Blogger: Matt
This week last year, Janie and I, officially became home owners in South Florida. We moved here because we felt God's overwhelming nudge to start a movement of missional and reproducing churches in an area starving for Jesus. A year later the work is well under way and The Pursuit Christian Church has become a reality. People are coming to know Jesus and the start of something God-sized is being built.
Have things gone as I planned ... no.
If I am going to be honest, I have to say there was a big part of me that thought we'd launch The Pursuit on January 27, 2008 with 300+ people and we'd be off and running. This is 100% my fault because I allowed myself to be convinced by others that in church planting a + b = c. There were sleepless nights where I wondered, "Am I the right man for the job? What could I have done differently? Should we have planted in Arizona, downtown Indy, or somewhere else in the Bible Belt?" Those nights still come. But...
... have things gone as God planned ... yes.
God is building "His church" not mine. People who were once far from God have found their way back to Him because of The Pursuit. God is growing me in ways I never thought possible. It's like when you go to the gym for the first time in a long time, muscles you didn't even know you had ache. It hurts all over but at the same time it feels so good because you know it is something you desperately need.
I guess what I am trying to say is this: After following God to SoFlo and being here for almost one year I believe in His mission more than ever. South Florida with all it's faults has become our home which we dearly love. I can't imagine being any place else.
The famous military commander Tariq ibn Ziyah who led his army to take Gibraltar taught us an important lesson when his men faced their enemies on one side and the merciless sea on the other ... burn the ships. There was no going back to the place of comfort they once knew. The message for them and the message for us is, "Take this land or die trying."
Tariq ibn Ziyah taking Gibraltar? Was that on Jeopardy last night?
I'm right there with you Matt. If I knew before we started how difficult this journey would be, I'm not sure I would've embarked. And that would have been the biggest mistake of my life.
The road is littered of guys who quit citing that "God was not in it" when their new church didn't grow as quickly as others have. But when compared to the many more years of the Pursuit, these early years will be blips on the radar.
And your perseverance will be honored. Congrats for all so far and for everything that will come.
Posted by: steve | June 04, 2008 at 01:05 PM
Tariq ibn Ziyah taking Gibraltar? Was that on Jeopardy last night?
I'm right there with you Matt. If I knew before we started how difficult this journey would be, I'm not sure I would've embarked. And that would have been the biggest mistake of my life.
The road is littered of guys who quit citing that "God was not in it" when their new church didn't grow as quickly as others have. But when compared to the many more years of the Pursuit, these early years will be blips on the radar.
And your perseverance will be honored. Congrats for all so far and for everything that will come.
Posted by: steve | June 04, 2008 at 01:05 PM
Good news/Bad news Matt - after FIVE years I'm still thrashing - and my muscles still ache. We believe in God and we believe in you and what you're doing. Burn baby burn!
Posted by: Evan McBroom | June 04, 2008 at 05:41 PM
If we didn't think you're the right man for the job, we wouldn't have let you leave. From the first time you told us about Miami, we've believed. Even though it's not easy, it's what God had in store for you. You have our support now and for always. Keep it up!!
Posted by: Jose Lopez | June 05, 2008 at 01:48 AM