Joel Young Blog.com

For the last installment of our CHANGE series at Horizon we are going to be answering the question: why should the church be important to me? As I have been writing and researching this topic I have come to a somewhat new understanding of the church. I don’t want to ruin it for those of you who will be hearing this on Sunday, but the Bible paints a very clear picture and says that ALL followers of Christ ARE a part of the Body (His church). Christians should not be, and really cannot be, separated from the church. If you are a Christian you are not just to be a part of the church by your association with Christ, but you are to be an integral part of the body.

Check out 1 Corinthians chapter 12 and think about what it means. I’m getting excited about the grand finale to this sermon series. Hope you are too!

This week I changed from a very large and capable cell phone with a full QWERTY keyboard to a very small flip phone with standard features. I made the switch because I got a new ipod touch a few weeks ago and I ended up using it for A LOT more than I thought I would. So, instead of carrying two giant pieces of technology I thought I would switch to one giant one, and one small one. Here’s my comment.

How in the world does anyone text on these small keypads with only T9 Word complete? It’s difficult, stupid, and frustrating! Sometimes the word complete won’t recognize names and you have to change the entry method before you can continue.

This post may make me sound like a geek, which I probably am, but I think someone needs to come out with a text messaging speak and spell or something. I can’t type on my phone!

Can I get an AMEN?!?!

It’s strange to think about change sometimes. Some of us feel like we are in a good place in life and we don’t want anything to ever change, but what we don’t realize is that things are constantly changing. Nothing can, or will ever stay just like it is. Many times change is great, but sometimes it can be down right paralyzing. Here is the forehead-slap-of-change that I am in the midst of.

1. This week my parents bought a house. This means that they will be moving from where I grew up, and what I have called “home” for the last 25 years. It’s tougher to deal with than you might think.

2. Even though moving back to the Cincy area to start Horizon was one of the biggest changes in my family’s life, the change didn’t stop when we got here. Life and work as a church planter is an ever-changing circle of calamity. Trust me!

3. I got to talk to a good friend of mine this week. It’s been a while since we have actually been able to stop and just talk for a while. It was great, and it made me miss some of the great times we used to have just hanging and playing music. Life is constantly changing right in front of our eyes.

4. My son is one giant illustration of change. Not so long ago he was just a couch vegetable that couldn’t even roll over. Now, he is a crazy trickster that puts his shoes in the diaper genie. He is becoming more like his dad every day and that worries EVERYONE! Our relationship changes every day. The less he needs me to help him with stuff the harder it is for me. I want him to grow up and be independent, but I REALLY want him to always need me. Hard to believe, I know, but it’s true.

5. MY relationship with my wonderful wife changes every day. Her understanding about me and my imperfections grows daily, but at the same time so does her patience and unconditional love for me. What a woman.

All I wanted to really say through this long post is this. Changing our perspective about anything is sometimes difficult, but it is necessary. This week at Horizon we are talking about Changing our perspective on what our purpose is as a church. It’s going to be a doozey of a message because we all have this mental picture of what the church is and what the church does, but that picture isn’t always Biblically accurate. Prepare for a change of perspective.

This Sunday at Horizon we will be starting a new sermon series entitled: “CHANGE: getting real about church” and we need YOUR HELP! This series will be confronting the negative opinions that many people have developed about church. We’re going to be getting real and talking plainly about what the Bible says church should be, and with that, try to CHANGE many people’s minds about the church and their relationship with this Bride of Christ.

Here’s where you come in.

We want to know your answer to this question: WHAT IS CHURCH?

Simply leave your answer as a comment to this post. We want EVERYONE’S opinion so please tell your friends, neighbors, family members, and co-workers to log on and weigh in. Your answer to this question will help us to reach people’s heart as we address this crucial subject. Thanks.

I don’t have time to be writing this post. I don’t have time to be THINKING about writing this post, and yet here I am.

One thing that I have discovered about church planting is that every week you have a whole new set of responsibilities. These responsibilities don’t replace your old ones, they are just added on top! Thus, I don’t have time to do much more than work and give my family the attention they deserve.

I have no time to take time anymore. To take time to reflect on what God has done in my life, my family, His church, etc. So guess what. Today, right now, I’m taking time when I shouldn’t be. Even though there is no time to take time. I’m taking time so that I can focus on these things and ask God to hold me up under the pressure.

Really, it comes down to faith. Do I trust God enough to take time where there is no time, and know that he will pick up the slack for me? Do I really trust in His ability to divinely intervene in my life and make great things happen without MY help? Well, even though all too often my actions scream a resounding, “NO,” today, they say, “YES”.

No time to take time? Do it anyway!

This coming Sunday we will be wrapping up our “Baggage” series at Horizon. We have already covered some very deeply emotional topic and I believe that everyone, including your truly, has really re-evaluated how great the saving grace and comfort that God gives us all really is. It has been a monthly of God moving in people’s lives, and in many cases breaking people so that he can use our church to build them back up.

I think that of all the topics we have covered we have saved the best, and most personal, for last. No matter who you are you have felt the pain that failure brings. Feeling like a failure can be the most damaging mindset you will ever possess.

I know this because I have struggled my entire life with feelings of failure. Most people would never guess this about me, but those who know me best know that I am my biggest critic and no matter what I do, or how well I am able to do it, I can almost always find a way to spin it into feelings of failure. Believe it or not Pastors are REAL people too, and if I am being honest I believe that this is one of my greatest struggles, and I have spent years seeking God’s help with it.

I have come to many realizations through my own struggle and I hope that these things will help others through the same struggle. God can do some amazing things in our life when we are able to be honest with Him and with others and seek the help of both parties in conquering our baggage.

Can’t wait for Sunday. Horizon get ready!