Real Church.

For so many people church means nothing more than potlucks, hard uncomfortable pews, stained glass windows, old crusty people in sweater vests, self-righteous people with a lot of judgement to project on the world and meaningless routine and ceremony.

When I read the Bible and hear what Jesus has to say about the Kingdom of Heaven, and see how the early church lived and interacted with each other in the book of Acts, I see a totally different picture. Church is more than a building, it's a body of believers.

To be honest, Church for me used to be very similiar to what many people see it as, but God totally opened my eyes and heart to something real a few years ago and it has truly changed my life. its sweet and i love it. There is a sweet verse in the Bible that really sheds light on what i think real church is like.

You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love.
Galatians 5:13

This Saturday night at my church, I saw this verse manifest in the body of Christ. In non christianese that means this verse came to life through the people at my church. it was awesome.

My good friend Kristian is moving to Toronto to serve at a Korean church and before he left us he taught this awesome sermon from John 17. It is always a treat to hear him teach, but this time was extra special. He didn't hold anything back and just totally shared his heart and it moved a lot of people. I love it when the Holy Spirit is at work! Sidenote: John 17 is amazing. Kristian is so right. it is a treat to get a peak into the intimate prayer life of Jesus and God the Father. amazing.

BAck to that verse in Galatians- Kristian shared the freedom he has found in God and out of that freedom he has totally served at our church. He said something that really stuck out to me about how sometimes it's really difficult to share or give someone else a taste of a powerful experience or emotion you've had- but you can certainly pray for it. i love that. and i see him doing that in his life. this guy really understands and believes in the power of prayer. man, im going to miss him.

After his teaching i got to experience and witness something really cool. My pastor Andy led us in communion and encouraged the body to serve each other. My friends Vera and Robin were there and Robin got a message from God for this girl... It was really cool because she knew it was for her! This lady is wonderful and going through some tough times right now, so would you just pray for her? God knows her name and her circumstances, but if you could take a second and just ask God to surround this girl with love, peace and rest that would be awesome!

It just got better and better... two solid brothers in the faith came up and prayed for me and it was so encouraging. I just feel so blessed to get to attend a church where so many people take their faith in Jesus seriously. it's not some religious club where people go to check a box on their list of weekly activities... its a place where people from all over Ottawa come to encounter God and spend time with Him and the people who love Him.

OH! and another sweet thing that God showed me was this amazing guy Jason Smith... this guy really embodies Galatians 5:13 for me. He has a mega huge servant heart and is totally living out of the freedom God has granted him and serving people out of that freedom. amazing! Thank you God for Jason!

God, you are awesome. Thank you for this! AND! it snowed! thats fun.