Sunday we began a new series entitled "La vida." The life! Jesus said "I have come that you may have life and life abundant." But what does that mean really? What does it mean to live "the life?" What is an abundant life? Despite what many would say, I'm convinced it is not a life of abundant possessions or self-indulgence. Those are actually a poor substitute for what Jesus really desires for us.
Over these next several weeks we will be talking about what "the life" really is and how we experience it. I've been thinking a lot about the foundational element we talked about on Sunday: relationships. Is there really anything more central to a rich, full and abundant life than great relationships? In case you missed it, I challenged us on Sunday to make a commitment in 2020 to invest in our relationships. I'm convinced that if we can build great relationships, it will become the bedrock of an abundant life.
Most of us have relationships in a wide variety of circles. But at the heart of it, they all fall into two categories; horizontal and vertical. The horizontal are the relationships with our family and friends. The vertical is our relationship with God. I want to challenge us this year to intentionally invest in both. I can tell you that in my own life, I have often found myself so caught up in the busyness of life and ministry that I have not invested the kind of time I would like in my horizontal relationships.
I have great friends that I hardly ever spent time with. I often tell myself "when things slow down..." We all know that that never happens. So one of my goals for this year is to make time for those horizontal relationships. I believe this is the very foundation of the great life that God desires for us.
At the same time, we must not neglect that vertical relationship between us and God. If I'm honest, my investment in my relationship with God goes in waves. There are times, seasons, when I am very intentional in my time with God. There are other seasons when that investment is not all that I would like it to be. My guess is that I'm not alone. My prayer is that together we will commit to a deepening relationship with God this year that is the very foundation upon which we build this abundant life.
I believe we all want to live la vida. And I believe God desires for us a rich, full and blessed life. I pray you'll be with us throughout this entire series as we explore together what that really looks like. And I hope you will take the opportunity to invite a guest to join us, that they too may discover life abundant
God Bless,
Pastor Steve