Dear Community,

This weekend I will be traveling with Dan Coley to Birmingham, Alabama to teach a conference on Adoption and Orphan Care.  I am so humbled to be going with Dan who I consider a Guru on the subject of Orphan Care.  Whenever the issue of Orphans comes up I also immediately think of Jack Miller and his God given understanding of our personal and corporate Adoption in Christ.  I am realizing through my own orphan’s heart that this current time in the life of Jesus’ Church has never been more critical in its challenges for us to let go of our orphan status, accept our adoption as sons and daughters and collapse in faith on our one true Father and God.

Jack once said that I was a "charming orphan" a term he used many times for all of us approval junkies.  I’ve realized that I smile a lot  and say "I know my Father has adopted me and loves me" but then go on living as if He does not exist.  It is mostly in my self-centered assuming that "God is so far away, He could never be interested in me or my problems" where I get in trouble.  At that point I have forgotten the Gospel which teaches me, "He has His eye on the Sparrow and knows the exact count of the hairs on my head." 

God’s providential love reminds me of breathing.  I don’t concentrate on taking a breath in and out all day because it is an involuntary act; the same goes for my Father who is with me, even when I’m not aware of Him.  God’s adopting love is like my breathing, which is a constant relationship not based on my ability to keep it going!

This week let’s collapse on Jesus and see how He transforms our lives.  He will do it by His Spirit because He loves us and has adopted us.  Remember you belong to God.  This week we will worship, care and serve fueled by that transforming love and watch God’s Kingdom come alive!

Deep love,

Scott