Heart Patients Choose Death

Change is a very difficult thing for most people. I was reminded of this twice over the last couple of days when I heard 2 quotes from 2 different sources. First of all 90% of all heart patients when faced with a choice of a change of lifestyle or death, choose death over lifestyle change. Secondly I was listening to an audio teaching when I heard the story of a woman who had an addiction to cigarettes and said that she had read so much about the damages of cigarettes and lung cancer that she decided to stop reading.
These thoughts seem so silly and immature, yet many of us have the same struggles. I don't really like change and if you are honest, you probably don't either. I would much rather keep the waters calm, and not disturb life as we know it, but sometimes God expects more from us. As a community of Christ Followers, what Jesus called the church, it is our responsiblity to always be one step ahead of our ever-changing culture. We cannot always do things the way we have always done them. We cannot expect younger generations and older generations to have the same heart language. Because of this we must learn to share God's love with everyone in a manner in which they will understand. We must be creative enough, and yet sensitive enough to change when change is necessary.
As we move forward with God's plan for Gulf Coast Worship Center, we must be willing to embrace change. Story after story continues to flood our office about the work that God is doing in people's lives, and how he is doing it. I am amazed how much God is doing, and the channels he is chosing to do it through. So my prayer is "God whatever it is that I need to change, the way I view my neighbor, the way I do ministry, the traditions I grew up with, let me be open and sensitive to do so."
Carl