Jeff Dowdy's Blog

I have just started my first Senior Pastor role. I am pastoring at the First Baptist Church of Swannanoa, NC. I am excited, nervous, overjoyed, and anticipating God doing something. I have been a second chair leader for 20 years now. I have observed some great leadership by pastors and some not so great leadership. I am now in the co-pilot's seat next to Jesus himself. I am the under shepherd of the great high priest, Jesus. I wait in anticipation for the movement of God.

I think a lot of times we feel like we can simply put a formula together to create a movement of God. We may look at what God has done in other situations where we see him move and expect that if we simply do these 7 things God will move here too. I don't think God does things that way. I think he looks at each individual situation and desires to move in our midst.
I have come to the conclusion that God will not move in our midst until we are spiritually prepared for him to move. Look at Mark 6:6. The scripture reads that Jesus "was amazed at their lack of faith." This verse, along with others, has led to some terrible theology whereby individuals have claimed that they can control the move of God by simply "having faith." For example, if someone is sick, but not healed it is because they did not have enough faith. I don't think Jesus is talking about having more belief, but rather being prepared spiritually. Am I prepared to witness and see the move of God? We get prepared through commitment to Christ in obedience in worship, bible study, prayer, and fellowship. Still, their is no wrangling the movement of God. We wait in anticipation of what he wants to do in each individual situation. Prepare your heart and be ready for when God moves.