Ever so often a movie comes around that catches on and becomes a popular topic of conversation.  One such movie seemed that has caught on here recently is the movie, Blindside, the touching movie about the life story of Pro-football player Michael Oher.  Over the last several weeks, I can’t even count how many people that have come up to me and asked me if I have seen the movie.  They would mention parts of it that seemed to really capture their hearts.  I could see the excitement in their eyes, but without seeing it for myself, I couldn’t really relate, you know?

But this past week on a date with my wife Kara, I had the opportunity to see the movie for myself, and I must say that it took everything within me to choke back the tears of this feel good movie of the year.

A personal, eyewitness experience made all the difference in the world, because I was able to see it with my own eyes, not through the eyes of another.

When it comes to our personal faith in Jesus Christ and our spiritual development, many times we attempt to depend upon the eyewitness account of another to inspire us spiritually, but sadly we are doing ourselves an injustice and ultimately we will lose interest.  Believe me I know.

Being raised in an Christian home, I was constantly exposed to the message of God’s love and His grace week in and week out as my parents drug me to church, but I must say that my faith was simply a second hand experience, depending upon my mother and grandmother’s first hand account.

I always wondered why I lacked the wild passion that I would see in the eyes of other believers, and oftentimes I would lay in bed awake and ask, “What’s wrong with me?” “Why am I not ‘feeling’ anything real in my soul when I attempt to follow Jesus.

Have you ever felt like that?  Sure.  I think a lot of us have.

I recently shared a message about following Jesus, and how we must truly focus to see Him and experience His grace for ourselves.

If we are going to be the one, we must see the one.

Let’s go to the Word of God to find out how to do just that.

John 14:1-9 (CEV)
1Jesus said to his disciples, "Don't be worried! Have faith in God and have faith in me. 2There are many rooms in my Father's house. I wouldn't tell you this, unless it was true. I am going there to prepare a place for each of you. 3After I have done this, I will come back and take you with me. Then we will be together. 4You know the way to where I am going." 5Thomas said, "Lord, we don't even know where you are going! How can we know the way?"
6"I am the way, the truth, and the life!" Jesus answered. "Without me, no one can go to the Father. 7If you had known me, you would have known the Father. But from now on, you do know him, and you have seen him."
8Philip said, "Lord, show us the Father. That is all we need."
9Jesus replied:
Philip, I have been with you for a long time. Don't you know who I am? If you have seen me, you have seen the Father. How can you ask me to show you the Father?

Here's what we need to do:

1. Set our Eyes. 3 John 11 - Just like I needed glasses to correct my natural sight, we need God's help in order to see things clearly from our heart!
2. Eliminate the disctrations. 2 Corinthians 4:18 - It's easy to get distracted by the things in our lives that demand so much attention, but we can keep the most important thing the most important thing.
3. Evolve into Everything God says we can be.  Ephesians 1:15-19 - As we develop and mature in our walk with God, His goodness will be revealed!