I will be out of town and out of state for a wedding in a few weeks. I need a hotel for 3 nights. It is an area I have stayed often. I want to return to a hotel which I can count on. You really can tell the difference in customer service at a quality hotel with a terrific breakfast, clean room, plenty of towels, and helpful person at the check-in.
People have a story to tell; everyone does. Not all are good; some have challenges and difficult circumstances. Whatever kind of story, we hope to end the day with peace and comfort. Small things like finding a warm and friendly hotel overnight becomes a BIG thing. We have real life sit-ins which frustrations discourage us. Whenever people go out of their way to help us enjoy a place to rest at the end of a long day, their effort is appreciated.
This weekend at Journey Community Christian Church we're grabbing a seat and diving into our series, Forward Thinking, getting past our past. If you like to look ahead, the Bible text is Ephesians 4:17-32. This time we’ll discover the best way forward is to choose being better than average in our effort to help others each day!
The difference is real in our Christian life with Jesus. People notice something different when we go out of our way to be kind. Different in a good way is a God-kind of way! When we choose to go the extra mile helping someone, people respond, “Wow, God!”
All of us are looking for better experiences in big and small places every day. At the place we buy groceries it is so cool when an employee goes out of their way to help us find the product we can’t find. When a chef serves the best meal ever and the waiter insures everything is perfect at the table we are impressed.
We give five-star reviews to the places that are above average and different from the others we’ve tried before. Journey Church wants God to get a five-star review from everyone. We planted a church in a strip mall next to Auto Zone and the Kentucky Recovery Clinic 16 years ago to meet people who don’t go to anyone’s church. Our goal: help everyone understand - God is for everyone.
Yesterday, Journey volunteers delivered a $350 check/cash and 50 boxes of breakfast cereal valued at $250 for the local Food Pantry. What a Wow for God in our local community. Making people smile when we show up with unexpected resources for people we’ve never met. We decide each day to go the extra mile, even for strangers, not just family and friends. W can all be different in a good way. Like choosing to be an exceptional hotel experience.
Every hotel has a bed with towels for the shower. Those who try harder are easy to identify. We discover our experience was better than expected. Being different in a good sort of way, being more than expected as a church, helps people walk away more curious about Jesus. Join us this weekend for worship Sat@6pm/Sun@10:30am. Help us by bringing a seat buddy, a friend; just say, “Come and See!”
Hoping to see you at our Journey weekend. In-person and online. We are better together.
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