Maybe its time to quit (or at least rethink this)

When is too much of a good thing bad?  That phrase is something I've been mulling over for a while, but especially this last week.  Several months ago I read a book called "Barefoot Church" by Brandon Hatmaker that started me thinking.  As a Christian, when does learning about the Bible get in the way of my actually living it out?  Don't I grow more when I stop just learning and start practicing?  Enough with soaking up information from sermons and Bible studies and instead start pouring out to those who need a helping hand.  Are my days/nights filled with church services, small groups and Bible studies so much so that I never have the time to engage those outside of my "church crowd."  Are my friends all brothers or sisters in Christ who feed my status quo lifestyle?  Am I INTENTIONALLY seeking out those who I can encourage and serve in my neighborhood, work, and social circle.    When does "act justly, love mercy, walk humbly" become more than a mantra on a t-shirt but something that impacts my interactions with all those I come in to contact with?  If I'm so wrapped up in "church world" how will I ever reach those who most likely will never set foot in my church. (or any other church for that matter)  Wouldn't it mean more to them if I walked hand in hand with them?  Why is service a scheduled event in my life instead of a lifestyle?  Aren't we as the church called to be the "hands and feet of Christ" and not just a building?  When did I last get out of my comfort zone of church and meet face-to-face with those in need - need of help and more importantly in need of Christ.  What would it take for what I say I believe, to change the way I live EVERY day?  How many times in the Bible do we see Jesus attending a church service or small group study?  Rather he was out meeting people where they were at - Zacchaeus in a tree, the Samaritan woman at the well, the "sinners" that he had dinner with, and the lame man at the pool of Bethesda - none of these people met Christ after a great worship service with a stellar power point sermon.  He met them where they hung out, lived, and shopped.  I'm definitely not saying church is bad...I love my Oak Creek Community Church family!  We all need to be fed spiritually and be encouraged by fellow believers.  But we are missing the WHOLE gospel if we forget there is a hurting world outside the 4 walls of our church that need the hope that we have in Christ.   As you can see I have WAY more questions than answers, but I want to work through them.  I don't want to remain unchanged just because I don't have all the answers.  The time to start is now.  I want my life to be interruptible so that I make the time to "do life" with others.  Read this great quote in a blog this week and here's how I want to start - "We are all just waiting for someone to notice - notice our pain, notice our scars, notice our fears, notice our joy, notice our triumphs, notice our courage.  And the one who notices is a rare and beautiful gift."   I want to be the one who notices!