This week we launched our 2009 initiative for Spiritual Growth.  I have also had several people ask if I could post the main points to follow in our pursuit, so those who need to remember them can refer to the blog - but also for those who were not at church or friends who live across the country and world. Our (my) premise is simple… God is not ordinary… his Kingdom is not ordinary and every thing God is and stands for is extraordinary.  When the religious leaders called the Apostles Peter and John “unschooled and ordinary men” - well they could not have been more wrong.  After all hadn’t these men just been used of God in a miracle?  When a man who has been crippled from birth stands up and walks - better yet dances through the temple isn’t it fair to say that was anything but ordinary but kind of “extraordinary”?  Of course.  So let’s just say, it’s obvious that God wants us to move into the extraordinary in our lives.  So how do we start? First, let’s begin with: (1) An Extraordinary Encounter.  The key to the disciples miracle was the encounter with the Holy Spirit they had just experienced (Acts 2).  To walk in the extraordinary it means we must encounter the “Extraordinary ONE” - The Holy Spirit. Next we need (2)  Extraordinary Guidance.  These men had tapped into hearing the voice of God and being sensitive to his supernatural guidance.   Our God is a God of divine appointments - so we need to believe the Spirit wants to “guide us” into amazing exploits for him.  Further we to be on the watch for (3) Extraordinary Circumstances.  The story is Acts 3 is about a man who had been crippled since birth and yet the followers of Jesus had more than likely walked past this man at the Temple many times.  It made me wonder how many people we ‘walk by” every day and are not sensitive the circumstances of life they are in and how God might want to use us - just like he did the apostles to make a difference.  Lastly, if any of this is going to happen it will require on our behalf an (4) Extraordinary Pursuit of God.  We have to get serious with our time, priorities and everything else about not letting anything keeping us from the delight of pursuing God.  So this is where we start this week.  No matter where we live we can pursuit God will all our hearts starting this week.  Let’s go for it! If you are interested in hearing the whole message you can pick it up at www.bethanywyckoff.org

This week we launched our 2009 initiative for Spiritual Growth.  I have also had several people ask if I could post the main points to follow in our pursuit, so those who need to remember them can refer to the blog - but also for those who were not at church or friends who live across the country and world.

Our (my) premise is simple… God is not ordinary… his Kingdom is not ordinary and every thing God is and stands for is extraordinary.  When the religious leaders called the Apostles Peter and John “unschooled and ordinary men” - well they could not have been more wrong.  After all hadn’t these men just been used of God in a miracle?  When a man who has been crippled from birth stands up and walks - better yet dances through the temple isn’t it fair to say that was anything but ordinary but kind of “extraordinary”?  Of course.  So let’s just say, it’s obvious that God wants us to move into the extraordinary in our lives.  So how do we start?

First, let’s begin with: (1) An Extraordinary Encounter.  The key to the disciples miracle was the encounter with the Holy Spirit they had just experienced (Acts 2).  To walk in the extraordinary it means we must encounter the “Extraordinary ONE” - The Holy Spirit.

Next we need (2)  Extraordinary Guidance.  These men had tapped into hearing the voice of God and being sensitive to his supernatural guidance.   Our God is a God of divine appointments - so we need to believe the Spirit wants to “guide us” into amazing exploits for him.  Further we to be on the watch for (3) Extraordinary Circumstances.  The story is Acts 3 is about a man who had been crippled since birth and yet the followers of Jesus had more than likely walked past this man at the Temple many times.  It made me wonder how many people we ‘walk by” every day and are not sensitive the circumstances of life they are in and how God might want to use us - just like he did the apostles to make a difference.  Lastly, if any of this is going to happen it will require on our behalf an (4) Extraordinary Pursuit of God.  We have to get serious with our time, priorities and everything else about not letting anything keeping us from the delight of pursuing God.  So this is where we start this week.  No matter where we live we can pursuit God will all our hearts starting this week.  Let’s go for it!

If you are interested in hearing the whole message you can pick it up at www.bethanywyckoff.org

Jan 5 2009

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