You can never really go back

For the second time in the last two months our Bible study hopped in the car and drove down to Simi Valley to attend a Saturday night service at Cornerstone Community Church. My wife and I attended there for about two years prior to our move to Phoenix.

The group has been using a series that Francis preached for over a year. It's a marvelous study of Revelations and the group has come to love his preaching style and benefits greatly from the study. They expressed an interest in hearing him in person and so each of the last two months we've made the trip from Lompoc to Simi Valley.

At the time of our move we'd just recently gotten involved in small group ministry at Cornerstone. We weighed the many potential benefits of the move against the obvious benefit of growth and involvement in that ministry, one against the other in our decision making process.

I have never regretted our move to Arizona. We felt at the time that it was a God-given opportunity for us and one that would hold many potential blessings. It opened the door for many things for us, many that we enjoy even now in our return to California roots. We worshiped at a wonderful church and became part of a wonderful family there.

Last night as I listened to Francis speak, I--for the first time--found myself wondering what our lives would be like had we stayed in Thousand Oaks, made the investment in that small group and continued worshiping at that church.

Francis has always been about the holiness of God and the primacy of Christ, and he spoke of them again. They have been constant themes in his teaching, from the first time I ever heard him speak in 1999.

I heard also a maturity that was not present when we attended. Francis has matured into a leader who has cast, with God's help, a bold vision for his church and it's people.

Last night, he spoke eloquently about them again and about the church's efforts in missions. As we sat there listening to a live call with a Cornerstone family--one whom I recall from our time there--after having heard of other church members who now find themselves in situations they'd never have dreamed of at one point, I thought to myself, "Where would we be now? What would our lives be had we stayed in this place?"

When we left, many of us were inspired, yet sad. Most because they have been reminded in both visits of what their own church lacks right now. I was troubled, not so much by that (though it is always on our hearts), but because the sense that we'd missed an opportunity to be part of something fruitful there in Simi was so strong.

The temptation today has been to keep looking back. God's scripture is clear; His people are a forward-looking people.

We are here, we are part of a church where many things are happening and need to happen as we move forward. We have the opportunity to be a part of something here; something that we could not do in Phoenix and something we could not do in Simi either.

This is where we are, this is where we ought to be. This is home.