October 5, 2007
Each week, the staff of Journey 2L2 and I wrestle with the many spiritual issues that a young church faces week in and week out - growth, finances, planning worship, choosing outreach projects - just to name a few.  With all that we do, there is an ever present need for resources, both people resources and financial resources. 

There have been very few times in my role as a pastor that I have not longed for the day when we would have all that we needed to accomplish all the dreams and all the ideas and all the promptings from God on this journey to loving Him and loving people.   

One of our passions is teaching and challenging people to move more towards loving God and loving others.  People whose lives are in high demand in every area, people who find it hard to see the value or importance of loving God, people who have yet to experience the value of loving people, people who say they love God and have spent decades learning about Him yet have never been challenged to live as the scriptures teach to “Be imitators of Christ.”   

I often sit and wonder how we have spent so many years of our lives learning more and more about surrendering so many areas of our lives to Christ and to His control, but never becoming like Christ in his compassion, justice, forgiveness, and personal sacrifice of self to love others.  

Over the last few years when I have tried to explain who Journey 2L2 is or how my life and my Christian walk has changed, people who often are very far from God are the first to say, “Well, isn’t that what the church is suppose to do - love people?”  Or a response may go like this, “I have always thought Christians were to be people who invested in other people.  Didn’t Jesus spend His life helping and loving others?”  Maybe it’s like that saying, “You can’t see the forest for the trees.” 

Denise Gutierrez, our Community Outreach Director, shared with me a word of encouragement that came to her from someone who has only heard about what we are doing, “Don’t give up the ship.”  Since that time, Denise has experienced two weeks of God’s amazing blessings where God has showed His pleasure on her life and on Journey 2L2.  If you were at worship service last Sunday, you heard some of those hard to believe stores, and again this week she will share more of what God has been doing. When I hear her share, I am always amazed at God’s ever present working in our lives. 

This Sunday I will talk about courage. Maybe God is telling you to have faith, to be courageous, and to put your faith into actions - not only with your heart and hands, but also your network of friends, your family, your resources, your time. What is God saying to you about Journey 2L2 and how you can help and be a part of one of His miracles in our community?  

People who have only heard about Journey 2L2 and what we are doing have challenged us, “Don’t give up the ship.” Good advice! 

Enjoying the Journey!
Bob

Journey2L2.org © 2007