In May 2003, I joined the team from Tokyo Baptist Church that went to Saddleback in California to attend the Purpose Driven Church conference. I didn’t really want to come, but I felt that it was my responsibility as a church leader to attend. So I went to the conference, not expecting to learn much from the teachings, since I was already familiar with the principles of purpose driven church. But God, who sees and knows my heart, had a different plan for me.

      At the conference, I saw and heard from many leaders and pastors who spoke with so much passion for God and were so excited by the work that God is doing in their churches. Seeing them made me realize that I no longer had such a passion for God. I saw believers who were serving God sacrificially yet joyfully, and I recognized the lack of joy in my service to God. Through these people, God reminded me of the early years of my Christian life, when I served Him gladly because I loved Him so much and I wanted to be a part of the work that He is doing at our church.

      Throughout the conference, God kept speaking and prompting me about my life. At the end of the conference, the Pastor made a very powerful call for us to confess our sins and to come clean before God. God graciously used that opportunity to straighten me up.

      I confessed my sins and committed to make changes to my life.

      During these last few months, God has shown me that I have become so busy and exhausted doing too many things both at my workplace and at the church, that I have neglected my fellowship with God. Now I am slowly learning to simplify my life. Even though I have been a Christian for many years, I realize that if I want to keep on growing spiritually, I must continually seek to grow and never neglect the daily practice of the four spiritual habits. These habits or disciplines are explained in full in Class 201, and includes: 1) spending time with God, 2) praying, 3) giving of my tithes and offering, and 4) spending time in fellowship with other believers.

      Becoming mature or becoming like Christ will probably take the rest of my lifetime for me to learn, since I am a slow learner. Right now, I am still a “work in progress” or “under construction” in God’s eyes. But I rest in the promise in Philippians 1:6 that “He who began a good work” in me “will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. "

Tess L.