Rationalies Part One Reactions

Greetings Faithful Readers...

Yesterday we kicked off our Rationalies series at Flamingo Road Church with the topic "Is Hell Real?"   During the message, I was praying that people listening would see eternity differently.  I wanted them to come to the realization that Heaven and hell are real places....that when you die, you will go to one or the other.  Now it would have been very easy for Pastor Troy to scare people into salvation...after all, who wants to spend forever with Satan and a complete lack of hope.  That's not what Troy did.  He really crafted a message that was encouraging and positive...while at the same time realistic and sobering.  At the end of his message he called people forward to make first time commitments for Christ.  Not sure on the exact count, but at least 500 people came forward.

I was back in the Internet Campus studio watching on the monitors.  I saw entire families come forward...I saw men and women hugging with tears pouring down their faces...I saw broken people healing and "rock solid" people breaking down in repentance...I saw people giving God another chance....I saw Flamingo Road Church volunteers realizing why they serve....it was very moving indeed.  On the Internet Campus, we provided a button for those that were watching from home to push if they "came forward" and accepted Christ for the first time.  18 people online will spend eternity in Heaven as a result.

I sat there in the studio with goosebumps on my arms for nearly 10 straight minutes.  Every service.  It's nearly impossible to not get emotional thinking about that many changed lives...that many fresh starts...that many secured eternities.  I was told that a man was leaving the auditorium @ the 5:00 service and ran into one of our lead ushers.   He had been crying and looked a little shaken.  The usher stopped him and asked if he was alright.  He said he was fine....but he said that when he arrived at church, he had completely given up on God...wanted nothing to do with Christ.   That is, until he heard Pastor Troy's message.  The reason for his tears was that he had come forward and given his life to Jesus.  God had given him another chance, he said.   His crying was relief...his tears were tears of joy.  That was just one story of hundreds...

If you are reading this post and were there this weekend...at any of our campuses...drop me a quick comment and let me know your feelings about the experience.

500+ is a lot of people.  There are millions more...50 / 100,000 / 150,000,000...let's go after it...

BV