Orange...It's Brilliant!

I was asked to be a part of a new small group at our church, and this is the book we are studying. Our first formal meeting is on Sunday afternoon, and I cannot wait! I'm pretty pumped about the concept....and it's putting the recent stirrings of my heart into words. This guy totally gets it, and I can't wait to dig in deeper. I can't wait to see it's impact on our church and community.

So, what's it about? Well, I've only read the first few chapters, so I'll have to get back with you as I read more. Basically, Reggie Joiner, presents a vision of the church and the family combining their individual talents in a revolutionary way. What if we merged the light of the church (yellow) with the heart of the family (red)? Imagine the possibilities!

Wanna know what I love the most? The focus on Jesus....just Jesus. It's exactly what I have felt called to focus on over the past year, and reading the words on those pages is such affirmation that I am following God's will for myself, my marriage, and my family. When I made it about Jesus first, foremost, and absolutely....well, everything else makes sense.

But isn't it always just about Jesus? If we profess to follow Christ, isn't that what every Christ follower believes?

Sadly, for many Christians, Jesus is not always the first focus when it comes to living out our faith. Sure, we may say it's about Jesus, but is it how we live? What do we really believe?

When we judge others for the way they worship, is it about Jesus? When we worry about whether or not our best friend's son is going to believe in witchcraft because he loves the Harry Potter books, is it about Jesus? When we worry that the grungy teenager in the youth group (the one with the black makeup and the tatoo and the nose ring) is going to be a bad influence on our daughter, is it about Jesus? When we argue with our neighbor about politics, is it about Jesus? When we gossip on the phone with our girlfriends about the openly gay couple who have come to worship for the past month, is it about Jesus?

Something to think about, huh?