This March, WE March

Joann Montes

Recently in conversation with Pastor Steve about the life of our church, I shared what I have been sensing in prayer: God is on the move.

Not in a loud way. Not in a programmatic way. More like a gentle turning of the heart.

Scripture describes a similar moment in the life of Jesus. Luke 9:51 says, “He set His face toward Jerusalem.” It is a simple sentence, easy to miss, but everything changes after that verse. From that point on, Jesus begins moving toward people, toward crowds, toward need, toward suffering, and ultimately toward the cross.

Palm Sunday was not the beginning of His movement. It was the moment the movement became visible.

Sometimes we think spiritual maturity means learning more, studying more, or staying close to what feels safe and familiar. Those things matter, but they are not the whole picture. A heart that draws close to God does not stay closed in on itself. It begins to move outward.

This month our Spanish ministry will begin intentional outreach in our community. It would be easy to see this as a new activity or a ministry initiative. But I don’t believe that’s what it is. I believe it is a response.

When God moves in a church, He does not first change the schedule. He changes the direction of the heart. He turns our attention to people — to neighbors, to stories, to needs we once walked past without noticing.

Jesus did not wait for the world to come to Him. He entered the city, not because it welcomed Him, but because it needed Him.

As we continue our journey toward God’s heart, we may discover something important: getting closer to Him will almost always lead us closer to others. We may not all preach, teach, or organize events, but all of us can notice, pray, listen, and love.

The journey to God’s heart eventually leads us to the places God loves most. And very often, those places are right outside our doors. 

Let’s go meet Him there.