Yesterday I spoke to Anderson Christian School's 6th-12th graders, asking, "Are you thinking outside the box?"

Here are some of the points that I shared with them:

- When God led the Israelites out of Egypt, he led them as a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire at night. What does that say about God? What would you do if you walked outside and saw a pillar of FIRE!? Our God cannot be contained by a tabernacle, or a tent, or a temple, or even a church building...you cannot contain a pillar of fire.

- This idea of a god with no temple, no true form, no one specific place where you could go and appease some angry god...it was revolutionary for that day.

- So where does our God choose to reside? Where does He want so badly to be? It's in our hearts.

- God does not wish to be boxed in by a church (with a peacher, and band, lights, music, etc.). He is SO MUCH MORE.

- What does it look like to have this untamable pillar of fire residing within you.? What would that do to your life? It would radically change it!

- So if church is not just a building- a box - that we put God in...what is it? If church is a place where we have community with God and with each other, then couldn't ANYWHERE AND EVERYWHERE be "church"?

ACTS 10: 34-36 (MESSAGE- emphasis added):
Peter fairly exploded with his good news: "It's God's own truth, nothing could be plainer: God plays no favorites! It makes no difference who you are or where you're from--if you want God and are ready to do as he says, the door is open. The Message he sent to the children of Israel--that through Jesus Christ everything is being put together again--well, he's doing it EVERYWHERE, AMONG EVERYONE.

- If we can have "church" anywhere...if "church" is more than a building, if the "the church" is LIKE JESUS, it can be VERY mobile...it can GO wherever WE GO.

- I would argue that too many Christians are set in their minds that the church DOESN'T GO, but it is a PLACE we go TO.

- And, if we are able to take the church with us...what do we as Christ followers have that allows us to be the church wherever we go?

- Looking at the book of Acts, we see that the early church took the message of Jesus WITH THEM...WHEREVER! Temple, synagogue, prison, other countries, the grocery store...wherever.

- If we look at what the early church did, and at what Jesus says to us, it raises some pretty important questions like:

- What if everyone loved everyone?
- What if everyone gave and sacrificed?
- What if everyone connected in real, meaningful relationship with each other and with God?

- What do we as a church, as a people GOING OUT EVERYWHERE...what do we have to make this bringing-heaven-to-earth happen?

- We have joy. If we are a Christ follower we know, there is NO LONGER FEAR, but JOY.

LUKE 2:8-12 (NIV- emphasis added)
And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, "DO NOT BE AFRAID. I bring you GOOD NEWS of GREAT JOY that will be FOR ALL THE PEOPLE. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."

- We have love that Christ showed and shared to us.

- Which shows that also we have received GRACE & PEACE. Not what we deserve, but what God GAVE FREELY...salvation. Not what we deserved, but what God chooses to extend to us. And THAT brings peace...

- So when we share these things that we have...when we take a part in being the church wherever we go, we FOLLOW JESUS' EXAMPLE...we help bring heaven...that love, that grace and peace...and we bring it to earth.

So, we have these things to share wherever we go...to be the church WHEREVER WE GO...to break out of the boxes that we have of church and religion and allow God to continually give us that freedom through his awesome power and love. And may we extend that to others. God plays no favorites.

grace&peace.