Recently, we’ve been busy at Vaughn Forest Church getting ready for the upcoming HOPE series (Help the Oppressed, Plead for the Exploited) which focuses on what God has to say about social justice. Pastor Scott and our video production crew have been filming life group videos. The branding team is getting graphics ready. The weekend team is planning out gatherings that will bring you closer to Christ and speak truth into your life which will make you aware of the tragedies going on around us and around the world…as well as inform you as to what you can do about it. These are just a few examples of the teams working to prepare VFC for what God is going to do through the HOPE series.

One of the common threads throughout the HOPE series is that “evil prevails when good men and women do nothing.” As followers of Christ, we are called to stand up and beat back the darkness. Darkness prevails in the absence of light. In Matthew 5:14 Jesus calls us “the light of the world.” The HOPE series is going to ask you a simple question: are you prepared to be that light and stand in the gap on behalf of those who can’t?

These words from “Fix My Eyes” by For King and Country keep running through my head as we film, edit, and promote…the artist is talking about how he wants to live his life:
“Love like I’m not scared, give when it’s not fair,
live life for another, take time for a brother,
fight for the weak ones, speak out for freedom,
 find faith in the battle, stand tall but above it all,
 fix my eyes on You, on You.” 
We will definitely be doing this song on the weekend at VFC. I think you will like it. (You can listen to the song here.)

Prepare yourself for what God is going to do through the HOPE series. Even in the prep work God has opened my eyes to the call. May we all find the courage to stand up for those who can’t stand for themselves, as God has called us to do. Will you answer?