Gordon MacDonald writes eloquently about the primal value of “a happy few”. This is a group of close people who will say anything, help you, challenge you, love you, ask you the difficult questions, stick with you, stretch you etc.

This group is the #1 safegaurd in your life…yet some of us live with out this vital fellowship.

Debbie and I sat in a coffee shop in another city with a woman who has just gone through an ugly divorce and is actively involved on staff at a vibrant church. She was telling us about how her “happy few” are vital in her life. They are not people who simply hold her hand and agree with her. They are ones who challenge and push her to think and change as well.

A guy just called me. He is a 10 hour drive away back in Champaign and he realises that today is one in which he needs a bro to pray for him. So he called and we talked about the Cubs and the beautiful day and about our lives. There was mutual encouragement. I challenged him. I told him to call me anytime today if he needed. It was pretty simple what happened in that 20 minute call, but it is the #1 safegaurd in his life.

Heb 3:13 has these operative words: “encourage one another daily”. Does anyone do that for you?

Sounds like there are a bunch around Grace who are discovering their divine burden. A burden that God has placed on their heart to do something about. In many cases, the action steps can be difficult to identify. Well, here is your first action step! Tell us what your divine burden is…right here in the comments section. Tell us the thing that breaks your heart, that makes you angry, you care about that others dont. Don’t wait until you can articulate it perfectly. Instead, just share it from your heart, raw and uncut. Just sharing it with others is a great first step of action, and it is an encouragement for us all to see how God has blessed each of us with a burden.

Did that statement Sunday provoke anyone else?

Did the idea that we can actually steal from God make anyone else think twice?

Does the idea that I popped out that if people who consider Grace their church home tithed, we would be in good shape financially…does that seem like a cool possibilty?

Does the biblical deal of the joy that goes to a giver charge you up?

Any stories from what you took in Sunday?

Debbie and I were downtown last Friday and saw several people we knew. One was a young woman we had not seen for years. After visiting for a few minutes, I asked her if she would like to visit Grace…I gave her an invite card for the Blessed* series. She said the timing was good and that she would like to come soon.

Then we walked around the corner, ran into a couple we know and had a similar encounter.

Get this: that little card in your hand is a wonderful way for you to help someone on the path to forgiveness.

Give it to someone today and blog me back your experience.

I know when I started to get “ruined”. Craig Groschell talked about this last weekend and it is a powerful and personal experience.

It was in the Houston airport and I began to cry and cry and cry. Some guys next to me thought I was freaking out. But I was on my way back from my second trip to the hurricane zone and it hit me in the face that I cannot truly live without giving my life away to make a difference. I am ruined. I want to be directly involved in the change it will take for this world to be transformed.

I’m so ruined that if a day goes by without development of the Kingdom and somebody being transformed, I get restless and start bouncing off the walls.

Anybody else out there been ruined by the LORD?

Here’s the Franciscan Benediction that Craig referred to in this Sunday’s message:

May God bless you with discomfort
At easy answers, half-truths, and superficial relationships,
So that you may live deep within your heart.

May God bless you with anger
At injustice, oppression, and exploitation of people,
So that you may work for justice, freedom, and peace.

May God bless you with tears
To shed for those who suffer from pain, rejection, starvation, and war,
So that you may reach out your hand to comfort them
And turn their pain into joy.

And may God bless you with enough foolishness,
To believe that you can make a difference in this world,
So that you can do what others claim cannot be done.
Amen.

I was having some trouble identifying my burdens this morning, but I’ve been giving it some more thought today and getting more understanding. Are you identifying your God-given burden and embracing it as a blessing?

We have been into this network deal with LifeChurch.tv for several weeks now and I am getting lots of positive comments from people. Network simply means that we are using the Sunday service materials from LifeChurch on a fairly regular basis and that we use them according to their guidelines.

There are actually three “levels” that churches can partner with LifeChurch. Check out this site to get a description of the levels and some testimonies from churches.

At the following web page you will find content to coinside with the current “Blessed” series.

Blessed Small Group Video

Provided are weekly study questions and additional content that is located on you phyisical LifeGroup DVDs. You can either view the Study Questions online or download and burn the ISO File to make a DVD on your computer.

http://www.lifechurch.tv/?p=1490

The past message on “30 days left to live” was so powerful and challenging that I decided I must invite people to the next series, “Blessed”. I invited my parents and a friend, and I think they will all be there. It was helpful to give the card to my friend as a reminder and for information. I’m excited to see God continue to draw people to Himself through Grace and the people there — pray for people, invite, pray more, and ask God to open your heart as well to what He has for you this Sunday. I am!

Statistics tell us that 70% of the non-churched people (the “missed” according to AKA Lost”) are considering going to church and just might come if given a sincere invitation. Around Grace now we have a golden opportunity with a great new series “Blessed” starting this week and having in our hands these cool little invite cards. There is great power in how GOD may use that little card in your hand.

 These past few days I have been hearing stories of how you are using them. Lets hear the stories. And lets invite the “missed” to be a part of what GOD is doing now at Grace.

There is power in that little card.