During our Sunday morning session, Cooper Ray shared a childhood story about his group of friends at recess. They invented a game where they linked arms and walked around chanting, “We never stop! We never stop!” Cooper used this story as a starting point for his message about how to take the experience of this conference into our daily lives at home.
“The Lord is not going to stop.” Philippians 1:6 tells us that God will complete the work He has begun in us this weekend. Our experience is not over. Even though we don’t get to stay here forever, the work that God is doing does go with us. “The Father is not done with you yet, but it doesn’t mean you get to stay here,” Cooper explained. Leaving this conference, we might miss the feelings, the atmosphere, the big experience, but we have to trust that God is still working.
Time to Choose
Going home presents us with a choice. Will we choose the good or the bad? Are you going to listen to the truth or the lies? Will you embrace fearlessness of fear? These choices can more difficult in the familiar environment of our homes.
The reality is, the Devil hates the transformation that has happened this weekend. He is terrified of our desire to be transformed. We have to be ready and must avoid being caught off guard. 1 Peter 5:8 reminds us to stay vigilant. We remember, “there is nothing to fear in the battle; you just have to know there’s going to be a battle.”
When Jesus declared Peter the rock upon which He would build the Church, He made it clear that the gates of hell would not prevail against it. We go into the world armed with that confidence. No matter the valleys or battles, the Church will withstand. If we stay connected to the Church, we have that same power.
Life in the Church
When we take a wide view of the Church, we see the grace of God sustaining it through time. Hebrews 12:1 reminds us that we are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses. Be inspired by the work of the early evangelists – those who died for their faith. Their witness can speak truth into our doubt; when faced with denouncing the faith or death, they chose to keep the faith.
In 2 Corinthians, St. Paul shares his physical sufferings, the trials, and dangers he faces. He shares the strength he finds in the power of the Holy Spirit who compels us to live a communal life as the Church. The same Holy Spirit that came upon the Apostles at Pentecost is with and in us today. We just need to cooperate with the work He is doing.
How to Continue the Work
- Prayer. Ask the Holy Spirit to help guide you in HOW to pray. Commit to praying in the morning by giving the Morning Offering a try, for example. Carry a rosary around with you, and pray it in full or in part as you need a need or feel God prompting you.
- Read Scripture. The Scriptures help us to learn who God is. The Lord provides for us in Scripture.
- Accountability. Surround yourself with people who are headed the same direction as you. Build one another up in community. As Cooper said, “You need someone in your life who is going to walk with you daily.”
The bottom line is this: follow through. Don’t talk yourself out of the experience you’ve had. No one is going to be perfect. Let God continue to work in your daily life. Don’t make Him wait until the next conference. Go forth now into a courageous life in the Spirit. Go change the world!
When you need encouragement or strength to continue your faith journey, click here to watch the livestream.
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