Question from Bill Hybel's book Holy Discontent: What Is It You Can't Stand?

What is it about this broken world that touches your heart and what will be that “One Thing” that lead you into action and cause you to answer God’s call in your life to make a difference?!! Here is my fear … my fear is that some of us are too content with life and our situation in life and we don’t allow our hearts and minds to feel the pain of others and to experience a Holy Discontent that will lead us into action. I have heard it said that Biblical Preaching will actually …
“Comfort the Afflicted and Afflict the Comfortable.”

My fear is that far too often that I have comforted the comfortable and my fear is that for far too many people in Southwest Ohio we have become so comfortable that we don’t hear the cries of those who are hurting and we don’t hear the call of God in our lives!!!

So … what is it that you can’t stand? And … What is going to be your corresponding “One Thing” that will become your focus for ministry? And how will God shape that “One Thing” into a Vision that you can make a real difference in this fallen world!!

Over the last couple of weeks, I have been asking people … What is it that you can’t stand? I have been asking myself that question and I have been praying that God will lay on my heart a singular focus that can not only be a rallying cry for the last 1/3 of my life … but become a rallying cry for the entire church! Here is what I have come up with so far …

I am troubled by how many people have not yet really experienced a personal relationship with Christ. My fear is that for some they don’t think that Jesus’ teachings will work in their lives or for many that they are simply content with being religious or attending church. It appears to me that Jesus didn’t call us to simply gather a crowd of church attendees, but that instead he calls us to share the life and love of Jesus in such a way that peoples’ hearts are wrecked by the love of Christ and that they fall deeply in love with Jesus! I think that if people fall in love with Jesus they will read his Word, follow his teachings, will seek out other followers to experience community, will give of their resources and talents, and will live their lives in such a way that will honor God and point others to Him and His Love!! So my one thing will be to help people experience a personal authentic relationship with Jesus!!