Greater Things with T.J. McCormick

I was reading today in my quiet time and the Lord really spoke to me so I wanted to share it with you.

Numbers 14:9
“Do not rebel against the Lord, and don’t be afraid of the people of the land. They are only helpless prey to us! They have no protection, but the Lord is with us! Don’t be afraid of them!”

As I was reading this, I thought to myself “How many times are we afraid of the people instead of the Lord and what He has told us to do.” We are afraid of:

• what they will say
• what they won’t say
• what they will do
• what they won’t do

We get so caught up with the things that we can see that we forget what God has SAID. We miss out on the opportunity of a lifetime because of our fear of man instead of the fear of the Lord. I want to encourage you today to not look at the obstacles of life but the promises of God. Here were the Israelites going to check out the land that God had given them but they forgot that and gave into their fears.

What has God promised you? Let’s pursue His promises instead of being led by our fears. Today when our fears coming knocking on the door of our life let’s let our FAITH IN HIS PROMISES ANSWER IT.

As I was driving around Ft. Lauderdale today I had this continuous thought of “What the heck are you doing T.J., are you crazy?” It was an hour of those thoughts that are totally derived out of the fear of the unknown. You know that thing that is the opposite of faith. But then I remembered this quote:

“Don’t fear the unknown, fear not living up to your known potential, talents and gifts. It takes courage to live up to your dreams.”

So many times we fear the unknown instead of fearing not living up to the gifts, talents, abilities and purpose that God has for our lives. We get so hung up on not knowing exactly how it is going to work so we stand around doing nothing, just like the children of Israel when Goliath would come out and challenge them. God had already equipped them and given them the victory but they were to afraid of facing the unknown in battle with Goliath, so they stood around and did nothing. They wasted their time, talent and opportunity to fulfill their potential.

What fear has got you paralyzed at this time, holding you back from moving into the dreams that God has given you? I desire to see each and every one of us not be caged in by the fear of the unknown but for each of us to walk in the freedom to live out our God given gifts, talents and potential. For you and I this is going to take courage. Lets be a courageous people.

Do you ever have one of those weeks where it just seems like every time you turn around God is doing something amazingly new and different. This week has been one of those weeks for me. It seems like every other person I have talked with is thinking about moving to Ft. Lauderdale to help be a part of the team to plant Coastal Community Church.

I keep saying to myself, “I know that I think that I am crazy for going to plant a church, but people:

• moving their families
• selling their houses
• quitting jobs
• finding new jobs
• giving up comfort and security
• leaving surrounding family
• leaving a great church in Bayside Community Church

all these things just blow my mind and I say that they are ‘really crazy’.”

It just blows my mind that when people hear the voice of God in their lives that they are so willing to just follow. It is really how we should all be, but it takes FAITH. The disciples are a great example of this, when Christ called them to come and follow him, they dropped their nets, pulled in the boat to shore and left their father. Wow, what faith that took! What act of obedience or step of faith is God asking you to take today? Are you willing to walk away from everything to follow God?

I am so thankful for these men, women and families that are challenging my faith to step out with theirs. Let’s do GREATER THINGS for God by being a people who live by faith.

I have been thinking a lot about what Coastal Community Church is all about this morning. I don’t know if you are like me but when I am thinking about something that is all that I can do, think and talk about. Well in the midst of thinking about the church I was reminded of this quote

“A dangerous church will be less about a breakthrough idea and more about a broken heart.”

It got me thinking that while strategies, great series, cool music and even good preaching are great but if we don’t have a broken heart for those who have yet to hear the life-giving message of Jesus Christ then we will never be that dangerous church that God intends for us to be. I know that more than anything I want the heartbeat of Coastal to be the lost and hurting around us that are searching for the hope of the world, which is Jesus. We have to be a place that is willing to do whatever it takes to make sure that the people in our community have multiple opportunities to hear the message of Christ to find the hope, grace, mercy, peace, restoration, relationship and life they are looking for.

So my question for each one of us is “What does your heart break for?”

On Monday my wife and I officially sold our house. This was a really big answer to prayer for us in moving forward with launching a church in Ft. Lauderdale. This was also one of the hardest days of my life. As we were finishing up packing all of our things to move out of the house you always have that final walkthru where you check to make sure you have not left anything behind. This was so difficult for me, I thought about:

1. the effort put into making this my home
2. the memories of gladness that came from the home
3. the years of hard work it took to get the home
4. the dreams that came true in the home
5. the dreams that were dreamt in the home
6. the lives that were changed in the home
7. the fears that came without having a home

This is the point in the evening when I just broke. God has been calling us to something new, something that we have only seen in our hearts and minds and I tell you what, in that moment my faith struggled big time. Change is hard, it can even be a deterrent to our faith. I love what Hebrews 11:1

“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”

When we walked out of our house for the last time and locked the doors and shut the garage, we made our step of faith. We told God that even though we can’t see it, we are believing for it, that you would make it hard for people to go to hell in Ft. Lauderdale because of Coastal Community Church. We are hoping for the people who have not seen or heard of the life giving nature of Christ to find him and find hope. God is going to do “Greater Things” through each and every one of us as we take our own steps towards Him in faith not seeing but Believing.