Resonate Community Church Blog

The story of Flight 93 is the story that will live on in the lore of our history, that stuff of Paul Revere and Bunker Hill, of Iwo Jima and Omaha Beach. Fighting against odds, victory and defeat that becomes blurred as the definition of hero stands out. I hate that 9/11 has become a political buzzword, useful in election years and platforms, but rarely used for true reflection. I remember, on the first anniversary of 9/11, on my way to work, I cried uncontrollably. I couldn’t explain it. I had no connection to the event, yet for some reason, I was racked with emotion.

I had just ventured out in starting a church, and in the midst of the instability and insecurity, I found myself understanding where my true value lies. As I reflected on those that died, some in valor and some without any warning, I knew that hope would spur me on. Hope for making the world a better place, for embracing my idealism against the winds of cynicism, for saying that I cherish my family and not being cliche.

Watching some of the coverage tonight about the families who lost loved ones, I was able to spend some more time reflecting. Kylie came out of nowhere and gave me a kiss. It felt good to turn off the TV and give her a hug.

Sunday was my last day at Genesis Metro. In two weeks, I’ll be moving to Hutto to officially begin Resonate Community Church. I had the opportunity to speak one last time, and I shared about the simplicity of Kingdom Pursuits. Feel free to leave any of your thoughts or reactions in the comments.

UPDATE: I know, I know. I sound like a chipmunk. I’m working on it (any Audacity users out there?). In the meantime, enjoy a full-length sermon in half the time!

 Kingdom Pursuits [34:22m]: Play in Popup | Download

So last time I mentioned that I would explain what I mean by “living inside-out”. It’s the criteria we judge our success on, so it’s important to get a decent understanding of what this kind of living looks like. Put simply, living inside-out means authentic transformation.

But let’s start at the beginning, shall we? I think that within us there is this longing for significance that is imprinted in every human being. Whether you want to call that a soul, a spirit, chi, whatever, it’s there. The Bible says that God has written eternity in our hearts, and I think that we all (to some degree) know it to be true. It’s a knowing that goes beyond the rational mind, but undeniable nonetheless. When that part of us is awakened by the light of Christ in our life, he begins to pull the very image of God from within our hearts and give it hands and feet. We suddenly find that, starting at the very basic level of thought, priorities, and desires, we are changing for the better. Our lives truly have significance and meaning. And as we find our heart and mind being renewed and opened to Christ, we start living differently. Inside-out.

Authenticity is key in this process. Before we can begin to overcome our struggles, we need to admit they’re there. I think a lot of churches want to you live a good life, then come to church. But if we can’t find a place where we can be honest with each other that we do, in fact, struggle in this life, then we’re probably not going to find much hope for changing. Transformation without authenticity is often short-lived and short-sighted. It’s based purely on emotions (most often guilt). Now, some people are content to be authentic, but never experience transformation along the way. Authenticity without transformation is stagnant and mundane. It’s lazy and a cop-out.

At Resonate Community, we want to live inside-out, constantly seeking to live a life that reaches the full potential that God has in store. We know that we’re not perfect, and we need all the help we can get. That’s what church should be all about. People helping each other find the heartbeat of God for their life. He is desperately seeking after us, calling us with the hope that this life can mean something more. If we can open our hearts to it, we’ll find our souls awakened by the author of eternity.