“Come and see what God has done: he is awesome in his deeds toward the children of man.”
This week I am sharing five life lessons I learned from pondering five decades of God's work in the life of Spanish River Church. Here are lessons 1 - 3:
- If you want to see something big, look up! Click here for more.
- God loves using the ordinary to do the extraordinary. Click here for more.
- Take the first step to follow God's call.
Before you read more about Lesson #3, take a few minutes (if you haven't already) and catch a sense of the wonder of God's work through the ministry of Spanish River Church.
Life Lesson #3 -- Take the first step to follow God's call
It is amazing what happens when one person takes a step to follow God. Who would have thought that the little group meeting here in 1967, with freight trains rumbling in the background,
would become the big group that would meet here in 2017?
Who would have thought that the birth of one church in Boca Raton, Florida in 1967, would result in the birth of 500 churches in over 25 countries by 2017?
But that is exactly what has happened, in part, because one person took a step to follow God.
We live in the day of "Go Big or Go Home!" God says, "Take the little step":
- "Abram, step toward the land of Canaan."
- "Joshua, step out across the Jordan."
- "Gideon, step over that fleece."
- "David, take a step toward Goliath."
- "Mary, step out of your comfort zone."
- "Peter, step out on the water."
- "David Nicholas, step into that little storefront.”
- “Donn Londeree step out onto the campus of FAU”
- “Sharon Demko step into SonShine Preschool.”
- “Ron & Miriam Tobias, step out of your business.”
I love the words of Frederick Langbridge:
“It is very foolish and very faint-hearted to say
we will do nothing because we can’t do much.”
The story of God's work throughout history and throughout the history of Spanish River Church is that of people -- young and old -- willing to take a step to follow God's call.
But here is the BIG question we face as a church celebrating our 50th Anniversary:
“Are we going to take new steps for God?”
This is what I shared with our church on Sunday:
There is a very big danger for churches our age. The church becomes content to clap and cheer over the steps others have taken, to enjoy the fruit of the steps they have taken, but to be too comfortable to take new steps for God.
Jesus is still calling people to take a step. And why not? He is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8). Who knows what impact lies fifty years down the road, because you took a step for God today?
What step is God asking you to take?
Notes:
- You can watch or listen to the 50 Anniversary Celebration Service by clicking here.
- "It is very foolish and faint-hearted to say . . ." from Frederick Langbridge, The Happiest Half Hour.