I’d be selling the church short if I didn’t tell you about how supernaturally the church’s story is evolving. I’ve shared previously about the Miracle of Valley Center, and how we supernaturally found our new church home after a fervent prayer that Jesus would lead us to it.
Now it looks like the Holy Spirit is on overdrive.
A few weeks ago, during a sermon, I felt a “voice” of sorts, though it wasn’t out loud. As I preached on the subject of doubt, I felt the Holy Spirit say to me, “There is someone here named David who is struggling with doubt.” I didn’t say anything, because I didn’t feel confident to. Essentially, I told God, “You and David work that out, because I don’t want to sound like a crazy person.”
A few minutes later, I was standing in the lobby, and I was about to walk to the other side of campus, and I felt the same voice say to me, “Stay there. Someone close to you is going to need you. Don’t move.” So I stood still. Sixty seconds later, a new visitor walked up to me in tears asking for an appointment with the pastor. I began to wonder if I had missed a real David who needed to hear that God knew he was there.
Two weeks later, I apologized to David, in case he was out there listening. And now I think I’ve found him, a David struggling with doubt.
A few days after that sermon, I was praying with a woman in the church office. I told her, “I keep seeing an image of car keys. Does that mean anything?” She hadn’t said anything about a car, but she started to tear up and said, “Yes, I’ve been borrowing a friend’s car, and I’ve been praying God would give me a new one.” I shared that story in a sermon a week ago, and this week, someone from Real Life bought her a used car to call her own.
There are better stories than that. Supernatural things have occurred since then, things that couldn’t have a natural explanation. I’ll be sharing some of them this Sunday - hope to see you there.
My hope is that we become a congregation of open ears and open hearts, a people who listen to God’s Spirit and follow God’s leading. Our faithfulness can open up the possibility of the supernatural and direct, first-person encounters with the living God. I can’t wait to see more!
-Pastor Jim