Yes, it was you--your eyes--that saw every great thing that GOD did. So it's you who are in charge of keeping the entire commandment that I command you today so that you'll have the strength to invade and possess the land that you are crossing the river to make your own. Your obedience will give you a long life on the soil that GOD promised to give your ancestors and their children, a land flowing with milk and honey. (Deuteronomy 11:7-9)

Experiencing God should be not only the focus of our church, but the focus of our lives--our existence on this planet.
At Quest, we've had the blessed opportunity to see God's hand at work every single day, every single week. He is moving and working every time someone is baptized. He is present every time someone new walks in off the street, hesitant to give church another try but anxious to experience something different. He is there when our children shout out, "That's JESUS!" when they see His likeness, when someone cracks open their Bible for the first time because they want to hear from the God they've heard so much about, and when someone who thought they were invisible is greeted with a warm and friendly smile.

God has been here with us from the very beginning, He is here with us today, and He will remain with us long into the future....if we hold on to Him. The cross at the center of the room will do little if each of us--individually--does not acknowledge His presence and His action here. He is the reason we are here, and He is the reason we have felt and changed so much through our time in the Quest community.

We have been blessed because we have kept Him as our focus. We will continue to be blessed if we continue to do so. Let us not get preoccupied with "church" and ignore the reason for it all.

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I have been thinking about experiencing relationships--a part of the Quest mission--this week. It seemed like a fairly basic concept at first--have a connection with other people--but when I really started exploring the meanings behind the words, I opened my mind to a lot of different ideas. One definition of experience that struck me is this one: "the accumulation of knowledge that results from direct participation in events or activities". Through my relationships with other people, my relationships with my brothers and sisters in Christ, and my participation in Quest life, I am accumulating knowledge. I am growing and learning through my relationships with others.

Proverbs 2:1-5 ...if you accept my words and store up my commands within you, turning your ear to wisdom and applying your heart to understanding, and if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding, and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God. Another definition says "know: have firsthand knowledge of states, situations, emotions, or sensations."

My favorite, though, is this definition of relationship: "a state of connectedness between people (especially an emotional connection)" That's the relationship experience that happens so subtly and yet impacts our lives so much. The connection that we make with each other, through our love for Christ, through our empathy for others-that's what makes us part of the human race.

(Galatians 5:22-23a)May we not only love but accept and enjoy each other. May Your love, joy, peace, and patience be at the heart of our relationships with one another, along with Your kindness and goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

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"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" 2 Corinthians 5:17.

Before I made the decision to accept Christ, I had heard this verse in a song and I also read it in a book but never dwelled on it much because I didn't fully understand what it meant. I heard a sermon once that was about people's conversions; some were instantaneous, others took time. The pastor spoke of Paul's conversion--it was instantaneous. While I wouldn't begin to even compare myself with Paul, I can relate. I asked for help, and I got it. I could feel the change in my life immediately. From the very beginning, I felt an overwhelming, almost strange calm. Gone was the uncertainty and stress that had permeated my life. Coworkers started noticing my demeanor change. I noticed that my attitude changed. Life felt so much easier since I put my trust in Him. I do not claim that accepting Christ is a fix all solution. I still have my moments where I revert to the "old" me. However, I have noticed that I have been able to do things I never dreamed possible and I have faced my fears and conquered them.

I cannot adequately describe the change in my life, nor can I predict what would happen if you give Him a chance to be the center of your life, but I do know that if you truly desire a change for the better, give Him a chance. I did, and I am still amazed what He has done, and continues to do, for me. The following verse is very special to me, because it was the last verse I read before the "change."

"When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer. Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the LORD "--and you forgave the guilt of my sin." Psalm 32:3-5

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The definition for the word "community" is a group of people sharing common interest or a common heritage. For Quest, I see our definition of community as a constantly growing group of believers sharing the same longing for something more, and using Christ as our guide. The word community can be a compound word (I don't know if it actually is, but it works very well as one) containing the words "commune" and "unity"; a unity of believers communing with one another. This definition is more a verb than just a label to place on a large group of people. To me, it puts our roles as members of this community in a great perspective. The definition of "Commune Unity" doesn't describe a group of people as simply being members; it describes us all as having a connection with one another, sharing our love, our questions, and our knowledge of Christ with each other. "For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I in the midst of them." (Matthew 18.19-20).

My experience in this community has been like no other. I feel as if I can be perfectly honest with someone about the way I feel without feeling judged or discriminated. This community of believers has become one in Christ and could not have become one any other way but through Him. The prayers and support that this community has offered is what makes this church the "Body of Christ" (read 1 Corinthians 12.12-27). I believe that because this community models itself by the model of Jesus Christ, it has become a place that is open and accepting to the surrounding communities; Christian and non-Christian. I urge you to continue to pray for our community and to remember to be a "Communing Unity" to those in the community that need you.

Christ be with you all.

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John 15:5 - I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.

If you were to ask me what is a Godly experience, the answer would come in many forms. All people are different and all people respond to things in different ways. There are some who find an experience from God by simply reading the bible. There are others who feel his mighty presence when they are in prayer. Some can go the whole week and feel little, but are moved when they go to church. Last of all are the people who experience God in none of these ways, and only feel the Lord in the circumstances of their lives. The majority of the people of this world are that way. Most of us only truly turn to the Lord when a tragedy strikes. These are the people who if they go to church to experience God, that is the only time in the week they even touch their bible or pray. If you are a person who has children, consider how you would feel if the only time they ever spoke to you was when they needed something, or if the only time they thought about you was during the holidays. God is the Father and we are his children. When was the last time you prayed to God just to say thank you, or even to say all is well and you just wanted to say hello? We must realize that God is always at work around us, for everyone and everything everyday. It is our blind eyes that do not see him on a daily basis.

If you are not experiencing God in your life it is not because he is not there, he is always there. God is always in our minds, it is us who keep him off our minds. Spend some time reading your bible, spend some time in a conversation with God. These will strengthen your faith, and action follows faith. Hebrews 11:6 - And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.

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