Want New Ears?

Want new ears? 

Perhaps for Christians, the first day of the calendar year could be called "New Ears Day." 

Near the beginning of each year, I observe many Christians voicing a fresh resolve to hear God more and better by reading His Word. I experience this myself. Maybe you do too. Even though we are reading the same scriptures again (and again), we want to present 'new ears' to God for the new year in front of us. 

In the coming weeks, we will be sharing more about a church-wide Bible reading initiative that we can journey in together leading up to Easter this year. Stay tuned! (and maybe make a mental note to pencil in openness to a simple, practical, and easy-to-follow Bible reading plan beginning the week of January 19). 

In the meantime, would you join me in setting your heart upon hearing God in greater ways this coming year? 

Do you remember how one of the main ideas coming out of our Fall "Is the Gospel Actually Good News?" series from Luke 15 was the issue of hearing God. Luke 14 ends with Jesus saying that anyone who has ears to hear should listen (to Him!). Chapter 15 is all about the kinds of people that gather around to hear Jesus and those who were struggling to listen to what Jesus had to say. Listening to what God has to say about anything is far more important than determining what we think about something. 

While we look forward to growing in our Bible reading this year, we also want to keep growing in hearing God's voice through His Holy Spirit and in our Christian community with one another. Soon we will host our first "Empower Weekend" and it will include moments that teach and equip all of us to grow in hearing God's voice by His Holy Spirit. I believe God wants to use you this coming year to speak words of encouragement and life into others and into your Christian communities. 

I was blessed recently to read a note a gentleman in our church family shared with me and I want to relay to you. As he handed me a photocopy of the excerpt from his journal, he expressed his ongoing and deep desire to keep hearing God speak to him. He told me how on December 21 he went to bed and asked God to keep speaking to him. 

"When I woke this morning around 5am the chorus of a song was going through my head, 'Holy Spirit you are welcome here, come flood this place and this atmosphere, your glory God is what my heart longs for, to be overcome by your presence, Lord."

He also felt the words of Revelation 3.14 were brought to mind, which say "These [the words of Jesus] are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God's creation." 

This gentleman has had a lifetime and career of working with his hands and building skills. I love how God uses an experience like this and words like these to build people up.

Can I encourage you to ask God to speak to you? 
Write it down! Then, perhaps you would consider sharing what you sense God may be saying to you with some friends or with your small group. 

This year (like always!) God wants to build you and others up through the Bible and by His Holy Spirit.

Happy New Ears! 

Pastor Mike