In Your Dreams

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

-- Ephesians 3:19-21

  

You finally bought that red sports car you've been dreaming about. And it drives great. In fact, it's even better than you expected. But just a few weeks later, along comes a TV commercial announcing the new 2015 model. The styling is better, the engine is more powerful and it has features that aren't available on your vehicle. Suddenly, your shiny pride and joy has lost much of its luster.

It's inevitable. Buy a feature-packed smart phone, tablet computer or digital camera, and it's a sure thing that the manufacturer will introduce a new-and-improved model before you can submit the registration card for the old one. Televisions tell the tale. It was only a few years ago that those expensive Sony flat screens had the best picture quality. But today's high definition models display amazing, life-like images at about half the price.

There's nothing wrong with that pricey TV you bought a few years ago. Its picture and sound quality haven't let you down. But once you've seen one of those new HD sets, you're spoiled for good. And it's hard to go back because things have been taken to the next level.

When it comes to marketing, it's all about the latest and greatest and what's new and improved. And we expect to hear that from advertisers. But did you know that God also uses this concept when it comes to our faith-journey as Christ-followers?

First and foremost, God wants us to have an eternal relationship with Him by accepting His Son as our personal Lord and Savior. And once we take this life-changing step, we're on our way for an amazing journey. But becoming a Christ-follower isn't a one-shot proposition. God doesn't just turn His back at that point and wait a few decades until we die. Instead, He wants us to become new and improved in the process.

How does this happen? As the saying goes, there's no such thing as a Lone Ranger Christian. Becoming a part of a Bible-believing church is a crucial step in the transformation. It's there that we can share our joys, troubles, issues--and even doubts--with others, which strengthens the experience. Meeting regularly throughout the week with fellow Believers also provides other opportunities for faith enrichment. Together, we can encourage one another, do good for each other (as well as for total strangers!) and study God's Word.

So are you ready for something that's new and improved in your spiritual life? There's a way to trade in a comfortable, basic-cable spiritual journey for 500 channels of high definition faith. And it's far better than you could ever hope for, imagine...or dream.