Your Product Is People

When my kids were little and I would travel, I would always bring something back home for them — usually just a trinket, something small…usually flimsy and easily broken.

Story: 2022 — Luchador masks (PICTURE OF MASKS)

Gunner’s Luchador mask

“Time me”

Runs into tree

“Spiderman tried to kill me!”

Story: Leo (PICTURE OF LEO)

There’s a little guy in our church named Leo…

T-Rex shirt — “Are you ‘Tyranosaurus Leo’???”

Spiderman shirt — “Are you ‘Spider-Leo’???”

Leo finally figured out the game…

“I’m just a NORMAL Leo!!!”

Kids like to play about being something they’re not…but they still know who they really are.

The problem is… Adults — AND CHURCHES — don’t always know who they really are.

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God’s been good to us at Connect….

Over the past 10 years, we’ve tripled in size

Our leadership structure has gotten healthier

We’re 1/3 of the way to funding a renovation that will provide a new Auditorium and increased meeting space

But NONE OF THAT IDENTIFIES WHO WE ARE…

In August of 2015, we began saying, “We rediscover family the way God intended it to be.”

A few years later, we continued to refine our identity by saying, “Our product is not programs, productions or policies…our product is people.”

As I read through Paul’s letters, I am continually reminded of his care for PEOPLE….

Paul wrote to the Thessalonians…

1 Thessalonians 1:5–10 NIV

You know how we lived among you for your sake. 6 You became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you welcomed the message in the midst of severe suffering with the joy given by the Holy Spirit. 7 And so you became a model to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia. 8 The Lord’s message rang out from you not only in Macedonia and Achaia—your faith in God has become known everywhere. Therefore we do not need to say anything about it, 9 for they themselves report what kind of reception you gave us. They tell how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, 10 and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead—Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath.

Can I tell you a few stories???

Adam Cloe

Lives in the North Heights neighborhood of Joplin

When we met, he was barely sobered up…and had plenty of baggage from his past

There’s still a guy (I don’t know his name) who randomly shows up on Adam’s porch and wants to fight him

We know he’s serious because he always brings 2 sets of boxing gloves with him

There’s still baggage…but there’s also progress…

He oversees the setup, tear down, and clean up of everything on Saturday nights

In the fall, we had a series of Mini Block Parties and Adam insisted we let him host the first

He invited all the neighbors on his block — and then he went around with a second set of invitations

The day of the Block Party, no one showed up…..but they all watched from their porches and windows

A few days after the Block Party, his neighbor’s cat got out and he picked it up — when he returned it, the neighbor wanted to know “how in the world Adam had gotten a CHURCH to hang out in his yard”

Jaala Beckham

Owns the Club 1201 restaurant in Joplin

We met when she showed up on a Saturday night — she had been looking for a Saturday church service and we were the first she found

She’s from Brazil…and when her mom visits in a month or two, she’s planning to get baptized

She felt convicted to use her business in some way, so on the 1st and 3rd Tuesdays of the month, you can find a Bible Study at her restaurant at 1:00 pm

John Venter

Doctor in Joplin — a pulmonologist, to be exact

When we met, he was invited to church by his friend — Jaala, who I just told you about

I didn’t know he was a doctor at the time…he was just “Johnny”

After a few months, he was recognized by someone at a Midweek Bible Study and I learned that he’s actually been my dad’s doctor for quite some time — just neither of us knew the connection

John’s story… “I told someone about Jesus for the first time ever”

I could go on and on…

Ian Matthews

Young guy standing in our Lobby watching me

“Do you want to be my friend??”

Now he’s been at my house several times and we’re building a relationship

Sarah — works at Lilypad

Never actually been to a Connect worship service but she’s met a ton of people and has actively been inviting her friends to come to our church — BECAUSE SHE FEELS LOVED AND VALUED

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God’s been good to us at Connect….

Because we know who we are

We are imitators of Christ who are producing imitators of Christ

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Can I offer an encouragement and a challenge to you???

As this semester unfolds — DON’T FORGET WHO YOU ARE

You don’t exist to serve yourself

Your goal is not to impress anyone with you intelligence, wit, or skill

You serve your students

You serve the local church

Most importantly…

YOU SERVE THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN

It doesn’t matter what class you teach, what job you perform, what church you attend….

YOUR PRODUCT IS PEOPLE

You live among them — students, neighbors, co-workers, family — for THEIR SAKE, so that THEY MIGHT BECOME IMITATORS OF YOU AND OF THE LORD

YOUR PRODUCT IS PEOPLE…DON’T LOSE SIGHT OF YOUR PURPOSE

PRAY