Pressing Into The Prize

This summer I had the sweet opportunity to learn from a speaker (either a church planter or pastor) every Friday morning for a teaching. From each of these teachings I learned more about what it looks like to live on mission, how to contextualize the gospel in the context of biblical community, and how as the family of God we reveal the glory of God to others. One of the speakers a few weeks into the internship said something I haven’t forgotten, “run to the tension.” It soon became our groups motto as we ran into the tension of starting relationships, pressing those relationships further, and learning how to bring to the Lord other fears and insecurities that came along with those things. But we don’t run to the tension because it is easy, we run into the tension because even though “we labor and strive” (1 Timothy 4:10) we get to press into the prize- Jesus.

As we live life on mission for Him and as we realize how hard that can be sometimes- we press into Him. As we admit we are nothing without Him- we press into Him. As we humble ourselves to His will and acknowledge He is sovereign and He knows best we press into Him. We press into Jesus who is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8.) Our sweet prize is knowing Him and being known by Him and it radically affects our hearts, our lives, and the paths we are walking. On the days we get discouraged, overwhelmed, and start feeling insufficient we can remember the tension is worth the Prize.

The gospel is offensive, no doubt. It says that you are broken, apart from God, and no works could justify you. But it is the most loving offense because the gospel also says that despite all of those things, Jesus made a way for you. A way to be whole, with God, and a way only Jesus by His grace could provide. He is the prize we absolutely don’t deserve, the prize we’ve done nothing for, and the Prize we get the joy of pressing into all of our lives until we are present with Him in heaven. And so believing in Him, living your life for Him, running in to the tension for Him is worth it. It is beautiful. It is humbling and sanctifying and redeeming and restoring. For me, it is worth sharing and worth rejoicing in - a race worth running and a Prize worth pressing into.

“Let us run with endurance the race that lies before us, keeping our eyes on Jesus, the source and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured a cross and despised the shame and has sat down at the right hand of God’s throne.”

Planting in PDX

Eight weeks ago I became a part of a team of students who moved to Portland, Oregon in the hope of learning what it looks like to form churches in the context of Portland and building genuine friendships with the people here- all in the name of Jesus. Eight weeks ago I could have told you what I thought church planting was based on books I’d read and experiences of those who had rolled up their sleeves and joined the harvest work. But eight weeks ago I had never tried to start a church.

In my last blog I opened up about what I have learned the church should be and how the church, the family of God, should embrace the fact we are the recaptured image of God on earth. A broken image that finds beauty in the fact its Artist is not broken, but whole and beautiful. As I have established more gospel-centered rhythms this summer, such as redeeming the Sabbath and learning to love people just for the sake of loving them, I have seen how God is building His church here in Portland and how I can be apart of it.

This summer my team was assigned the task to put together, based on the knowledge we acquire and observations we make in 10 weeks, a church planting prospectus. In other words, a model for a church someone could come and form in our area. At first this task didn’t seem quite daunting. Surely at the end of ten weeks I will have learned enough about the area I’m in that I could cast vision about how a church would work here. And in some ways I have. God has opened up beautiful friendships, conversations, and opportunities to see how His spirit is moving in the area of southwest Portland. But in some ways I haven’t. God has humbled my spirit time and time again and reminded me that I am always in a posture of learning. In the moments I believe I’m shepherding those around me He lovingly, graciously reminds me that HE is the Shepherd, I am the sheep. While He is allowing me to gain insight on the people and place I am in, I never have the perfect plan. He has invited me to be apart of His plan, to participate in the sharing of His grace to this world but not before I recognize the great need of His grace on my own life.

Now fast-forward eight weeks and my team is two weeks away from sharing our model with a group of 60 plus people. We have walked through identifying people, inviting them into community, investing in their lives, and increasing our family. We have wrestled with how to love one another, love the people we have formed relationships with, and love Southwest Portland in the way Jesus modeled. We have realized coming up with a plan is hard. Writing mission statements, forming discipleship plans, and creating ideas about how to practically meet as a church is hard. But thankfully we have realized the significance of when God says to His people, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” HIS grace is sufficient. When we admit our weakness and the fact we will never plant a perfect church, never have the best model, God’s power is perfected in us. His perfect kingdom is coming and in the meantime we hold fast to the joy we have in walking with Jesus and being apart of His plan.

I am so grateful for this truth and pray as this summer comes to a close and I continue to walk with Jesus in this life I am challenged to commit my ways, thoughts, and plans to the Lord. Realizing I know the voice of my Shepherd and I can follow Him in any season, anywhere because His grace is sufficient for me, always.