Castle or Kingdom?

Do you want to build a castle or a Kingdom?

As a local church body, are we seeking to build our own castle - a mini kingdom - or are we devoted to seeing God's Kingdom built up?

I want my life and this church to be about the "Big K" Kingdom and to never limit ourselves, nor limit God, by focusing only on our "little k" kingdom called City Church Huntington. It's not about us! It's about the people who don't yet know Christ, who haven't been invited into His Kingdom.

Because of the mission God has given us (Love God. Love People. Make Disciples. Multiply.) and because of His great love for all people, we will seek His Kingdom growth. We will sacrifice what some might think best for ourselves, our family, our church so that the Kingdom of God will be preached to more and more people. We are all about Jesus Christ because He and He alone has the power to change eternity!

Plant an Orchard

So, instead of striving to build an ever bigger tree in one place, our goal as a church is to plant an entire orchard of trees that would spread all over West Virginia, Appalachia, the US, and the world. That might sound like pie in the sky to some people, but nothing is too great for our God. He says, "Ask of Me and I will give you the nations as your inheritance, the very ends of the earth as your possession." (Psalm 2:8) And because God said so, we're going to ask Him for the nations.

We are praying, even now, that God would make us a church that plants churches that plants churches. We want to multiply for His glory and their good in every way possible.

You know what's true about Christians? They're a lot like manuer. When you pile them all up in one place they stink! But when you spread them around things start to grow.

So we will choose God's Kingdom over ours, we'll choose the orchard over the Sequoia, and we'll choose to spread out and make things grow instead of sticking together in one big stink. We go because people's eternities are worth the cost of any momentary sacrifice we will make. We go because Jesus left His throne and said, "As the Father has sent me, so I am sending you." (John 20:21)

We are sent. Sent to love. Sent to share truth. Sent to represent the real Jesus to the world.

Sent to Send

So the six of us will leave Lexington and NorthEast Christian Church, a place we love, to continue to extend the mission of the God we love even more. And one day soon, there will be people who love City Church, who love Huntington and Marshall University, who will choose to leave as well because the love of Christ compels them.

Where is God calling you to take a step outside? Is He challenging you to get involved in the church? Is He nudging you to step out of a group you've been a part of for long enough to start something new that makes room for others to find and follow Christ alongside you? Is He calling you to start a Kingdom business pursuit or to plant a church? Maybe He's just calling you to start putting down your phone and picking up His Word.

If you hear Him calling you, listen. And trust Him to make the way forward clear to you. The One who has called you is faithful and He will do it!