Sunday Reflections

Sorry this post is a few days late.  We went out of town the first part of this week to Palm Desert with the kids and didn't have internet.  Well, we could have paid to have internet in our room but I wasn't willing to do that.  :-)

Here are some thoughts from a great weekend at Elevate:

• It was Easter and week one of our Come Home Series.  We also hosted an Easter Eggstravaganza event for the community on Saturday morning.
• The Easter event went great!  We had several hundred people come out and experience a fun event for the whole family.  We sent cards out this week thanking all the families who attended and inviting them to one of our services.  We already have several families planning to attend Elevate as a result of the event!
• I've got to give Lesley Mundis and her team huge props for this event.  They all did an unbelievable job and it was one of the smoothest ran events I have ever been a part of.  Our volunteers at Elevate stepped up and were unbelievable servants.
• We talked about the prodigal son in Luke 15 on Easter Sunday.  It is one of my favorite stories in the Bible.
• The father gave the son what he wanted: freedom.  One of the most dangerous things that could happen is God giving us what WE want.
• It is rarely a blow out.  The road to destruction is more like a small leak.  The son didn't "squander his wealth" over night.  It more than likely took years.
• It may be tomorrow or 10 years from now but if you don't give your life to Jesus, it will eventually cost you everything.
• There comes a point in drifting from God where you end up in a place you never thought you would be.
• We can't get right with God until we're willing to confess we are wrong. (1 John 1:9)
• Repentance is starting the journey home.  It is about taking action!  The son didn't just admit he was wrong.  He also started the journey back to the Father.
• The most powerful part of this story is the response of the Father.  The Bible says he was "filled with compassion."  The father wasn't filled with rage or anger toward the son.  
• He ran to him, embraced him, and celebrated that his lost son was found!  
• God wants you to come home! (2 Peter 3:9)  Jesus came here so you could come home!
• I'm so proud of all those who brought family and friends this past weekend.  God did some incredible things.
• We saw several people surrender their lives back to Christ and others give their lives to Christ!
• THAT is why we do what we do. 
• I learned that a husband and wife both gave their lives to Christ during the service too.  All I can say is WOW.
• Listen to me church: if those who you invited didn't come this past week OR didn't "come home" like you thought they would: Don't Give Up!  God didn't give up on you so don't you EVER give up on them until God calls them home!  Keep praying, keep inviting, and let God do His thing.
• Jeremy and the band did an amazing job.  How He Loves and True Love were such powerful songs!
• Week two of Come Home is this Sunday.  We are going to talk about the older son in Luke 15.  It will be fun!