A quick visit with my godly, praying, Nashville relatives...
(Uncle Ron, Aunt Jyl, cousin Lucas & his sweet girlfriend, Amy. Thanks, y'all!)
and we were on our way to our first major stop--
The Church at Brook Hills, with Pastor David Platt LIVE!
Felt like we were pulling into Disneyland, we were that excited.
You may recognize the name "David Platt" from previous posts-- his podcasts (especially the Radical series) have been perhaps the single greatest influence in my spiritual journey, aside from the Bible itself. And precisely because they've drawn me to the Bible itself! It's not about David Platt or The Church at Brook Hills, lest I turn this into hero worship. It's about GOD.
And what an encouragement to be in a place where the Spirit of God is moving people into action! In response to James 1:27 and God's heart for the widows and orphans, the church has decided to take on basically the entire foster care system of Birmingham. "Starting right here," they say, "we don't want a single child to be without a home." Wow. They've also extended this globally, pouring much of their resources into caring for widows and orphans in India. That, my friends, is FAITH in ACTION!
The stage is set up to look like an Indian slum, because that is the image they want to keep at the forefront of their minds.
I'm so challenged by the active faith exemplified in this church. A people who listen and do (James 1:22). Who don't believe obedience to Christ is optional. Who's fruit is evidence of true Gospel-transformation.
I came across this quote by Charles Spurgeon in his commentary on Matt. 25. I think it's a fitting description of The Church at Brook Hills and, I pray, for all of us as well.
(On that Day...) they will bashfully disclaim the praise pronounced by the King. They had no idea there was anything meritorious in what they had done; they never dreamed of being rewarded for it... They fed the hungry, clothed the naked, visited the sick, for Christ's sake, because it was the sweetest thing in the world to do anything for Jesus. They did it because they delighted to do it, because they could not help doing it, because their new nature impelled them to do it.
How sweet it is to do anything for Jesus. May we live like we believe it.
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