Genesis 12:1-3: “Get yourself up and go…and be a blessing.”
December is upon us again! For me, December seems to come around faster and faster every year. I think I notice how quickly time is passing when I browse through photos over the past years. Looking at photos of myself from two years ago, I barely see any change. It feels like the last few years have flown by and I’m more or less the same. On the other hand, looking at photos of my kids, there’s so much change! I’m sure weeks and months for them feel long, as they constantly grow and learn from one day to the next.
Along with the Christmas season, December marks the end of one year and the beginning of another. Last Sunday, Gabe launched our church theme for 2022–For His Name’s Sake. If you haven’t heard that phrase before, please have a listen to last Sunday’s message. There are a couple of new and exciting things in store for 2022 as we look forward to what God has for the Life-Spring family.
Link to Sunday message: https://youtu.be/7_099y_Xgfk?t=3025
As I was thinking about the theme For His Name’s Sake for 2022, two things came to mind. These two things may seem at odds with each other, but I think both express something important about the coming year.
The first thought I had is that this theme is really not that different from the theme in previous years. In 2019 our theme was Intimacy (prayer and hearing God), in 2020 it was Maturity (give go grow), and in 2021 we focused on Make Every Effort. The idea of For His Name’s Sake for 2022 fits in pretty nicely with our past themes.
I think this speaks to the way God is at work in Life-Spring. God wants to work something deep within us and build something substantial into our church. Last Sunday Gabe mentioned the vision of a seed sprouting. Have you ever seen a giant redwood tree? They can grow as high as 60 or 70 meters…but this takes about 100 years to happen! When God wants to plant something deep, we can be sure that it will take much longer than a year. Years need to build upon years. So the fact that the theme for this year is not very different from years past is one indication that God is doing something deep in Life-Spring. It will take time.
On the flipside, I think it’s also important to recognize that God is doing something new in Life-Spring for 2022. Gabe mentioned some new paths that we’d be embarking on next year, whether it be with testimonies, life groups, or stewardship. God is challenging us in new ways and new dimensions of what it means to be mature. And much of this is connected to things that God has already been planting in our church for some time.
Our name, Life-Spring, is a call to be a spring of life, and not just for ourselves, but others. We’re blessed to be a blessing–meaning that the blessings we’ve received from God need to be held with an open hand, not a closed fist. We’re blessed with time, talents, and treasures in order to give these away. We’re called to give, go, and grow–giving and going aren’t for our benefit, but for the benefit of others.
I think we’ll learn this year that maturity is not simply for the sake of maturity, but for the sake of a greater purpose–God’s purpose. As we continue to build on intimacy, maturity, and making every effort, we’ll learn more and more that this is not for our own sake, but for the sake of others.
So as we begin to prepare for what’s ahead for 2022, let’s start on the right foot. Join us in fasting during January as we dedicate the year to the Lord, and prepare our hearts and lives to be fertile ground for what God wants to plant.