e-news for week of 9/30-10/6

As I'm typing this - the Cubs are losing to Arizona for the second straight night. If, by some beyond imagination possibility, they were to win the World Series, my encouragement to all of you as church members is to tell every person you know about Jesus fast because he's coming back - real soon. You're thinking - "Is he serious or kidding? Does Scott have some millennial viewpoint that we've never heard of? I mean - I've heard of millennial, premillenials, postmillennials, pan-millennial, pro-millennial, etc... but cub-millennial?" As a point in fact - I don't have any viewpoint that connects the return of Christ to the Cubs - but I do have a viewpoint of intentionally connecting people to Jesus - so regardless of what you or your neighbor might perceive as the signs of the times doesn't matter. What matters is: are you intentionally connecting people to Jesus? Your children? Your coworkers? etc. Are you praying for them?

During the watches of the night this week - God laid on my heart so many of you that I prayed for by name, as couples, as teens in our schools, as school teachers, as new parents, as life group leaders. Are you engaging in meaningful dialogue with people? Are you going out of your way to interact with strangers? You have way more power than you know. It sickens me the way the American church has dumbed down the power of the Holy Spirit within the life of the believers. It sickens me to know that I diminish God's power in my life. This whole series called, "Me and My house" has been engineered, prayed over, orchestrated, and designed to intentionally move you to a new level of connection with Jesus.

I'm down in Atlanta this week at a conference called Catalyst. Frankly, it's astronomical. In the two days that I've been here - I'm absorbing a lot as well as encountering some great ministries within the town.
Friends - this is going to be the truest and most heartfelt thing you will ever read me write: God gave me life to have eternal significance. The same holds true for you. God led me to Forum to impact Columbia. Of these realities I'm sure. He doesn't want us as a church or me as a minister to be clock punchers - just going through the motions of church. He designed His church for growth and maximum impact.

On the upside - He's doing great things at Forum. I think about our two-year journey together (and I've recounted it a lot this week to a boatload of people) and there's an awe factor when it's all unpacked. On one hand - they've been two of my favorite years of life and ministry. On the other hand - they've been two of the toughest years of ministry as well. If I were Dickens I would call it, "A Tale of two Forums." Me - I love challenges and being taken to new levels. That said, we've got some uphill challenges to tackle: periodically third service is full. A couple of weeks ago - our children's nurseries and preschool areas were teeming (I hesitate to even put that statement into print in that some parents wig out - no need to wig out - safety is a high value in all of our children's areas.) And as a church, we will periodically hit 750 in attendance (for the record - this is one of the few times I've EVER talked about numbers of any sort in the two years.) Bottom line: God is bigger than these challenges. Bottom line:
I am committed to intentionally connect people to Jesus. Bottom line: as for the Sutherland family - we are going to serve the Lord. We are kingdom people. Bottom line: the challenges are going to have to be faced head on with prayer, discernment, sacrifice (yes, some of you - for the sake of intentionally connecting people to Jesus will have to choose first or second service), and shortly down the road sacrificial giving will need to occur. Friends, brothers and sisters in Christ, what are you willing to do for this kingdom work?

This Sunday would be a great week to invite a friend - God's put a message on my heart this week that will help to transform anyone.
Romans 12:1,2 will give you a preview. Memorize it between now and
Sunday - I'll do the same. Use the NIV and we'll all try to quote it together. Come prepared for an encounter with Christ that I doubt seriously that you will ever forget. I can't wait to be in God's presence with you this Sunday.