“I don’t know what God wants me to do.”

“What is God’s will for my life?”

Ever ask such questions? If you have, you’re not alone. This is one of the most frequently asked questions.

While I do not know what God’s will for your life is – that’s between God and you – I absolutely know what God wants you do.

Sounds pretty arrogant. I know. But, trust me. I know what God wants you to do.

Until God makes the particulars of his will for your life known, God wants you to:

• If you are married, absolutely love, adore, and be faithful to your spouse. No matter what else God’s will for your life is, if it doesn’t include you being loving and faithful to your spouse, that’s not God’s will.
• If you are single, stay faithful in your singleness. Whatever else God’s will may be, it will never include fornication.
• Be a Godly friend, neighbor, student, worker. Whatever else God’s will may be, it has to include this.

It just may be that you will discover God’s particulars for God’s will for your life as you pursue being a Godly husband/wife/son/daughter/neighbor/friend.

Get busy being Godly…and you just may find yourself right in the middle of God’s will!

I get far more done at Starbucks than I do in the office or at home.

People often wonder how I can concentrate when there is so much noise in a typical coffee shop.

Yes, there are usually people having conversations and talking on the phone at these coffee shops. The noise, the voices at a typical coffee shop is a part of the background buzz. That background buzz, for whatever reason, helps me concentrate.

But when I am either at home or in the office and someone speaks, my brain cannot block out those voices. It’s impossible. I’ve tried. But when my wife or kids speak, my brain automatically tunes into what they are saying. Their voices penetrate into my consciousness and there is nothing I can do about it.

The reason why that happens is because I love the people behind those voices. Those voices are known and loved by me.

What’s all this have to do with small groups?

Glad you asked.

If all you do is to show up to church on a Sunday morning, then you are part of the background noise. You are not known and you don’t know others. Everyone is part of the background noise.

Where this matters is when you are hurting, down, or absent. When you are part of the background noise, you will most likely be ignored. Not because the people in the church aren’t loving and caring people, but because your voice is not known.

It’s only when you’ve shared your life and your stories with one another that your voice becomes known. That happens best in the context of small groups. It’s in the context of small groups that God grows relationships and our faith.

So, get out of the background noise and move into relationships. Sign ups for FOCUS Groups at the Little Church and Lakewood Grace are happening right now.

“And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved…” (Acts 2:21)

Did you catch the universality of the invitation to salvation?

EVERY ONE…

• Not just the saintly ones…EVERY ONE
• Not just the white people, the black people, the yellow people, the red people, or purple people…EVERY ONE
• Not just the straight ones, or the gay ones, or the we don’t mind either ones…EVERY ONE

The invitation to receive the gift of salvation is open to EVERY ONE.

AND…did you catch the absolute exclusivity of the invitation to salvation?

Everyone WHO CALLS ON THE NAME OF THE LORD will be saved.

• Not everyone is saved by default. Only those WHO CALL ON THE NAME OF THE LORD will be saved.
• You have to call on Jesus. You have to call on the name of the Lord.
• Did you know every time you utter Jesus, you are literally saying “Save me”? The name Jesus, in the Greek is “Ihsus”, which is a derivative of the Hebrew “Yeshua”.
• Both “Ihsus” and “Yeshua” literally means “Savior”, “Deliverer”, “Rescuer”
• Every time you utter the name of Jesus, you are literally saying “Save me.”

In Acts 4:12 we are told, “Salvation is found in non one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to humankind by which we must be saved.”

The pathway to salvation is through Jesus and Jesus alone. It is absolutely exclusive. And yet, this pathway to salvation is open to all. Salvation is universally available to all who will call on the name of the Lord.