Weekend Preview | It Is: Part 2 – It Is Here

Journey Church - March 27, 2015

By Matt Dawson

At Journey, our goal is to see every one of your friend’s stories changed by absolute Hope!
WHO? Your friends, the people in your circle, the folks you are connected to. Your family, your friends, your acquaintances, your co-workers, your network group, your neighbors, your kid’s friends parents, your clients, everyone! We know who they are, we know their names, many of whom we know the complexity of their story, but sometimes thinking about reaching and pointing all of them to hope feels a bit overwhelming.
So, let me ask you a different question: Who are your TOP 5?
At our last Partner Night, we looked at the early days of Jesus’s ministry (Matthew 4:18 – 25), and we noticed at the end of this set of verses the amazing things that Jesus began to do – healed the sick, preached the good news, cast out demons. He was changing people’s stories! But, before he engaged in this part of his ministry, he PERSONALLY INVITED four fishermen to join him.
After a supernatural experience on a fishing expedition, Jesus spoke these now famous words in verse 19 “Come, follow me and I will make you fishers of men.” Jesus was going to change their stories, but he was also inviting them to be a part of helping everyone else’s stories be changed as well.
Changed stories start with some kind of personal invitation.
Jesus has not only changed my story (and is continuing to change it), but He has called me to invite others to have their story changed as well. I can’t focus on EVERYONE, it’s impossible. I really can’t intentionally invest in every single person in my circle either, but I can FOCUS my attention and prayer around a TOP 5.

“Changed stories start with some kind of personal invitation.” – @dawsonTVClick To Tweet

We should all have a specific list (ever-changing list) of the TOP 5 people we want to see and be praying for their stories to be changed by absolute hope. This helps me focus my time, my emotional capacity, my conversations with them. It helps me PERSONALLY INVITE THEM to…. whatever it may be.

Maybe it’s an invitation with you to Journey.
Maybe it’s inviting them into a spiritual conversation where they won’t be judged for their beliefs.
Maybe it’s inviting them to challenge our faith or beliefs they struggle to understand.
Maybe it’s just an invitation to spend time together and continue to invest in that relationship.

WHO ARE YOUR TOP 5?
Our partners made a physical list the other night, but you can make one right now! Ask God to reveal to you WHO the “Everyone’s” are in your life that need their stories changed by absolute hope:

Maybe it’s trusting God for salvation.
Maybe it’s turning back to God for Hope.
Maybe it’s helping their marriage.
Maybe it’s challenging their values.
Maybe it’s a better understanding of Grace.

I’ll be asking every week until Easter arrives: WHO are you inviting to come with you to our Easter services? If you know your TOP 5, it’s an easy answer.
WHO are YOUR TOP 5?

Ask yourself: Who are your Top 5?Click To Tweet

Join us this weekend at 9 or 11am
(Click for Directions)
or Online at TheJourneyOnline.tv at 11am