Beyond Insanity

I have been told by countless others that just beyond insanity is something called "church planting". Who are these countless others? Well besides my closest friends and family they are other pastors who have gone on this same journey, starting their own churches. Just the other day I received this email from one of my friends.

"You know I don't know how this emails going to sound to you but I figured I should write it anyways cause I do have the best intentions with it and hope by some miraculous bizarre form, it blesses you: I think you must be out of your mind if you know the success rates of typical church plants in American urban environments and you are still going forward with it. Furthermore, I can't believe your family's and all those crazy lunatics are all on board with you... BUT RESPECT. I love how you take risks and I love how you go up to bat and swing for the fences each time, especially when it's humanly STUPID. Well see if I become one of those crazy lunatics that partners with you in the coming months."

Now I know his heart and what he is saying but I wanted to highlight his email to show you that even our friends think we are totally whacked. I just pray that more of them get whacked out with us and join this amazing journey.

So why would a group of people embark on this journey that is beyond insanity when the odds are seemingly stacked against us. I believe its because just beyond church planting is being a "Christ Follower". A Christ follower is someone who is devoted to Jesus Christ and actually believes and does what He says. 2 Corinthians 5:7 says, "For we walk by faith, not by sight". Before insanity and before church planting we are called to be Christ Followers and as a Christ Follower we do not walk by sight or by what others say we walk by faith. Walking by faith beckons us to not do what is sane but what is deemed insane by countless people.

The countless others were not there when we heard God calling us, and they are on their own journey to what God is calling them to do. After all we are held accountable for the step of faith we must take. It is when we step out and walk by faith that we begin to experience the greatest satisfaction and rewards in life. Mark 10:29-30 states, “…’I assure you that everyone who has given up house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children property, for my sake and for the Good News, will receive now in return, a hundred times over,…’”. So we sold everything and moved downtown to walk in obedience on the journey He is calling us to, a journey of being an access point for others to discover Jesus Christ, realize their dream and begin to live in it.

After all before we are insane and before we are church planters we are called to be Christ Followers and we are experiencing the greatest life ever.

Thanks for listening
Dream Big, Ben