Dear Friends,

Having a deep heart desire for Christ is the one force that will transform your life. The problem we all face is the constant pull of strong desires that override our deeper desire to follow Jesus.

We need more than anything to learn to cultivate our hearts in a way that will make love for Christ more powerful than the constant distractions and temptations flooding us all day.

This Sunday, I will discuss “How the Heart Changes.” I will teach you about the part you play in cultivating the garden of your heart, so God’s presence can grow and bare much fruit. A good plan and practice for becoming more aware of God’s presence is to commit to attending services every Sunday.

This is an entry-level step for any disciple of Jesus. This is like showing up for practice for your sports team; in this case, it’s no game but about real-life and death realities. If your child is on a sports team, and they say, I don’t feel like going to practice because it was hard, they were distracted. You would remind them they made a commitment to the team and tell them to shut off the screen and get going.

I want to remind you that team Jesus is your first commitment above all others. Gathering is a basic practice you must show up for to progress.

This Sunday, don’t do the minimum. Don’t go to a worship service only at 8:00 or 11:00 a.m. Plan to go to the breakfast class at 9:30 a.m. Take your kids to their classes, and come and learn for yourself, too.

I really want to see your face, hear your questions, and sit for a meal together.

Blessings,
Joe

To read Pastor Joe’s preparing for Sunday, click here.