It has been said that Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, for all its natural beauty, has two seasons, winter and July.  Down here (living below the bridge, the Yoopers call us “trolls”, you know…) we also enjoy but two seasons:  winter and construction.

You can’t drive a quarter mile anywhere in the summer without confronting irritating orange barrels impeding your path.  We gripe and complain, but eventually we yield to redirection, perhaps we even slow down, and we allow the roadwork to move forward.

My friends, I would like to make the case that in our spiritual lives, we often drive on in ignorance of the orange barrels.  Confident in our direction and certain of our daily hurry, we blast through the barrels, failing to yield, or often even to slow down

Just as the road construction project needs us to yield to allow for its work to be done, so too does our Lord want us to yield, to slow down, to make room for Him in our lives and to offer Him the opportunity to work on each one of us in our own way.

As our scripture from Philippians revealed, we are each of us a work in progress, and God is faithful to complete the work He Himself began in each one of us.  Know that He sought us before we ever sought Him, that work will continue on His timetable, provided that we allow Him the chance.

It has been said that many of us have our closest encounters with God during times of desperation and sorrow.  Could it be that when we find ourselves upside-down in the roadside ditches of life is the first time we look around and reach out for His help?

My own story begins right here, where I grew up around the church, was active in the youth program, went on all the retreats and mission trips, and received the foundation which would later call me back here as an adult.

During college and early adulthood, however, I was a devout “Twicester”.  Yup, Christmas Eve and Easter, I was here.  I considered myself a good person, enjoying my time with friends but starting to recognize a general aimlessness in my life.

About that time (the summer of 1995, for those of you keeping score, 10 years ago next month, when I was 25), I was in the wedding of my good friend Todd Query, another son of this church.  Officiating was our old youth pastor Ron Fulton.  Looking back on it, that weekend was perhaps the pivotal point in the start of my Christian walk.

After the wedding, we all found ourselves up on the roof of one of Todd’s friends' houses, hanging out until the wee hours.  Ron was there, guitar handy, as were many of us who had shared similar good times around a guitar (and usually a retreat campfire) years before.  We talked and sang into the night, and Ron shared some interesting news.

He told me that Matt Hook was returning to Birmingham to work with the youth, and that I should call him up and help out as a youth volunteer.  Yeah, RIGHT!  Like I’d have anything to offer kids seeking direction.  Heck, I was probably more needing direction than most of them!

In spite of my hesitation, I made two visits that week.  One was to Matt to offer to help out, and the other was to Chris Hall, to enlist in the choir.  Singing had always been a love of mine, and I guess the rooftop session reminded me how much I missed it.

That fall, I had unwittingly signed up to be transformed.  I didn’t know it at the time, but as I listened to Matt share the gospel with the youth, it became personally relevant to me for the first time.  Oh, sure, I knew all the Bible stories and considered myself a Christian, but this was different.  I learned that God’s unbelievable gift of salvation was there for the taking, and that knowing it was there and actually receiving it for myself were two different things.  Around other campfires that fall, I consciously invited Christ into my heart and into my life, asking His direction and help.

For me, the journey began the first time I honestly recognized that I wanted Christ’s direction in my life.  However your story goes, whether you’ve felt that pull or not, whether you can recall a starting point for your Christian walk or not, we all need things in our lives to help us grow in the Lord, to move us closer to the person God wants us each to be.  I’ve found that it’s virtually impossible to remain stationary in my walk with the Lord, and that if I’m not moving closer, I’m probably moving further away from Him.

So how do we do it?  How do we hear His voice, know His will, take advantage of His wisdom, discern our own best path?  (Sorry folks, they only gave us a half-hour here, and these questions represent more a life-long pursuit than a simple answer.)  However, I have found several things that have a huge impact on the quality and direction of my Christian walk.

I have come to believe that growing as a disciple is a team game more so than an individual pursuit.  We are called to be in community with one another, not only because life is hard and we need to hold each other up, but also because the Christian life is a constant challenge, and we need others to hold us accountable to what we claim or want to be.

For Heather and me, much of that support, encouragement, and mutual seeking is provided by our Growth Group.  When we started meeting 8 years ago, we were 6 20-something couples, mostly youth counselors, with no kids, just looking to grow closer as friends and to grow closer to God.  Over the years, through transfers and tragedies, laughter and learning, kids and confusion, discussion and debate, questions and seeking, we have drawn immeasurable strength from our small group.  Why is that?

Number one, our small group is a place where we agree to seek God and His calling on our lives.  We recognize that when we study His Word, we open ourselves up to His ageless wisdom, and give Him the opportunity to reveal Himself to us in new ways.  Just having that time set aside each week is a huge step in acknowledging Him.

Second, our small group is a forum where the Holy Spirit is free to move.  I truly believe that God uses the body of believers to reveal Himself and His truth to us.  So many times I have gained new understanding and grown closer to the Lord through the sharing and stories of others around the table.

Third, our small group is a place where we not only ask the hard questions, but are willing to be honest with each other along the way.  We share the things we struggle with, we pray for each other and hold each other accountable to what it is we are striving toward.  They say a true friend is one who is willing to take the risk to be honest with you even if it might be uncomfortable.  Having genuine relationships is not only personally rewarding but spiritually beneficial as well.

Lastly, because we have fun!  A popular phrase in small group ministry says we are “doing life together”.  Life is meant to be enjoyed, and the times we’ve shared with those on the same path are the best.  And what a blessing to know that as our children grow up together, they will have a base of supportive and solid friends to rely on.

Our small group has been a foundation for Heather and me, both in our personal walks and in our relationship as a couple and as parents.  Where is your foundation being poured?  What are you ready to rely on when you next find yourself upside-down in the ditch?

More importantly, will you slow down enough to see the orange cones attempting to redirect your path?

Wherever you go to find strength and to grow as a Disciple, I pray that you can gain the benefit of four pillars of the Christian walk. 

The first is God’s word, a timeless open letter to each of us sharing His love, guidance, direction, and unbelievable gift of life-saving grace.  Can we find the time to study, to read, and to allow ourselves to be led? 

Second is the fellowship of believers, the body of Christ.  Who is there to help you grow?  Whom do you support?  How can you better develop real relationships with others who love the Lord? 

Third is prayer, an amazing opportunity we too often pass up.  Prayer is not for God’s benefit, but for ours.  How can we carve out time to spend with Him, lifting others up and seeking his guidance on our own lives? 

Fourth is mission.  We are called to be His hands in the world, yet our hands are too often found in our own pockets or after our own pursuits.  How do we as Christians reach out to a hungry and hurting world?  Perhaps if we become more aware and more perceptive, we might see more of the opportunities God is placing in front of us to minister to others.

So, will we yield?  As we begin to recognize more of the orange barrels God may be placing in our path, will we have the recognition and patience to change our course, to allow the Lord to work on us as He sees fit?

My friends, I pray that we do, and the reason you’re hearing these words tonight is that they are precisely the words I myself need to hear.  May God richly bless your week and your world, through Jesus Christ our Lord.         

Benediction:

(Hebrews 13:20-21)  “May the God of Peace…. equip you with everything good for doing His will, and may He work in us what is pleasing to Him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever, Amen.”