Lately I’ve been wrestling with the ONE THING. I’ve been asking God what the ONE THING is that he has placed me on this planet to do. The idea of showing up Sunday after Sunday to hang out with some nice people, sing some nice songs, preach a nice sermon, and go back to my nice home frankly bores me. I don’t want to live a “nice” life. By the way, don’t misread that and think I don’t like Sunday church cause I absolutely love Connection and the people. God is doing some amazing things each and every Sunday. But, what if there’s more?
God wrecked me the other day. I won’t go into details, but just say that I had an encounter with someone who broke me. I mean totally messed me up. I met someone who was in desperate need for God. They needed a total restoration of their mind, body, and soul. I shared my frustrations with Herk (I knew Laura was wore out with my ramblings) and he said something that stuck in my mind, “Just going to church on Sunday is fluff. Helping people, like Jesus did, is the real thing.”
So, what if we did more than just fluff, but began to live out Matthew 25:31-46. I’m reading a book about the life of William Wilberforce and he said, “True holiness is restoring God’s image to humanity.” We are created in the image of God and the church is called to restore the image of God to humanity. I believe that’s a call to restore the mind, body, and soul.
What if we could help restore people completely. Lift them out of physical poverty, educate the mind, and free the soul. By the way, I’m not talking about starting a clothes closet and a Christian school. I’m thinking much bigger than that. A church that restores an entire community. Now, that would be one awesome church.
BRAD FARNSWORTH 
This blog series reminds me of this song.
Finger Eleven – One Thing
Restless tonight
Cause I wasted the light
Between both these times
I drew a really thin line
It’s nothing I planned
And not that I can
But you should be mine
Across that line
If I traded it all
If I gave it all away for one thing
Just for one thing
If I sorted it out
If I knew all about this one thing
Wouldn’t that be something
I promise I might
Not walk on by
Maybe next time
But not this time
Even though I know
I don’t wanna know
Yeah I guess I know
I just hate how it sounds
If I traded it all
If I gave it all away for one thing
Just for one thing
If I sorted it out
If I knew all about this one thing
Wouldn’t that be something
If I traded it all
If I gave it all away for one thing
Just for one thing
If I sorted it out
If I knew all about this one thing
Wouldn’t that be something
Even though I know
I don’t wanna know
Yeah I guess I know
I just hate how it sounds
Even though I know
I don’t wanna know
Yeah I guess I know
I just hate how it sounds
If I traded it all
If I gave it all away for one thing
Just for one thing
If I sorted it out
If I knew all about this one thing
Wouldn’t that be something
If I traded it all
If I gave it all away for one thing
Just for one thing
If I sorted it out
If I knew all about this one thing
Wouldn’t that be something
If I traded it all
If I gave it all away for one thing
Just for one thing
If I sorted it out
If I knew all about this one thing
Wouldn’t that be something
If I traded it all
If I gave it all away for one thing
Just for one thing
If I sorted it out
If I knew all about this one thing
Wouldn’t that be something
Wouldn’t that be something
whoa, baby. Believe me when I say that I know what being “wrecked” by God means. Great post, Pastor. It is amazing how God counts all of us in on His team and He lets us do this. (be a part of His Church in Ministry). The cool thing is how God constantly re-directs us toward His heart and toward His work. Humbling when He uses those kind of experiences to do that.
The other day, I was working with a lady who was suicidal. She ended up coming to my house for dinner later that day. The thing she said that “wrecked me” was: I don’t really want to die, I just haven’t been able to live. I want to live so badly that I’d rather die than not be able to live. Now that will preach a sermon, eh?
Brother, I am praying for you earnestly and rejoicing with you wholeheartedly for what God is doing there in Tulsa. I am excited about what God is doing in you. Hold on. Take a deep breath. God is going to do it!
-Ryan
Connection Church, Cosmopolis, WA
We are totally on board.