For God So Loved the World

There is a new word surfacing within the landscape of our churches today. That word is "missional." This word "missional," used by authors and trainers within the church community, is intended to promote a renewed sense of awareness for the type of life believers should seek to live every day.While "missional" may be a new term used to describe the Christian lifestyle, it is not a new concept. It began with God. In fact, God Himself is the builder of the missional lifestyle. His mission, the same that He has handed over to Christians today, is people.From the very beginning of time, God's missional walk has been you and me. That missional walk was not without cost and, like our Father in heaven, our missional walk will also have cost. But will our "missional" costs ever be as great as God's? God begins teaching us what His missional cost for us would be, what He was willing to pay, through the lives of Adam and Eve, Abraham, and Isaac. It was His Son, Jesus.Joel Hunt is pastor of Floridatown Baptist Church in Pace, Florida. He has served as the Pastoral Ministries Director for the Santa Rosa Baptist Association, Santa Rosa County, Florida, and he attended Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary (SEBTS) in Wake Forest, NC. Joel and his wife, Jane, have two children.