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So in the last few days you thought about going to Google and searching “churches in Franklin Tennessee.”
Why?
Because you feel the gap between you and God.
It’s real. You’ve been through a lot lately. Emotionally there’s a gap and you feel it spiritually. You find yourself feeling this strange distance from God, and it doesn’t feel good.
If you’re being honest with yourself, you miss Him.
You many not miss the idea of “church” but you definitely miss being with God and with people who are doing their best to seek Him.
Here’s the tough part: you might feel a little guilty.
Maybe you find yourself saying things like, “I really don’t want to spend all this energy trying to get to know an entirely new group of people.”
I get it. I really do.
There’s another question you could be asking yourself.
Instead of performing a Google search of “churches in Franklin Tennessee” have you thought about this … What happens if I do go back to church and it’s actually great?
Have you thought about that?
I believe right now is a great time for you to reboot your spiritual journey. Here’s why: God’s invitation to join Him is an open invitation.
And all of that started with Easter, believe it or not. Which is in our rearview mirror, I know.
Have you ever thought about why we celebrate Easter? Easter by its very nature is an invitation for redemption.
As a Christian, we celebrate Easter every day! It’s not a one and done event on a calendar.
Easter is all about starting over, if you think about it.
Jesus was dead. Emphasis on was.
The prophets had said it for years and years that God would send a Redeemer, and God did. Jesus told everyone that He would be crucified, and He was. And yet, He didn’t stay dead. He came out of the grave.
And that one act gave you the possibility of redemption.
I say “possibility” because you have to choose to be redeemed. You have to ask for it.
In the resurrection, you were sent an invitation from God.
It was as if He was saying, “Do you want a new life? A real. New. Life? One where your sins can be forgiven?”
Easter is an invitation. In fact, it’s the ultimate invitation. A chance to be born again.
Easter is an invitation to experience God’s power.
The Bible says that when a person repents of their sins and places faith in Christ, that in that moment, our sins are forgiven. And in that moment, the same power that brought Jesus out of the grave is the same power God uses to bring you out of your own grave.
And you will know that God’s power is very great for us who believe. That power is the same as the great strength God used to raise Christ from the dead and put Him at His right side in the heavenly world. – Ephesians 1:19-20
You see, friend, in order for you to start over, it’s not about getting your behaviors right. It is not about cleaning up. It’s about letting God make you into something you could never create in your own power.
So many people look at church as a chance to start getting it right. Some even look at ramping back into “church” as a way to morally start over.
Don’t think of it that way. You’ll just be disappointed because never meant for any church to meet your needs. He is the One that meets the need.
His invitation to join Him is an invitation to join with people that are in His family.
God does the recreating. And that … takes supernatural power!
There’s one caution though. One place where I can tell you that most people get it wrong.
Most people that finally try church again will do what you do.
They will search “churches in Franklin, Tennessee.”
And then they will slip in below the radar on Sunday hoping to go unnoticed.
They will enjoy the worship program, and then they slip right back into obscurity. It won’t take long and they slip back into the same rhythm they were in just days before.
And guess what happens?
They find themselves a few months later missing God again. That same old gap between them and God resurfaces.
Don’t be like most people!
You see, one of the greatest outcomes of living “Easter” every day was in how it changed everything.
When Jesus came out of the grave, it changed everything.
And that includes God creating a new family of redeemed people.
When Jesus came out of the grave, a movement was born where people flocked to get membership into it because they needed a place to be together.
Redeemed people want to share redeemed life with other people who have also experienced the power of God.
So why not try it?
Why not come to ClearView Baptist Church in Franklin, TN?
So if all you got out of the deal by spending a few weeks at ClearView was that you got a little bit better at learning how to recognize God’s voice … or you met a few people like you who were starting over again too … would that be worth it for you?
I’m betting it would be way, way, way worth it.
And if you do come to ClearView, seriously, come introduce yourself to me. I would honestly be honored to meet you.
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About the Author: Jason Cruise is the Senior Pastor of ClearView Baptist Church in Franklin, TN.
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