God's Not Done Yet

The grand opening at Gateway’s North Main campus this weekend was celebrated with inspiring worship, warm cookies, Gospel-centered preaching, freshly brewed coffee, kids laughing, welcoming smiles, caring prayers, and friendly conversations. This weekend proved to be another great moment in the Gateway story.

Like in the days of worshiping at the dog pound, the opening of the CR9 campus in 2006, and the subsequent CR9 building expansion opening in 2015, Gateway’s North Main campus launch displayed the glory of God. In each of these moments of Gateway’s history, we paid tribute to God for the tangible nature of what He did, but we also celebrate eternal joys and promises we have in Christ

The following is the Scripture that Gateway’s North Main congregation proclaimed together during our grand opening services this weekend:

The Lord is my strength and my song,
and He has become my salvation;
this is my God, and I will praise Him,
my father’s God, and I will exalt Him.
(Exodus 15:2)

Although to many this verse may seem to be just another stanza in the Bible, it actually carries deep significance.

These words were part of a song the Israelites sang after the Lord had provided safe passage across the Red Sea, escaping capture or even death from the Egyptians. They sung these words of celebration for what the Lord had already done in the lives of His people. It would have been natural for the Israelites to simply stop what they were doing, make camp, and settle in the place they were. But they didn’t. They kept going. They realized that God was not done with them yet. Crossing the Red Sea to elude the Egyptians was not the end. God had plans to make them into a great nation. And He did.

Not only this, but these words found in Exodus declare our song of both what God has done and what God continues to do through Gateway Church.

Exodus 15 points us to Jesus because Jesus is our strength and song. Jesus has become our salvation. Jesus is our God, and we will praise Him. Jesus is the one to be exalted!

Jesus is the reason we have life. Jesus is the cause for which we gather to worship, connect, serve, and go. Jesus is our purpose in life. Jesus is our all in all. Jesus is our everything.

So, we celebrate what God has done. We remember the hard work, money, energy, and time that has gone into Gateway’s North Main campus and its ministries. But more importantly, we remember that God’s not done with us yet.

God has plans to invest in college students, serve in local schools, and reach out to those living in the surrounding neighborhoods. God has plans to grow and shape us into the body of Christ He intends us to be. God has plans for us to go with the Gospel and invite others into a worship relationship with Jesus... And God has plans to continue connecting people to Jesus Christ and to one another.

As it would be easy for us to stop, make camp, and settle where we are, will you join me by taking this next step of faith and trust that God’s not done with us yet?