We, here at the E, believe that our blessings are cultivated and nourished through hard work, love, and a true desire to bring pleasure and draw nearer to God. You can't have one without the others, and you can't pick and choose which ones you want to leave behind. The Bible says "Just as the body is dead without breath, so also faith is dead without good works." (James 2:26 NLT) The body of Christ (the church as a whole) is made up of so many components and unique parts (the individuals of the church). So when we take the time to fine tune ourselves as individuals, you can start to see the unit push forward in a bigger scale.

In the beginning of September, we committed to a 21 Day Fast, which consisted of fasting from any foods that didn't come from the ground, devotion, and meditation in the spirit. We also withdrew from social media on Mondays during that time, and a 21 Day Mind Change through scripture meditation. By taking part in these daily alterations, we should've been able to see some progress, both individually AND collectively. Our aim was to focus on:

Oneness with God
Church unity in purpose
Mindset shift for preparation and ministry service

For some, the hardest part of this fast has been the food. When you're only committed to fruits, vegetables, beans, rice, and water, your flesh begins to scream out (sometimes literally) for fried foods, dairy, processed goodies, alcohol, etc. The fast is designed to decrease in ourselves, and to increase in Him in its place (whatever "it" might be for you). As our church is in the process of making many changes, it's going to take everyone to be directly connected with the source; to stay focused, determined, and to remember that our common goal is to please Him, and to love each other, and most of all love and grow ourselves.

We would like to hear about your experience and journey during this fast by answering two questions:

Did you have a defining moment when you really connect to God? (share your experience)
What did the Lord share with you?

As our fast is ending, we want to continue to encourage, uplift, embrace, and sometimes carry each other. Continue to meditate in His Word, and to pray and press on when you're not sure where else to turn.

The 21 Day Fast