the new normal

In school, we learned to figure out what was normal. We wanted to be different -- but not
too different. We wanted to be as different as
everyone else.

We wanted to be normal (but in a cool kind
of way).

Normal has alot of faces.


We judge normality (uh..is that a word?)
by what normal around  us looks like.
                                                                                              
I know I'm normal if everyone else generally looks like me.
I know I'm normal if I like the same type of things as other people.
I even judge myself by the way other people act.

For example -- if all my friends think downloading pirated movies is ok -
chances are, I will justify my own actions based on what they do.

With God -- we can't use this standard.

And for us -- we've been using it too long.

We judge our Christianity by what everyone considers normal.

It's normal to go to church,
be somewhat committed (as long as nothing better comes along)
and leave our religion at that.

It's normal not to pray.
It's normal not to experience the Lord personally.
It's normal to be called a Christian while being be full of compromise.
It's normal to have a
powerless,
flat,
untransformed faith.

But we've been using the wrong standard.

On the day of Pentecost (Acts 2)
we were told that the promise and the power of the Holy Spirit
was for "all who are a far off".
Imagine -- a faith, a boldness
that makes people cry out in the street --
"What must we do to be saved!"

That is normal.

Jesus [talking about his miracles] told his disciples
that if they believed in Him -- they would do
"greater works than these".

Imagine. You -- doing great things for God's kingdom.
His power pulsing through you.
Lives changed.
Miracles wrought.

That is normal.

Let's imagine a new normal. Let's wipe clean our idea of normal that has been taken from our observation of others.
Let's let God,
His Word,
His promises
and the example of the early church
determine what is the norm.

I guarantee, it's much more satisfying, exciting and powerful
than anything you've ever seen.

At RISE -- we will be doing this together. It's going to be exciting.
And it's going to be alot of fun.
Quite frankly -- it just might change your life.

Hope you can join us.