Was Paul anti-Semitic and anti-homosexual? Join us by listening to this message for a thought-provoking launch to our new series on “The Challenge of Paul.

The challenge we’re exploring tonight is—how do we best manage our time in order to fulfill our calling? Part of my “come-to-Jesus” experience during this series on “Ordering Your Private World” is admitting to myself that I’ve been adversely affected by our technology-driven, fast-paced Western world. Have you? I check my phone at almost every stoplight. How many likes did my Facebook post get? How many views of my online sermon? I can’t seem to stop multi-tasking, and I realize it’s a problem.

First off, there’s good news if you’re driven—you can change. If you’re operating according to drives and not calls, then owning it is the first step to change. When Paul was in his pre-Christian days, he was driven to persecute Jesus followers. Then, the risen Christ got up close and personal with him. Jesus asked Paul (who was actually named Saul at that moment) why he was persecuting him. In other words, Jesus convicted him of his destructive driven-ness…and he owned it. Jesus called him to a different mission in that moment, and everything changed.

How many of you are busy? Ok. Let’s dig a little deeper. There’s a busyness that reflects a plan…a set of priorities…an inner sense of purpose. That’s a good and satisfying busyness. But, there’s also a destructive busyness that reflects chaos. I’m talking about the tyranny of the urgent. If that’s your type of busyness, then your work never ends…your mood isn’t great…and you feel drained spiritually, emotionally, intellectually and physically.