It was a cold and crisp Saturday morning the day before the Super Bowl. I enjoy the change of seasons, but at this point in the winter I am more than ready for the frozen tundra to begin to melt away and for the welcome signs of spring to appear. On that particular day, GT Church hosted a breakfast for the men of the church. I felt compelled to attend, even though I would be going solo and that is not always easy for me, being somewhat of an introvert. But after shoring up my resolve, I woke up early that morning, got ready, and headed out into the freezing morning air. I was not disappointed; it was an incredible time and I was glad that I hadn’t taken the easy road and missed out.
We were served an awesome hot breakfast that included pancakes, eggs, and sausage, along with coffee, juice, and other beverages. It would be unforgivable if I did not stop right here and give a shout out of thanks to all of the volunteers, Pastor Tomes, and the other pastoral staff who helped to make this event happen. They showed up at the Next Gen Center incredibly early that morning and worked hard getting everything fired up and rolling. The room was packed at 8:00 am, and the volunteers kept things moving quickly and efficiently. There is something noteworthy about people who are willing to sacrifice, to give up their own time and sleep, and create something that is beneficial to others.
But the real draw of the men’s breakfast is not actually the food, even though it was great. What is much more valuable is the atmosphere that can be manifested at this type of event. The feeling is comfortable and casual, but at the same time there is a distinct energy towards praise and worship along with the anticipation of being challenged with truth from God’s Word. It is coming together with a group of believers who simply want to be with other like-minded people and join efforts in turning their attention to the Lord and lifting Him up. Something unique happens when we collectively take our eyes off ourselves and turn them towards Heaven. The worship was powerful and energizing that day and the presence of the Holy Spirit was tangible. Nobody leads worship like Dan Sarna and he is clearly a gifted and passionate worship leader. One of the songs we sang was the timeless hymn “How Great Thou Art”. It was pure worship and it was powerful. I was not ready to stop when the music ended.
After worship, Pastor Eric Goldsborough took the stage and delivered a message that was timely and practical. He preached from Luke 5:1-11 and the emphasis was on being a person who is actively working with God for internal change and outward advancement of His kingdom and not just being part of the crowd that is only looking to receive something. The part that really stuck with me was the statement that was made which said that living in obedience to God does not have to seem like a big, overwhelming impossibility. Living in obedience to God happens one step at a time, day by day, decision after decision. Pastor Eric has a contagious excitement for sharing truth from God’s Word and he does it at a level that makes it easy to walk away with something of value. I have been a believer for most of my life, but it’s amazing how God’s Word never seems to get old. It never changes and yet there is always truth that is relevant for the present moment. Something that may have been skimmed over before or that has already been heard a thousand times can be presented in a new light and vividly come to life.
But the most important part of the whole morning was witnessing and cheering on the life change that happened to a few of the men who had attended and responded to the inward pull to become followers of Jesus. There can be no higher outcome than that. God is still very much at work, moving and drawing people to Him, and it's great that there are events like this to help facilitate that process.
Here is my advice, guys, for the next time that the men’s breakfast at GT rolls around. Go. Go with an open heart expecting to be encouraged in worship and to leave carrying something of eternal value. Make a sacrifice and give up a little extra sleep. Postpone all of the projects on the list for that morning. Your garage may look like the set for the next episode of Hoarders, but it can wait one more week.