Pastor Larry Sundin, Rock Springs Church
Have you ever been invited to go on an adventure? I was with my 2-year-old grandson recently and we were heading back from the playground where they live, when he said to me, “I want to go on an adventure.” So, we turned left, and I followed him on his new scooter. He soon tired of his scooter and just wanted to walk. Then he stopped and picked up a piece of granite and threw it. He picked up another and threw it. And another and threw it. If I hadn’t encouraged him to follow me, I think I would have been there all day watching him throw rocks. After all, this was his adventure, and I chose to follow and join him on his adventure.
In one way, this illustrates what it means to live a Christian life. At some point, God breaks into our established routine of life and invites us to go on an adventure with Him. That’s what Jesus did with his followers. In the gospel of Mark, Jesus came up to Simon and Andrew while they were fishing and invited them to go on the greatest adventure of their lives, saying: “Come, follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Mark 1:17. He commanded them to stop what they were doing, let down their nets, and follow after him. What Jesus was doing was making a very specific call for them to align themselves with Him as His apprentices. Come, fall in behind me and let me lead you in this new way of life. “Come follow me.”
“Come follow me” are very powerful words: Words that imply relationship, investment, and belief. A kind of relationship we rarely see today. Have you ever had someone “invite you to be with him?” No one seems to have time for this kind of thing anymore. I’ve had very few relationships like this—where another has chosen to believe in me, teach me, encourage me, and show me the ropes. To have a relationship that allows you to be yourself, but seeks to draw the best out of you. To have someone who loves you unconditionally, but will speak truth into your life. If you’re like me, you wish you had someone like this in your life.
Well, the good news is you can have someone like this if you’re willing to follow Jesus. For, what we’ve learned at Rock Springs Church is that Jesus is someone who will always believe in you, teach you, help you, guide you, and be patient with you as you learn to trust and follow Him. That’s what Jesus does when He invites you to come on the greatest adventure of following Him. He offers you an eternal relationship with Him. He offers you a life of discovery where you not only learn of His grace, mercy, and love, but a life where following Him can actually change you for the better. And finally, He offers you a life with eternal purpose where you can actually learn how to live, and love like Him. That’s some invitation—to go on an adventure with Jesus!
And that may best summarize what Rock Springs Church is all about as we get set to celebrate our ninth anniversary as a church on Sunday, Feb. 4. Our mission is to help people like you become friends, family, and followers of Jesus. So, if you’re looking for an adventure, then we invite you to come and find out more about Jesus. Rock Springs Church gathers every Sunday at 9 a.m. in the Hermosa Ballroom. We’d love to have you join us on our adventure of following Jesus!