My Amazing Friends

In the early 80s the TV show Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends aired on NBC. In the series Spider-Man and his good friends Iceman and Firestar teamed up as a tight-pack-trio to fight against the evil super villains of the Marvel Universe. The three would often work together with even more of their amazing friends like Captain American, Iron Man and the X-men, making an extremely powerful network of amazing superhero friends. I’ve been a Spider-man fan since I was a young boy. As a child I loved to sit down and watch Spider-man take on virtually impossible odds as he fought to protect humanity and guard the innocent. It was awesome! As you can imagine my mind was blown away the first time I saw an episode of Spiderman-man and His Amazing Friends: the idea of Spider-Man (who is way awesome and amazing) having all of these amazing friends who are just as supper-awesome as Spider-man was (if not more), painted a beautiful picture in my mind of a Super-Amazing-Unstoppable-

Force.

Those of you that know me well know that I often compare the life of a Christian to that of a superhero. Like superheroes, Christians also have an incredible mission in this world. We are called to rise up to challenges and make a difference in this dark world we live in. However, doing this isn’t always easy. We sometimes need encouragement and help from one another. You see, our mission in this world isn’t a solo operation –it’s a community affair.

The same was apparently true for Spider-man. Spider-man didn’t have to fight his battles alone. If he were to get discouraged he had Iceman, Firestar and the others along his side to spur him on.

I bet just knowing that he wasn’t the only one striving to make a difference gave him strength and encouragement, and perhaps even a strange high of invisibility, where he felt confident that he could take on the world.

Oftentimes when I’m with my friends I get that same high that, we-can-take-on-the-world high. The high I’m talking about is that feeling of encouragement that comes from knowing that you are in a group that will be there for you until the very end.

Like Spider-Man I have my own network of Amazing Friends made up of men and women dedicated and determined to saving humanity. These friends of mine are scattered all over this globe.

I recently was able to spend some time with some of my closest friends in Lubbock, Texas. When I’m with that group I can really feel the rush from that high. I feel different, more empowered than I do when I’m on my own. When I’m with my friends I can just sense a certain vibe among us. A vibe that says, "there is no challenge that is to great for us to tackle, and there is no event to small to be a moment to cherish and remember for a lifetime."

I think that it’s extremely important for Christians to surround themselves with such a group of people. To be a part of a community of love and faith that encourages, empowers and motivates you as a disciple. A group of your own Amazing Friends.

I love my friends and cherish them all dearly. The time we spend together is always amazing. It is in our times together that I as a Christian am sharpened and fashioned into Christ’s likeness by their love.

Just about a week ago my fiancé’ Michelle and I went out of town for the weekend to spend some time with her family in the Appalachian Mountains. While there, my friend (and future brother-in-law) Ryan and I spent hours together just talking and being real with one another. We talked about everything that God is doing in our lives, areas we want to grow in, and all that we want to allow God to do through us.

I need friends like that. I need friends that I can be real with –friends that challenge me to grow and to take on more daring endeavors for God. I need my Amazing Friends and I wouldn’t be the same without them.

God is amazing. I believe He works through us all in incredible ways. I believe that the Holy Spirit living inside of us as individuals is an extremely powerful force. However, I believe that united as the church we are much stronger. As a community of love and faith united by the Spirit and directed by Christ, we truly are a Super-Amazing-Unstoppable- Force –the Kingdom of God.