The Gift Of Tears: Our Vision For 2024

In May, Pastor Josh encountered an inspiring message by Pastor Jon Tyson about the gift of tears. The message highly impacted our vision for what God has for us in 2024. During Sunday's message, we talked about how God wants to give us the gift of tears. And for a few moments, we're going to explore the significance of tears and how they align with a compelling vision for the future.

Tears are more than mere expressions of emotion. They reveal the depths of our hearts and our connection to the world around us. In the age of social media, we are often bombarded with information about global crises, from illness and death to abuse, poverty, shootings, natural disasters, war, and religious decline. Our hearts and minds struggle to process it all, and instead of bringing us to tears, we often become numb. Does anyone else feel a different level of cynicism now than you did years ago? 😬

Dacher Keltner, a Professor of Psychology at UC Berkeley, identifies three types of tears: functional, utility, and emotional tears. It's the emotional tears that I believe God wants to cultivate in us for our city. 

One of the most powerful things about God in Scripture is that He is a God of tears. God used people  who shared His deep passion, prayed for others, and wept at the thought of people not experiencing God. 

You might wonder if your tears truly matter and whether they move the heart of God. The answer is YES. The Psalmist reminds us in Psalm 39:12 that God listens to our cries and weeping. Furthermore, Psalm 56:8 speaks of God collecting every tear in His bottle, recording each one in His book.

Saint Ephraim, a church father from the 3rd century, who stated, "Until you have cried, you don't know God."

How does this relate to our vision for 2024? God wants to give us tears for those who are rejecting Him. Our vision for 2024 can be distilled into three words: Moved with Compassion.

Our vision for 2024 is grounded in prayer. We seek God's guidance, asking Him to lead us, move us, and ignite a deep passion in our hearts to see His kingdom come. We believe that God can use us as instruments of revival and transformation in our city.

Make sure to join us for the next 3 weeks in November 2023 as we talk about how God wants to use us all to make an impact wherever we are.