Pastor Larry Sundin, Rock Springs Church
Who are you following? Who is it that you want to emulate? Who inspires you and makes you want to become more like them? Now, when I was a boy, I wanted to be like Sandy Koufax. I wanted to play baseball for the Los Angeles Dodgers and pitch like my hero. So, I’d go outside and throw a tennis ball against the fence pretending I was striking out Willie Mays or Mickey Mantle. In my mind, I was becoming a great pitcher. But reality was different. When I started playing baseball, I didn’t have what it took to pitch like my hero. Soon, I found a new hero: Arnold Palmer. I wanted to be a great golfer like Arnie. By this time my dad was taking me to Salem Golf Club where he was the head pro. Now I had someone who could teach me, show me how to swing, correct me when I was off, and encourage me when I failed. It wasn’t long before I started to become halfway decent. But once again, as much as I wanted to become like Arnie, it didn’t take long to realize that this dream was just a dream.
But that never stopped what was going on inside of me. I knew I was meant to follow someone who made life worthwhile. I just didn’t know who that was until a friend invited me to go to church. It was there that I found someone worth following: a teacher from Nazareth by the name of Jesus. The cool thing about Jesus is this: Jesus never invited anyone to convert to Christianity. He didn’t even call people to become Christians. He simply invited ordinary people like me to apprentice under Him in a whole new way of living. First, He simply invited people to be with Him. He invited people into a relationship where they could observe His life, be exposed to his heart, see his values, and learn his ways. What made Jesus so different from other religious leaders is that His classroom was life. But here’s the kicker: the more you spend time with Jesus, the more you begin to become like Him, and eventually learn how to live and love like Him.
So that’s what I did; and following Jesus has been a transformative journey. Over the years Jesus has changed me. Now, I’m nowhere near as gracious, humble, or compassionate as Jesus, but being with Jesus has helped me become kinder, less proud, and a much more caring person than I ever thought I’d be. All because I started following Jesus. And if that sounds intriguing to you, the cool thing about Jesus is that his invitation still stands: “Come, follow, me.” It’s this invitation that shapes who we are as a Church. Rock Springs is all about “people helping people become friends, family, and followers of Jesus.” So, if you’d like to know how you can learn to follow Jesus, why not join us this Sunday and discover what He’s really like. And I guarantee you, you’ll never be the same! Rock Springs gathers for worship every Sunday at 9 a.m. in the Hermosa Ballroom.