“You open Your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing.” - Psalm 145:16
Funny how we as humans are never fully satisfied. This feeling is so prevalent in our everyday that we have easily allowed culture to influence what will satisfy our desires, implying that we have needs that can all be met by something the world can provide.
I have been trying to pay attention to what is God given desire in my own life, knowing in my mind that He says only He can fully satisfy the desires of my heart. I have been aware of the desire for a deeper connection with Him and with others. If I am really honest, I have spent more of my energy on the first part. Words from Dallas Willard are influencing my identity… “By a disciple, I mean someone who is learning from Jesus how to lead their life as He would if He were in their place”. This has spoken to the deep desires of my heart for more of God and the kinds of habits that feed into this kind of life.
However, not until the last few months have I paid attention to the desire for deeper connection with others. I know, it is a guy thing…we think we can do most things alone! But, if we believe that God never intended for us to do the spiritual journey solo, what place does the life “with God” and “with others” play? If I believe that others will be crucial in my own journey, I need to seek it out more. I must take a step.
We as a church, believe that life “with God” and “with others” is very important. It is why we encourage getting together with others in group settings to have spiritual conversations, learning from God’s Word and caring for each other. If we don’t seek this out, we run the risk of letting culture speak to satisfying our needs rather than God and His people.
To help put this into practice as a body, we are inviting you on a journey called “Immerse” this fall. This is a call to immerse ourselves in scripture and then talk about it in a new way. In a community group, we will encourage you to engage in “book club” discussions, talking about what you’ve read in honest, unmediated conversations.
“The Bible is an invitation to discover God’s Story and then to step into it. So, the best thing we can do is immerse ourselves in it—to read at length without distractions, with historical and literary perspective, and in a life-long rhythm with friends. It is a call to a vibrant, transformative relationship with God and others through His word.”
Immerse is the NLT translation of the bible, put together differently than traditional bible layout and filled with video & audio options to enhance and engage readers with God’s words in simple clarity. Will you consider joining together with others, to immerse yourself in scripture and then gather to have conversation about what you are hearing from God? Learn more about Immerse at www.immersebible.com and sign up to be a part of our Immerse groups HERE. We already have plenty of the Immerse Bibles so you can purchase one on Sunday for $10.
I will be doing this journey with others this fall. Are you open to it?
-Brad Bak