jesus journey

We are on a Jesus journey, did you know? (If not, you’ll have to go back and catch up by reading about our new word for the year in 2010.) The best way to grow in Christian faith is simple…to truly get to know Jesus.  Not just know about Him or talk about him (oh, aren’t we sooooo good at that?!?), or attend church every week or weekly Bible studies…none of that ultimately matters if it means nothing…but actually knowing Him is what makes the difference.  Getting to know Jesus enables us to become like Him and bring God’s kingdom to Earth here and now.  That’s our ultimate purpose!  

We are on this journey not only together as a family, but also as a church family.  In fact, our church is actually what truly began the whole thing.  In January of this year, the leaders of our church decided that instead of organizing sermons around themes and series, instead they would simply begin teaching through the book of Matthew (an account of Jesus’ life)  and work through it.  There is no timeline, no limits and so far it’s been life altering and transforming.  Seriously.  Even the children’s ministries are aligning the lessons with the weekly sermons.  It’s so cool to see our boys learning the same/similar thing that we are each week.   

God is doing amazing things through the people at RiverTree and the surrounding areas.  This journey is serious.  At times, it’s tough.  Some of the sermons are challenging, but they are very real.  The truth is being proclaimed in a new and fresh way.  The Bible and stories in it are becoming oh-so-clear and the history and context of it all is astonishing!  And sometimes it’s hard to hear, it’s not always feel-good, and certainly not everyone agrees, however it’s necessary and it’s the truth.  God’s truth.  (To catch a glimpse into a “tough to hear” type message, read Pastor Greg’s blog post “Find Another Church”.)  It’s so good, so real, so necessary.  No more walking on eggshells or watering down what really needs to be said, it’s time to wake up and really know and be Jesus, not just talk about it for the rest of our lives. or worse yet, actually believe that we’re such great “Christian” people who have it all together when we’re really not at all even close!  We’re really all a mess.  We really all need Jesus.  And really, we are all in the same boat here and all have a choice to make everyday.  Are we going to really follow Him or not?  Or are we just going to act like we are?     

Do you want to join the journey, too?  Are you interested in learning more?  You can certainly be part of it too!  You can access the sermons in video format and join right in along the way.  Here is the latest one, where the question was asked: Why would God bless those who don't deserve it?:

We are currently in Matthew 5.  If you prefer audio recording, you can download the podcast on iTunes.  You can also become a “fan” of RiverTree Christian Church on Facebook for updates and announcements.  You’ll notice, if you do, that as a particular passage in the Bible is studied we are being challenged to ask ourselves these three questions:

What is God saying in this passage?

What is God telling me through this passage?

What am I going to do about it?

Good questions, huh?  Especially the last one.  That's the one that most people never get to asking or doing, for that matter.  Write them down for sure.   They really do make you think.  We use these questions as a guide for discussions at our weekend services at RiverTree, in our THRIVE group meeting and through our own personal Bible study at home.   Why are we sharing all this?  Because we are changing.  God is changing us and it feels good.  And maybe, just maybe,  something about our journey may happen to catch and tug at  your heart along the way and you will change too.