convention update

Back at the hotel studying and writing for Sunday's sermon. Really powerful sermon which will call people to life! If you are an Eastviewer invite a non-believing friend and pray they will choose life (Read Deuteronomy 30:11-20).

I heard two great sermons this morning. One was by Rick Rusaw and he hit a chord that is always a part of my heart beat. the theme for the week is "Still Amazed" and his topic was "Grace that feels". His text was the story of the good Samaritan and the idea behind the sermon was that the grace we have been given prompts us to focus on the needs of others and motivates us to help meet those needs.

the most poignant part of the teaching for me was the response of the "religious types" (Priest and Levite) and the Samaritan who was a "neighbor" Jesus was talking about: the religious types saw the need and asked, "what will happen to me if I stop and help?" And the neighbor asked, "What will happen to this man if I don't stop and help?"

Are you going through life concerned for yourself and what might happen if you get involved in the messed up lives of those in need around you? If so, you'll always pass by on the other side and you'll miss the point of your life (ephesians 2:10). Are you going through life concerned with the needs of others, willingly getting involved with the mess so that you can bring grace? If so, you'll always be stopping to help those in need. And you'll be the kind of person Jesus commends as loving their neighbor as themselves.