Anyone tasting the fruit of watching your time?

Well, it's been 11 days since our first service in the "Life in the Margins" series.  I'm curious to get some thoughts on how this has been fleshing out in your lives.  I know that Sarah posted earlier about the joy in meeting a new neighbor after her decision to reallocate some of her time.  What else is happening in your world?

This Sunday we will be diving deeper into the issue of time allocation in a message called "Marginal Time :: Creating Space in a Crowded Schedule."  If you are like most of us, time is something we wish we had more of, but the truth is that even if we did it would probably get filled.  Right?  

But the bottom line is this, you and I were created with a connection requirement - we are meant to live in healthy relationships with others and with God.  Our schedules either help us meet this requirement or they distract us from this requirement, leaving serious problems in the wake.  Check out INTAKE 2 Go this week.

Core Practice :: Giving Away My Time

Creed :: I give away my time to full God's purposes.

Scripture :: Colossians 3:17 - "And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him."

Ask And You Shall Receive

If you missed Sunday, go to the link on the left and listen to the service mp3.

Well, as is the case so often, as we begin to be more intentional about engaging with our neighbors, opportunities start popping up and God definitely lobbed me a softball yesterday. My newest neighbor, came home yesterday and had apparently had some type of procedure done at the doctor or hospital. I saw them drive up and walk slowly into their front door. Then, after dinner, Rhonda made a batch of her incredible chocolate chip cookies and I took them over last night with a post-it note with all of our phone numbers in case he needed some help. It really was that simple.

I didn't spend a lot of time...in fact, I only spoke with his wife on their front porch. I walked back across the street thinking, "Man, I can't wait to get to know them better." Yesterday, we dove a little deeper into loving our neighbors and what that could and should look like for us. Does it surprise you that when asked to describe Christians, twenty-somethings end up using words that seem to be "unChristian." Antihomosexual, judgmental, hypocritical, too political, unloving, uncaring, etc. are some of the words used to describe them. For a detailed look at the Barna Study I referenced visit unChristian.com. I don't know about you, but I want to be part of the change of our friends' perceptions of us.

Our neighborhoods don't need more people who act like good Christians...they need more people who will act like Jesus. People who will reach across racial barriers and make friends. People who will slow down and listen to others. People who sit across the table from neighbors no matter what their religion. People to love when it doesn't look like they should. People to care when it appears no one else does. These are the people we believe God is calling The Springs to become. We can show our neighbors that we are Christ-followers who do not have to be judgmental. We are Christ-followers who will love you in spite of our differences. We are Christ-followers who will admit we don't have it all together, and we don't expect them to, either. We are Christ-followers who aren't just looking to "save" our neighbors, but actually get to know them. We are Christ-followers from both sides of the isle - from red and blue states.

I want to be part of the movement that earns back the right to be called "Christians" because we actually do "act like Christ." Do you believe it is possible? How bad do you want it?