STRONG MEAT

Spent some time getting things into order for Sunday's message today. I want to talk about how you maintain your momentum, because that's one of the biggest struggles for all of us in the journey God has invited us on.

To tell you the truth, it's not rocket science - any more than last Sunday's teaching on forgiveness was. But it's essential stuff.

From time to time I hear about people who visit our church and others who even stay a while, who complain that they want "strong meat". Well, here's the deal, let me check with you whether you've got all the basics working well and then when I'm satisfied about that, I'll start explaining Greek words, speculating about the Anti-Christ and screaming at you a bit like real preachers do.

But till then, we'll focus on what really matters because the truth is that most people who say they want deeper teaching really mean they want something for their brain that doesn't touch their heart or affect their lifestyle. You will not get that at CATMO.

+ We're concerned about what you're like at home, not just how broadly you smile in church.

+ We care about whether you really pray, not if you can teach a Bible study on the subject.

+ We want you to have a reputation where you work that reflects who you claim to belong to.

+ We want you to be serving others and getting behind the vision of the church, not just criticizing those who are already committed.

+ We're interested in knowing that what you watch on your TV and where you visit on the internet will help you to be a positive influence in our church family.

+ We wonder how you are dealing with anger or other key issues.

And there's a whole lot more before we'll ever get into what many call "strong meat". Of course the real insanity is they don't recognize what real strong meat is when they're getting it. Take a look through the list above once more - none of that is baby's milk!