Authentic

Church was so good this morning. My parents were there, my brother was there, my amazing boyfriend was there, and his mom was there. It was so good. Not only was the company good, the message was good too. I get so much out of Joe's messages. I almost crave them during the week when I can't go to church. I was filled up this morning. The content is so rich, so authentic, and so applicable to my life. Joe is so authentic. Dave is so authentic. They are both so down to earth, and they have my sense of humor. I speak their language, and they speak mine. I was sitting in church thinking about Joe's character. Sometimes pastors are viewed as being so perfect and godly and maybe even a level above the rest of us. Some religions believe that their pastor is their only communication line to God. Some Christian churches believe that as well. Joe is on the same level as the people in his church. When I say "his church" I'm wrong. It's God's church and Joe knows that. He knows that he is so unworthy and he is scum. He knows that he is saved by God's grace alone, not by his own actions. He knows he has weaknesses just like the rest of us and that he makes mistakes. Joe knows he is just like the people in the church. We are all of the same value to God. We are all scum, but God loves us all the same. Joe knows he doesn't have any mystical powers because he's a preacher, and he conveys that to the people of his church. He even talks about his weaknesses and the mistakes he's made to the people of the church. He admits his wrongs and openly apologizes for them. I do look up to Joe because he looks up to me. He is really an instrument of God. I could compare him to a loud speaker hooked up to a microphone that God is speaking through. All Joe does is flip the on button. He opens himself up to let God speak through him.

The message today really applied to my life. When I was looking for a church I did not wholly belong to one because I was so dissatisfied with the worship. The First Southern Baptist Church just wasn't my style. Matt Redman is another loud speaker for God. He writes lyrics that seem so divinely inspired. He writes "I'm coming back to the heart of worship, and it's all about you Jesus." I really liked Fellowship Bible Church because they had this awesome praise band, and every once in awhile they would put a contemporary twist on an old hymn. I love old hymns. Then the leader of the band resigned because of personal reasons. Joe told us what those personal reasons were because he said the church had nothing to hide. The church is being authentic. I thought to myself, worship will never be the same. Then I realized that it wasn't the band who led the worship in the church, it was the people. The people at FBC are authentically worshipping and praising God through song. FBC was different for me because it is authentic. The people are authentic, the preacher is authentic, and the worship is authentic. It really is all about Jesus, and that's why I've stayed at FBC. I want to be authentic too. I want my life to be all about Jesus. Joe told us that he caught himself singing that Matt Redman song once and he was singing "It's all about me." How cool is it that he can admit that? We do make it all about us. I need to admit to myself and to everyone that I am selfish, and it is all about me. Then maybe I can make my life all about Jesus. Then I can worship Jesus with my life.