March 2023: Responding to God’s Presence

“‘Then I will give them a heart to know Me, that I am the LORD; and they shall be My people, and I will be their God, for they shall return to Me with their whole heart’” Jeremiah 24:7

We are in the season of Lent, which is observed primarily to refocus our hearts and minds in preparation for Easter. Lent should slow us down to keep, appreciate, and take in God majesty. So I don’t think it is a coincidence that on the first Sunday of Lent, February 26th, Garden Church experienced a sweet outpouring of God’s presence.

Like other Sundays, that Sunday started with worship, announcements, and a sermon. Yet, in response to the sermon, there was a stirring in the people of God. Our 9 am gathering didn’t finish until 10:58am, and we quickly had to get reset for the 11 am. What we thought was a one-off, quickly shifted as the staff and worship team recognized that God was stirring something again. This time, a hunger for God’s presence started rising during worship, and the sermon was disrupted by a sense that God was in the room.

While Darren was pouring out his heart on stage, the worship team was repenting and confessing sins in the back room. Whatever was happening couldn’t be contained. God met us, and He didn’t stop. The worship team returned to the stage, and the sanctuary wasn’t silent until 8 pm. Throughout this Sunday people stayed, worshipped, prayed, repented, confessed, prayed for one another, and worshipped some more.

God met our church community on Sunday. What will be our response?

•••

In some ways we must respond in a measured way that doesn’t over hype what God may be doing, but on the other hand, we shouldn’t diminish the work of God.

This is a unique time for Garden Church, and I want to make sure our House Churches prepare our hearts collectively for God to move, like a ship who has its sails ready to catch the wind of the Spirit. Here are four the ways you can posture your House Church to be receptive of God’s moving.

Community Remnant Groups
Encourage those in your House Churches to gather in smaller groups of 4-12 (men and women separated) to pray, worship, and seek God together. This is where people can cross the social barrier of House Church into the personal context of a Remnant Group. It is in these smaller context where people can:
1. Grow in closeness & intimacy.
2. Support one another in hopes, fears, concerns.
3. Challenge towards holiness is welcome.

I would suggest this either happen during a Family gathering (splitting up), or that each group schedules a separate time to gather (Thursday mornings, every other Saturday for lunch, Sundays before or after church, etc.).

Pray for one another. Worship with each other. Study the Scripture. Ask one another intentional questions. Here are some questions you could ask in this space (taken from Discipleship that Fits by Bobby Harrington & Alex Absalom):
1. Are you seeing your circumstances clearly and accurately?
2. Are you being to hard, too soft, on yourself?
3. Why have you been responding in less than ideal ways up to now?
4. How can others around you help you gain a true perspective on yourself and this situation?
5. How can you plan to live differently in the weeks ahead?
6. What practical disciplines or next steps can you implement to give yourself the best chance of success?
7. Who can help you follow through on your commitment?
8. What will you do if you stumble along the same way and mess up again?
9. How will we as a group know whether you have truly changed?

These spaces are not to be forced as a rule, but it is an invitation towards intimacy with one another in more intentional pursuit of God’s presence.

Formation 40 Day Reading Plan
Reading Scripture is an important discipline to get us familiar with the heart, voice, and character of God. For Lent, Garden started reading the New Testament in 40 days, and it is not too late to start! Invite your House Church to go through this reading plan and see what questions and insights come from it!

Presence Garden Prayer Room
God is doing something special in our community. Our Prayer Room is one way that we can interrupt our original schedule of House Church to prioritize prayer and worship. While most times of prayer are 7-8 am, there will be two evening times of prayer on Sundays and Wednesdays.

Consider, during Lent, cancelling a few Family Gatherings to go and attend the Garden Prayer Room as a House Church (at minimum, try going once a month).

Prayer Schedule

Sundays
9 am + 11 am | Sunday Gatherings
6 pm - 8 pm | Worship + Prayer

Mondays-Fridays
7 am - 8 am | Worship + Prayer

Wednesdays
7 am - 8 am | Worship + Prayer
12 pm - 1 pm | Worship + Prayer
6 pm - 8 pm | Mid-Week Gathering

Mission March Madness Party
Anyone who knows me, is well aware that I am sports-averse. However, I know that those around me are really interested in a wide variety of sports. So I have done my best to engage the conversation with curiosity and excitement. Regardless of where you fall on the spectrum of sports, I think as a House Church making the most of the seasonal sports festivities can open the door for multiple missional opportunities.

This month consider throwing a March Madness Party. Get some people from your House Church to host a watching party and invite your neighbors!

My prayer is that this month stirs a hunger for revival to break out in your home, relationships, House Churches, neighborhoods, and city.