Hinges: How Obedience Opens Heaven's Door

In 2020, in the height of the Covid pandemic, God was still speaking and speaking loudly. Earlier that year, God had placed a huge burden on my heart to plant a church. I had never desired to do that, in fact, I think I had made the statement that I never would do that. If you want to see if God has a sense of humor, tell Him there’s something you won’t do.I could not shake this persistent sense of call. I asked my beloved partner in ministry, my wife Angie, if she would pray with me about it. She turned me down, and said “No.” She said, “I know what this will mean for you and it’s too much with your health challenges.” I continued to pray, but Jesus’ knocking grew louder. God had placed on my heart to put out a fleece like Gideon did. The fleece was this, “If my Wingman ministry partner and dearest friend, Randy Ferreira, approached me about starting a church, I would know God was in it. When I told Angie that she said, “I’ll pray that because that’s just not going to happen.” Randy and I had never ever discussed planting a church. Within a few weeks I get a text from Randy who is a commercial real estate developer and entrepreneur and he had pictures of a building that he would possibly develop into lofts, condos, or apartments. However, he said, “There is a church attached to it. What would you think about starting a church?!” I told him, “We need to talk!” So Randy, his wife Julee, my wife Angie and I met and we knew that we knew it was God’s will, even if we were in the middle of a pandemic.On October 31, 2021 we launched City Central Church. I cannot begin to express how God has blessed our obedience. Almost daily I have this thought, “What if we had not obeyed God?” I cringe at the thought. This became the impetus for the book, “Hinges.” Everything good that God wants to do in us and through us is hinged on our obedience to His will.God wants to do something in you and through you to make an eternally significant difference in your world. It begins with a simple “Yes” to anything God wants you to do. As you walk through the door labeled “God’s will,” you will discover a new world of blessing, joy, and opportunity. It all hinges on your “Yes.” My prayer is that you and I live in this reality that we tell God “Yes” even before we know what He is asking us to do.Whatever God is asking you to do, do it with all of your heart. In fact, tell God “Yes” even before you know what it is He is asking you to do. Let the exciting adventure of obedience begin today.