|
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|
survey sez! Reader's responses to The Big Question. November 12, 2007 The Question: I’m optimistic about my church because . . .
The Answer: “It is God’s church. It is there for His glory. If He can’t help us reach the revival He wants, then it is His fault. Somehow I know from experience He won’t fail us. I just pray that I don’t fail Him.”
The Answer: “My incredible pastor who has such vision and an incredible ability to find myriad ways to inspire us to minister. Being the church to the world—our goal.”
The Answer: “We are alive and breathing. We are having great services. Visitors are coming. Souls are being saved. Preaching is great. The choir is fantastic. We are a people of revival!”
The Answer: “Leadership.”
The Answer: “We focus on souls and restoration for the fallen. Grace! My pastor makes it a priority to treat everyone equally.”
The Answer: “God has already started revival and is keeping it going. There also isn’t a spirit of ‘If it ain’t happenin’ here, it ain’t happenin.’ People recognize that the church isn’t a rat race to see whose church grows fastest or has the biggest youth group or the biggest rallies. It’s all about serving God, winning souls, and not letting your right hand know what your left hand is doing.”
The Answer: “My pastor really cares about me.”
The Answer: “It’s hard not to be! Looking back, it’s obvious that God’s hand has been on us since the very beginning, and He’s not even close to being done yet! I can’t wait to see what God’s gonna do next!”
The Answer: “We are in God’s will. God is doing great things. We are seeing miracles, signs and wonders. We are growing spiritually and in numbers. We know where we have come from and know where we are going. We stand on the promises God has given us. We have a burden to see God change lives. We are a close family and have a desire to reach lost souls with our love.”
The Answer: “We are in the middle of a God-ordained building project that will revolutionize church in our area.”
The Answer: “There’s no reason for me to not be optimistic about it. For years we have heard prophecies about our area and about our church being the key to the city being saved. In the last six weeks we’ve had three missionaries, three evangelists, one Bible college student, and several other speakers who have all preached just about the exact same message.
In fact, two weeks ago a man came to our church from Maine and preached a message called ‘Step Out.’ He then began calling people out of the congregation and prophesying over situations in their lives—ones he could know nothing about. God was working miracles, and that message has set our youth group to the next level. We walk around telling each other to ‘step out’ all the time.
Well, this last Sunday night, another evangelist came to our church and he said that God had given him a different message than he had intended to preach for our service. The title of that message? ‘Step Out—I Dare You.’ God is speaking to us and we are truly becoming a book of Acts church!”
The Answer: “My pastoral staff has an amazing vision!”
The Answer: “We are progressive—ever changing with the culture, but not changing the message of salvation to all!”
The Answer: “I’ve never seen a man more sensitive to the moving of the Holy Ghost in a service than my pastor!”
The Answer: “I’m optimistic about the church—the body. We already have the victory. We know the end—we win! So, why don’t we act like it? Why do we act all afraid of this world or the prince of this world? ‘Greater is He that is in us than he that is in the world.’
Salvation is not an experience; it’s an action, a lifestyle, a process. If there is no action in your life (due to fear, indifference, apathy, lovers of pleasure—not just limited to sin—more than lovers of God), is there salvation? I’m optimistic about what God is doing and excited that I get the humbling privilege of getting to be used as a vessel so God can work. Souls are being saved. The latter rain shall be greater than the former.”
ninetyandnine.com
© 2007, ninetyandnine.com
----------
|
|
|
