Brownies, Lunch, and Movies

A significant shift occurs in the life of a Christ follower once we realize God is capable of taking all the mundane stuff in life and giving it eternal significance when we choose to follow Christ in total obedience.  Think about it.  Only God could leverage what is temporary and use it for eternal.  When we make Christ our CEO we are no longer the one who calls the shots.  Rather we are to approach Christ as if we are putting everything up on the table for him to use as He sees fit.  Not just part of our lives (the parts we think are "important"), but ALL of our lives including every last detail.  

  

Over the past few weeks at Northwest, we have been trying to apply these truths to our lives through a teaching series entitled "Filled." The key principle in Filled focused on the idea that God fills Christ followers with the power of the Holy Spirit so that we can be used by Him to point others to Jesus Christ. You see the #1 role of a Christ follower is to make God more famous…to reflect His character everywhere we go.  But let's be honest, this can seem like a daunting task and is too often ignored.  It's tempting to shrug our shoulders and settle for never knowing what it is like to be used by God to make a lasting impact on others.  At Northwest, we refuse to settle for a timid life because we serve and know a God who is able to use simple acts of obedience and service to transform people.  

So, how are we going to do that this week? Here is what our church is doing this week to serve the community while we trust God to do amazing things:

• Brownies - This past Sunday every attender at Northwest was given a box of brownie mix as they came in the door.  During the service the church was challenged to make a pan of brownies this week and take them to a neighbor on their street and simply be open to how God might use that experience to build a bridge.  Our Assimilation Team had packets prepared for the entire church which were filled with information about the church as well as flyers for the upcoming movie night.  
• Lunch - Today Northwest is serving lunch to all the teachers at Cooper Elementary School during their final prep day before school starts next week.  Tonight a group of volunteers from Northwest is also helping out with the school's open house. Cooper is the school facility we lease on Sunday mornings.  We want our impact to be much greater than simply a source of revenue for the school.  We want to serve the faculty and pour into the lives of the families attending the school.  
• Movie Night - On Saturday night, August 18th Northwest is again partnering with the city of Bella Vista to host a free, outdoor, family movie night at Metfield Park.  We will be serving free hotdogs, popcorn, and drinks and showing the movie Adventures of Tin Tin.  These types of events allow us to meet new people, serve the families of Bella Vista, and briefly share the vision of Northwest to the community.        

This week please pray for Northwest as we strive to honor God with brownies, lunch, and movies.