Corrective Lenses (3)

Here’s a not so secret - I am practically blind. For real. I’m near sighted to the point of it being laughable. We found out in fourth grade, when I was getting B’s and C’s in school. My brothers both had glasses, and my parents took me to the optometrist, to get things checked out. Turns out, I was just half blind!!

If you’ve been to the optometrist, you’ve probably seen this instrument that’s up on the screen. Ten bonus points to whoever can tell me what that is

Phoropter. And basically, it tells an optamologist how sharp, or blurry your eyesight is. And you can go one of two ways - nearsighted is when far away objects look blurry, and far sighted is when objects close to you can appear blurry. And both of these are problems, because both deal with the inability to properly process the visual data coming into our eyes.

I know it seems like i’m getting into the weeds with all this stuff, but there’s a reason why we’re going into all of this.

See, when I was in fourth grade, I knew what the goal was. The goal was to make A’s in my classes. But I wasn’t doing that. Because, I couldn’t SEE. I couldn’t process the incoming visual data well enough that I could see what I needed to do.

Can anyone tell me what the goal is for our church, and by extension, our student ministry?

Abiding in Christ, advancing the Gospel.

See, here’s the thing, some of us may know that. Some of us may not. Regardless, we’re all on the same page, now. And so, everyone knows, that’s why we exist as a church. And so, I’ll just go ahead and pray us out, and we’ll call it an early night.

I’m kidding.

See, just like when I was younger, I can know the goal, and I can still lack the tools to help me process what’s coming in. What I’m doing. Just like when I was younger, and just like today, I need corrective lenses.

Values are what help correct spiritually blurry vision.

See, without corrective lenses, we can be receiving the same data….but we may not be processing it correctly. You could see something, and you could say, Hey, THIS is how we’re supposed to Abide and Advance! Someone else could perceive the same things around us, and they could come up with a completely different means of Abiding and Advancing.

But see, something incredible happens when we apply corrective lenses; everybody’s vision becomes synchronized.

Bible Study

Worship

Prayer

Fellowship

Discipleship

Missions/Service

Evangelism/Outreach

We will orient our calendar around these values. We will evaluate every event we do, according to THESE values.

And here’s the thing, if what we’re doing doesn’t match up to these values? We’re going to feel the freedom to discontinue that event.

Perfect example. We’re having a movie night THIS SATURDAY. Which of those values do you think that event plays into?

So, what we’re going to do, over the summer, is we’re going to flesh out what each of these values look like. We’re going to define them. Because, we’re going to dial in what each of these things are. Hint. Fellowship isn’t PRIMARILY for us to come in, and interact with the same people.

Eccl 4:9-12

We are better when we’re together.

I don’t think you’re aware of just how influential you, in this room, can be, when all of us, are pulling together, in the same direction for the same purpose.