21 DAY FAST || FAMILY

2017 is here and I’m expecting great things.

My One Word for this year is FAMILY.

We live in an exciting, fast-changing, rollercoaster-like culture.  People are searching for security, identity, personal worth and value.  Due to social media, the internet and globalization we appear to be more connected than ever and yet we feel more disconnected than ever. Family is the answer.

Proverbs 13:22 has long been one of my favourite scriptures, “A good man leaves and inheritance to his children’s children.”  It speaks of the connection between children and grandparents.  I love this scripture because I loved my granddad.  He was a good man and he believed in me.  I always felt like he saw something great in me.

When I look at what I’m doing today and realize that I did not get here on my own, I think of this scripture. I think of FAMILY. I’m so thankful for those that invested in my life and I’m loving the opportunity to give back.  This is true not only of our biological families but of God’s Family – the Church.

Everyone Needs Family. I believe that Church is the answer.  Ephesians 2:19 in the Voice says, “And so you are no longer called outcasts and wanderers but citizens with God’s people, members of God’s holy family, and residents of His household.”

When we are born again, we are born supernaturally into God’s very own family and He places us in His household called Church.  Its there where we find identity, security, nurturing, purpose, opportunity… where we find our people, our tribe… where we realize our life’s bigger than us, we are part of something bigger together… where we find HOME. That’s why our welcome at Relate Church  is always ‘Welcome Home.’

Our lives are bigger than we think. None of us got to where we are alone and everything we are and do, we pass on generationally.  If we could see the unending ripples of influence our lives create we would count what we do and how we do it with greater value.

One of the reasons I love Proverbs 13:22 so much is the big picture of purpose it supplied to my life. It caused me to evaluate my life from the perspective of generations not just the moment, the year or the season.  It supplied the hope to ‘get back up again’ – because its not about me, its about the generations.  I like that God states, “A GOOD man leaves an inheritance”, not a ‘perfect’ man or even a ‘great’ man.  I believe with God’s help I can live a good life that can be a blessing for generations. 

I believe through family we all can be a blessing for generations.

John BurnsSenior Pastor

John Burns
Senior Pastor