Fit for Mission
This Sunday we launch our six-week journey through the book of Acts. Pastor Steve and I are so excited about this series!
Hundreds of us made a radical minimum commitment to devote ourselves to the reading of Scripture and prayer. That commitment led us to read through the book of Acts one chapter at a time, one day at a time.
One of the things that excites us about this series is that over the next six weeks we’ll get to dive a little deeper into the Acts story. As we do we’ll discover how God worked to get the early church fit for the race He was calling her to run.
We believe God wants to do that in Central too. God is doing a wonderful work in our church. I’ve been here for nearly four years now and this is such an awesome season of ministry! Over the last few months, we’ve seen scores of people come to Christ, connect in community, and join with God in the mission He’s called them to.
What excites us about this series is that it will remind us all of why we do what we do and what God needs to do in us to propel us forward. We’ve accomplished much, but there’s so much more to be done.
The one thing I’ve noted about following Jesus is that no matter how far I think I’ve come, there’s a long road I still need to travel. Acts has been called “Infant's Progress,” for the way it traces the history and growth of the “infant church” in Jerusalem to the center of the world in Rome. As with all children, the infant church crawls before she walks, and walks before she runs headlong into the world. Acts is an inspiring journey into how God’s heart for the world fills ordinary people with extraordinary power for a counter-revolutionary mission.
What excites us about this series is that we believe God wants to fill an ordinary people with extraordinary power for a counter-revolutionary mission!
We begin our journey this Sunday with a look at Acts 1:8. I’ve taught this passage so many times but what I am going to share on Sunday is something that I have never shared before. During my preparation, God gave me fresh insight into this text that has, quite literally, blown my mind.
In a message I am calling, “Fit for Mission,” I will show how stepping out for Christ in this world is rarely easy. We all know that. But what’s the solution? Is it to turn British and say, “Chin up and carry on” or, German and say, “Eyes closed and through”? No. It’s to catch a fresh glimpse of the glory of the ascended Jesus, empowered by the Spirit and propelled into the world. The early church didn’t have it easy taking Christ into the world. On Sunday I’ll share what happened and what that all means for us.
In addition to this, we have a guest worship leader joining Pastor Nate (who will light up the room with her gifts) and some inspirational testimonies too.
For those who want to dive deeper into each message, there’s still time to sign up for one of our C6 groups. A C6 Group is a group that provides a great opportunity to experience the power of community! They meet weekly for the six weeks of this series and focus on sermon-based discussion questions and the scriptures that surround them. C6 Groups provide an easy on/easy off-ramp for those who’ve never tried a Community Group before, or those looking to re-engage in Community group life. Interested? Find out more information here.
I really can’t wait for the weekend and hope to see you there.
I know it’s flu season, so if you aren’t able to join us remember to join us in worship through our online campus available here.
See you all on the weekend,
Craig
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