Hell week!

Hey Element Church! No, we're not doing any horrible initiation rituals or anything. Isn't hell week what they call Frat initiation time? Anyway. I was able to work on my message for Sunday most of the day today. I told Terri at the end of the day that I think it's the first time I've dedicated an entire message to death and hell. I've definitely talked about hell and probably hung some people over it when I shouldn't have, but never done a whole message on it. I am VERY excited about an illustration we're doing this week. It'll definitely be a first for me. You won't want to miss it. One thing I'm saying in my message is that I DO NOT like talking about hell, but I AM NOT afraid to. Hell is REAL. It is HORRIBLE. And it is a place that people are dying and going to EVERY DAY! That scares me. Not for me, but for everyone who is headed for eternity without knowing Jesus. People must know the truth about Heaven and hell.

Now, I am convinced of this. About a year ago I felt a shift in my heart. I've always said the old cliche question "Where would you go if you died tonight?" Or "If you died today, do you know if you'd go to Heaven?" Now, those are ok questions I guess, but I began to wonder if we were asking the wrong question. I think we're asking the wrong question. Instead of asking "Where would you go if you died?" What if we asked "Where COULD you go if you LIVED today?!" LIFE is what we long for. Life is what we need. And you know what? If I LIVE for Jesus today, guess where I go if I die? We've so focused on death so much that I think we forget to live. We've so taught about Heaven so much that I think we forget people are going to hell. I know for myself I need and want a higher awareness and sensitivity to the fact that people around me may be headed for eternity away from God, and are living their lives without the fullness of knowing Jesus. MAN that should rock our world. Does it yours?

Hell week. It's going to be a heavy week at Element, but what an opportunity to offer life. Be praying for us this week as we tackle this subject.