It’s summer time! (Well technically still spring, but we’re almost there.) And we’re excited to have a great time digging into 1 Corinthians each Sunday throughout the summer. This week we’ll sing some songs that speak of God’s redemptive power and what our response should be to that. Here’s this week’s set list:
See you Sunday!
Micah
Let’s say you die. Sorry about that by the way. But you die, and it turns out that all this time that God is real and now you are going to meet Him. I’m not sure what that scene would look like, but for some reason I picture a few golden retrievers frolicking and Johnny Cash playing on a vinyl record player in the background.
As you stand there waiting to see God would you feel more comfortable completely empty handed, bringing nothing to the meeting, or would you feel better if you had a well documented list of every kind word, every good deed, or perhaps pictures of your proudest human achievements, or maybe even a bank statement from all of your past charitable giving? I mean at least a list for talking points as you discuss your eternal future would be handy, right?
Most people, I’m guessing, would say “sure thing, why not, couldn’t hurt.” Coming to God empty handed on the day you will meet him seems pretty risky, doesn’t it? We at least want to look like we’ve studied for the test.
Therein lies the risk of the gospel. To believe in the gospel of Jesus means to trust by faith that the death of a Jewish Rabbi from Nazareth on a Roman cross in the First Century was the sufficient act for your total right standing before God. This death on a cross, which seems like a silly little story, actually allows you to come before God completely empty handed, covered only by what someone else has done for you.
The risk of the gospel is that we knowingly bring nothing to the bargaining table where those retrievers dance to the ring of fire. The risk of the gospel is that we place our salvation in the death of Jesus alone. The risk of the gospel is one worth taking, because when we come empty handed, only God can take the credit, and rightfully so, for saving us.
God is looking for people who on the day he meet them will say, “I’ve got nothing, but Jesus.” Can you say that today?
It’s here! The weekend where we join in with Beyond 884 and turn in our pledges. Kendra and I have been praying about what it will look like for us, and I hope you have been too. This Sunday we’ll sing some familiar songs so we can unite our hearts around this movement that God is doing at BACC. Here’s this week’s set list:
When it comes to raising money, I admit it: I’m a bit odd.
Why?
Because I actually like it.
After 5 weeks of meetings, visiting about 40 missional communities with Mary Kaye and Brian Mallare, and preaching 5 messages…I’ve had a lot of time to think and pray about Beyond884.
So I want to share with you what I love most about Beyond884.
There are plenty of great things I could share. Things like all the remarkable stories I’ve heard of God changing lives. Or how God is moving all of us to grasp His vision for BACC. Or the ways we are gaining His heart for things like the sanctity of life and global missions.
Those are all outstanding but that’s not what I love most about these last 5 weeks.
It’s hard for me to put into words but if I had to, I’d say: “greater grace”.
God is pouring His grace upon us as we respond in faith.
He is calling us to the next faith step. That means responding to His leadership in giving. When we stretch our giving, that’s always a challenge! Yet the fruit of that stretch is what we long for and need: greater grace.
What I long for myself and all of us is the outpouring of God’s grace. Grace to draw closer to Him. Grace to live a supernatural, God-honoring life. Grace to be used powerfully by Jesus.
2 Corinthians 9:8 is the key verse I’ve been praying for our church family these last weeks:
And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed.
So what do I love most about Beyond884? Answer: experiencing greater grace in the days ahead!
God has been pouring out His grace on us. And there is so much more to come!
As we respond in faith, God will shower “all grace” upon us for these good deeds.
And I can’t wait to hear your stories. Stories of us growing. Stories of His miraculous provision. Stories of becoming extravagantly generous. Stories of greater grace.
This Sunday we’re thrilled to have Ben Heemstra and Rachel Perry leading us in worship! Come ready to worship as we dig into more about Beyond 884. Here’s this week’s set list:
This week we’ll throw a twist into the worship set with lots of instrumentation, some classic hymns, and enough newer stuff to keep it all in balance. 
We’re excited about worshiping on Sunday, and hope you are too! Here’s this weekend’s set list:
See you Sunday!
See you Sunday!
Micah
Tony Campolo is a professor of sociology at Eastern University. He is known as a “red letter” Christian…which is to say he puts weight in the words of Jesus.
On Sunday I wrapped the message with a challenge from one of Tony’s messages titled “If I Had To Do It All Over Again”. It’s based on a sociological study of 50 people over the age of 95. They were asked this simple question: If you had to do it over again, what would you do differently?
Three answers emerged that dominated everything. They would…
That’s real wisdom!
Today I spent a couple of hours with Gene and Pat Merkert. Gene is 89 (not quite 95…though he’d like to live to 100). As we talked, he reflected on how good God has been to him. He shared how much of a blessing his family and church are. He reminded me that they started attending Bay Area in 1988, shortly after the church was planted. Along the way they’ve taken steps of faith to serve, to love, to give. As they approach the end of their lives, they told me it has been a blessing to participate in all the stewardship efforts of Bay Area…and what a joy it will be to be a part of Beyond884.
My time with Gene and Pat caused me to reflect on a life well lived, a life willing to risk. Willing to invest in family, service to the Lord, and giving that impacts generations to come.
Jesus is calling me to take greater steps of faith. To get out on a limb. To believe Him for great things. To not play it safe. To invest my life in things that outlive me.
And I believe He’s calling all of us to that.
I’m grateful for a community of believers that continue to reflect on the gospel of Jesus; for a family of Christ-followers willing to step outside of comfort zones; and for a community of Jesus people who long to make an eternal impact.
If you want to listen to the Tony Campolo sermon (entitled “If I had to Do it All Over Again”) mentioned above, click here.
Beyond 884: Room For People is in full swing! I’m so excited about all that God is doing and hope that you are too. Greg’s challenge from this last Sunday was about the hurdle of simply praying and asking God to give us a heart for this movement, and ask Him to show us what our role in it should look like. My wife Kendra and I are doing that, and I encourage you to do it too. I’d hate to think that we could miss out on an opportunity to have a hand in the incredible movement that’s happening right now in our church and far beyond it.
This week we’ll sing more songs that speak of this new work that God has in store for us as we continue to look forward. Here’s this week’s set list:
See you Sunday!
Micah
Over the last couple of years I’ve tried to become very focused on a particular area of my life. It’s an area that involves faith. It’s an arena that results in supernatural grace and seeing God do amazing things. It’s a region of life that many refuse to yield to God. It’s the area of “giving”.
We all admire someone who is generous. No one wants to be known as stingy or miserly. And though we look up to people who are unselfishly generous, most find it a struggle to live that kind of life.
Yet God calls us to sacrificial giving. And He makes unbelievable promises to those who climb out on the limb of faith and give as He leads.
2 Corinthians 9:8 is my “go to” faith verse when I feel maxed out in the area of giving:
“And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed.”
Specifically, here is one of the three areas that I am currently working on in my life is. I call it Extravagant Generosity.
I desire to live a life of faith that is marked by extravagant generosity.
I like the adjective “extravagant”. The dictionary defines it as “spending too much, beyond what is reasonable, abundant.”
We can often “spend too much” on a lot of things, but extravagant giving is a badge I’d wear with honor.
One of the reasons I am grateful for Beyond884, besides all the amazing things Jesus is going to do through the building expansion and ministries we are supporting, is that it provides another opportunity for me to grow into a person who is characterized by extravagant generosity.
I’m praying that Bay Area Community Church will become known as an extravagantly generous church.
