Jonathan Sprang - April 17, 2016

The Sheep Whisperer

Identity Crisis

Our lives are busy and hectic, and at times we feel as though there’s no hope. How do we remain faithful to God when life gets out of control? The early Christians found they needed to hear the voice of their shepherd and follow him. Spiritual practices are more than just things to do, they change who we are. They form us into people that are at peace, even in the midst of the storm. And when we are at peace, we can hear God’s voice and follow faithfully.

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Talk to someone with big faith, hear their story, and before too long, you’ll hear about a big change…

They met someone who went to this church…

Or they went on a mission trip.

Or they had a kid and suddenly those big questions seemed a lot more important.

Sometimes, really good things happen, and they can melt our cynical little hearts.

But let’s be honest. When we’re talking about Pivotal Circumstances that grow our faith, they’re not usually good. They’re usually hard… really hard.

A move took you away from everything you called home.

You lose a job.

Or someone close to you dies.

Or a really important relationship comes to an end.

Or they betrayed you deeply.

And even as they’re telling the story, they say, “I wouldn’t choose to go through that. I wouldn’t want to go through it again. I wouldn’t wish it on my worst enemy. But it was right in the midst of that, I found God. God became real to me in a way I had never experienced before. And looking back, I realize God did something right there, in the middle of it, that I don’t think God could’ve done any other way – that I don’t know I would have seen any other way.

So now I look back at that and see that it was right then I realized God is real, and God is personal and God loves me.

And I couldn’t have learned that any other way.

As we explore these pivotal circumstances, we’ll ask how we can learn to see God at work. Because it doesn’t come naturally to us. But God is not only at work, God is with us in those painful places.

And if we’ll look for God, God will grow our faith!

Join us Sunday as we learn how to find God at work in the midst of our pain.

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