God uses problems to unleash our potential.
In the summer/fall of 2009, God said it was time to give birth to a vision that He had tattooed in my heart five years earlier. That vision was to plant a multi-ethnic, multi-generational, mission-shaped community, that loves God completely (Upward), ourselves correctly (Inward), and our neighbors compassionately (Outward).
I was ready to go! Well, except for the problems in the way of this vision becoming a reality.
First, I didn’t have enough money to plant a church.
Second, my leadership team was my wife and a single mom of two teenagers named Angela. Don’t get me wrong, my wife and Angela are awesome . . . but we had no clue what we were doing.
Third, we did not have a location or a building.
Other than these problems the size of the Rocky Mountains, it would be no problem.
Check this out though: What I saw as a problem, God saw the means that would release my potential as a leader.
You see, problems move us to pray, and prayer moves us to participate in Jesus. And participation in Jesus releases His power through us.
The bigger the problem, the more I prayed. And the more I prayed, the bigger He became in me.
God provided abundantly for us to plant Transformation Church. We received resources from very unlikely places and people just at the right time!
God has blessed me with a humble, gifted leadership team. A staff of three, eighteen months later is now 20. And over 800 amazing, Jesus-loving people serve in Transformation Church.
And God blessed us with the perfect location to launch Transformation Church.
Just this week, I received a note from Outreach Magazine saying that Transformation Church is one of the fastest growing churches in America. God, are you kidding!?
What we see as problems, God sees as potential-releasers.
So thank God for your problem. For in that problem, God is going to unleash your potential.
Will it be easy? No! Will it be pain free? No! Will it be worth it? YES!
Marinate on that,
Pastor Derwin
