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I believe that both the best and worst decisions made during my life were done with great influence from the community around me. This is why it’s vitally important to be careful and intentional about the people we invite into our lives and the influence in which we receive from them.
Influence is a powerful thing and the people of our city are being influenced by an overwhelming amount of things that are heaping more lies– hopelessness – division – death –and confusion across our city. People are seeking hope wherever advertised. Anything to get hope for the next moment. I think of the words in Scripture, that we should not find ourselves like the world, but we are told to live commissioned in the world–representing the love of Christ, inviting others to find the hope that they can not find anywhere else.
I don’t know about you but I have a burden for our city. When I really sit down and think about those that are lost and broken just within blocks of where I live, it makes me really sad. I want us all to ask the Lord for sensitivity from the Holy Spirit for our city and a driven heart to do what must be done to cover every heart and street in our community with the hope and love of Jesus. Just thinking of the transformative power of Jesus changing New Orleans through the Gospel gets me so PUMPED.
One problem–this will cost all of us. If we live fully surrendered to Gospel efforts it will absolutely cost us our comfort. The comfort of living for ourselves, thinking thoughts, spending time and money that help cushion our way of living so that we can put the things of God first.
I think about the paralytic in the Gospels. I imagine the friends could have been using their time and energy to do anything else, but they were racking their brains trying to figure out how to get their sick friend to Jesus to the point of lowering him through a roof so he could meet the everlasting source of healing and hope.
That’s what we asked the listeners of LifeSongs to do with the also very sick city of New Orleans these last couple of days during Friendraiser – inconvenience yourself so that others may see that they have a God that knows them AND Y’ALL DELIVERED. Because of the friends that chose to invest their money in the provision and hope of others–over ONE THOUSAND people lacking basic needs like food will have meals provided for them for A MONTH. How awesome is that—That’s the miracle working power of God moving through each of you.
Thank you for your love for Jesus, South East Louisiana, and allowing that love to move you to GIVE.