“Secularism, materialism, and the intrusive presence of things have put out the light in our souls and turned us into a generation of zombies.” 
― A.W. Tozer, The Knowledge of the Holy

I'm so excited about this series called Praying Circles! We are reading through The Circle Maker by Mark Batterson together, meeting in small groups to discuss it, and I'm preaching along with the themes of the book! I'm having a blast praying circles!

If you missed part one here is a link:

http://vimeo.com/83603546

Dive in!

Those two words together stir emotion, fear, and maybe even a few memories. I remember as a kid looking over at the “High Dive” at our local pool, getting excited to climb up there up there and leap off with a reckless abandonment! I must admit that the first time I climbed to the top was not exactly the fearless feat I had envisioned. When I got to the top, fear gripped me to the core. I could hardly move, and I was sure that everyone in Shawnee, Kansas was watching me! I was frozen with fear, and didn’t know what to do. I ended up fearfully climbing back down that ladder in what felt like a cowardly walk of shame. I was totally embarrassed by my lack of courage that seemed so easy to others. The lifeguards noticed my cowardly act, and one came over to encourage me to conquer my fear that day. She said, “I’ve seen you swim, I’ve seen you dive, and I know you are ready for the high dive!” She was so encouraging and said she would be right there ready to help if I got into trouble. I am happy to report that later that day I was able to muster enough courage to climb back up that ladder, and though it wasn’t the Olympic quality dive I had envisioned, I did jump off feet first! That was the first of what would become countless jumps, dives, flips, twists, cannon balls, and other reckless attempts at the “amazing” from diving boards, cliffs, rope swings, bike jumps, and anything else my childhood friends could dream up! I fell in love with the thrill that comes with those two words, “Dive in"!

As I look back at that first jump, I’m so grateful for the lifeguard who encouraged me & told me that I could do it! Many times, people feel a lot like I did with that high dive when it comes to things like Prayer, Fasting, & Bible reading. They look at connecting with their creator in a powerful way with the same excitement that I did with that high dive, but then fear they don’t have what it takes to finish with a beautiful dive into a deep spiritual life. Sometimes, people refuse to even make the attempt for fear of failure. I want to encourage you today! Just like that lifeguard did with me, I want to tell you that you do have what it takes to “Dive in”! It’s not about flawless form, spiritual greatness, or perfect prayers. It’s about overcoming fear, and focusing on Jesus by faith. It’s choosing to take the simple steps needed to draw near to God. You can do this! Talk to God today! Set aside some time to be with Him! Move “Jesus Time” to the top of your priority list. When you do, you may feel a little like I did on that high dive, but you can do this! I am so glad I climbed back up that day, and took that leap of faith! You will be to! So, "Dive in"!

As we enter 2014, we are focusing on Prayer, Fasting, and God’s Word! We’ve provided some tools to help you Dive in on our website. You can access it by going to the Life Church website.

www.lifechurch.org