Recently I read “Scattered Servants” the brand new book from Alan Scott who was the senior at Causeway Coast Vineyard where we were part of the team before moving stateside (along with his wife Katherine, Alan is now the senior pastor at Anaheim Vineyard in California). It was a privilege to be part of the team at CCV and call so many outstanding people friends who everyday facilitated remarkable things happening in our community on the north coast of Northern Ireland.
As I read many of the stories we had relived, celebrated and thanked God for over the years I remembered how my expectations have grown over the last 8 years. Expectations that our teams can facilitate encounters with Christ not simply eduction about Christ. Expectations that young people saying yes to Jesus would be a regular everyday occurrence rather than a special event. And the expectation that young people would choose to engage with experiences of the kingdom over the many options screaming for their attention.
So my question for us today is what relationships books/resources or environments are we engaging with that are growing our expectations?
As Paul the apostle wrote;
“I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.”
Ephesians 3:16-21 NIV