For someone who never listens to talk radio, I have become a serious podcast junkie in the last two years. I subscribe to the Catalyst podcast, LifeisSport (great interviews w/ sporting heroes like Coack K about life) and some church planting stuff, but I primarily listen to sermons from Andy Stanley, Craig Groeschel, Perry Noble, Steven Furtick and Rick McKinley. You see, for most people one sermon a week is sufficient, but I need to hear at least one a day. I can't seem to get enough. Maybe it's a sickness, but strong biblical preaching and teaching gets me fired up and motivated. Plus, I need a good kick in the pants everyday to keep me on track.

This morning, I listened to part three of Andy Stanley's "Defining Moments" series. He was talking about Jesus' conversation with the rich young ruler who wanted to know what he needed to do to secure eternal life. Jesus told him to sell everything he had, give all the proceeds to the poor and come follow him - not so much the answer he was looking for. In his sermon Andy made the point that God wants to know whose we are. Money/possessions are the number one thing that competes with our relationship with God and God needs to know who and what we belong to. The amounts and the dollar figures are never the point, the question is whose we are.

Growing up, my dad would drop my sister and me off at school in the morning and the last thing he would say was "remember who you are and whose you are." It's easy to get distracted and wrapped up in all kinds of things - even really good things - but if we're not fully committed to following God then we've missed the point.

The same is true for ARC - will it be our church or will it be God's church? Who does the church belong to? Knowing the answer to that question gives me a lot of clarity about our purpose, courage to keep walking and humility to know it sure as heck doesn't belong to me. The Church at all times and all places belongs to God. And so, I leave you with this quote from Reggie McNeal that I read this morning, "Unfortunately it [the church growth movement] fell victim to an idolatry as old as the Tower of Babel, the belief that we are the architects of the work of God. As a result we have the best churches men can build, but are still waiting for the church that only God can get the credit for." Let's be that church.