I was talking to Skip from Alpha after the brilliant training night he led for us on Tuesday. Skip told me that he was blown away by the heart of The Grove. He has led many training nights at churches, but said he doesn’t always see the leaning in and hunger to be part of what God is doing that he witnessed among those gathered from The Grove. Now I don’t pass that on to pat ourselves on the back, or be prideful. Rather, because I agree with Skip that I constantly see this growing heart to follow Jesus and reach the world with the good news. It's like a shift is happening in many lives, that is totally from the Holy Spirit. 

Now saying this isn’t minimizing the pain of hardships we face, or that struggling emotions due to circumstances are a lack of faith. We only need to read the bible to see the ups and downs of life and faith, even in our most loved bible characters. However, what I am seeing is a special nearness of God and perhaps an increase of his power in his church. Little by little, more people are coming alive, and faith is growing. It’s making me feel so expectant about what’s coming.  

The key to being caught up in a movement from God is a little like being swept along in a current. Standing on the banks of a river won’t take us anywhere, it's only as we dive in. Practically speaking, it’s making ourselves available to God. I pray we would all be caught up in this movement of the Holy Spirit among us. To move from observing what God is doing, to being totally part of it. 

Let’s consider what God is calling us to dive into. Maybe it's inviting someone to the Alpha Dinner or joining a Connect Group. Perhaps it’s being baptised or serving in a ministry. It could be that God is calling us to stop running away like Jonah, and be fully engaged with his people and mission again. Whatever it is, we probably recognise God’s call in our hearts. 

Grove family, I really believe the Lord is working among us and inviting us to be caught up in something marvellous. However, we need to leave the safe shores and shallow waters to really see what God can do through our lives and church. It’s getting late, the world is dark, but the movement of the church and the gospel is growing in brilliance and power. Maybe the lyrics of the old Mercy Me song, Caught Up In The Middle, is an appropriate response. 

I believe Your Spirit is alive and on the move, Oh I want to be caught up in the middle of You.
I want to be a part of what I know You're going to do, Oh I want to be caught up in the middle of You.

God bless, 

Marty.