot be completed in a building or in a worship service. His vision for us is much too big! 
When we hear a challenge to act (i.e. get in a group), we quickly default to a personal cost/benefit analysis. We ask ourselves, “How will I benefit? What will it cost me?” These are good questions, but they’re missing something. Maybe the primary benefit isn’t just personal. Maybe the primary benefit is for others! 
As followers of Jesus, we’ve got to realize “getting in a group” is not primarily for you. It’s for the group. It is for the Church of Jesus! Community isn’t just something we seek for ourselves, it’s something give to those around us. The good news is that when people in a group give community…everyone in the group receives community! 
So…“What are you doing?” 
This weekend, we take another look at the mission of The Church. It is SO much more than a building, a gathering, or a ministry. We are privileged to be the hope of the world by sharing The Hope of the world! As we discover what it looks like to lead in The Church, we discover the essentials of leadership. Because of the grace of the Gospel, we have all been invited to be people of influence…which is leadership! And that leadership begins with each of our own lives. You can get a head start by reading 1 Peter 5:1-5 (https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/? search=1+Peter+5:1-5&version=ESV). 
Hope to see you this weekend, 
Pastor Michael