Fun | The Great 8 (Transformation Church)

Hi, my name is Pastor Amberly, and today we're talking about what kind of church we are. So what kind of church are we? We are a church that values fun. At our church, we say it like this. We start the party, laugh loud, and find joy in it all. And that's not just a cute tagline. It's a decision. It's a posture. In fact, it's a culture that we fight to protect. Because honestly, maybe some of us have come from environments where church kind of felt heavy. Maybe it felt serious. Maybe it felt really quiet. Or maybe it was really rigid and strict. I want you to think about this, though. Fun is almost never fun if you're by yourself. Laughter seems louder when someone else is in the room. Joy is deeper when someone else is a part of it. Even celebration feels empty when you're all alone. Because God designed joy to live in community. That's why Jesus didn't do ministry alone. He built a circle. He built a community. He built what we would call a tribe. Because joy grows in tribes. And if I'm being completely honest, y'all know we have a humble, open, transparent church Fun does not come naturally to me. I am a strong type A. I live and die by a calendar. I like structure. I like plans.

I like knowing what's next. I like control. I can be rigid without even realizing it. And I've learned something about myself. I have to fight for fun. I actually have to give myself permission to just have fun. Permission to be present. Permission to laugh. Permission to not be so productive for a moment. Because if I don't, guess what? I miss the joy that God is putting right in front of me. So I want to share a fun fact with you. My daughter loves roller coasters. And the entire time that I'm on a roller coaster with her, I am repeatedly repenting of all of my sins that I've ever committed. And I'm praying to God that it will be a quick, pain-free death. Because I'm convinced that roller coaster is going to the top, and I'm dying when I get to the top. But over Christmas break last year, I decided I was going to do something different. I wasn't going to fear the roller coaster, but I was just going to have fun. I laughed the entire time I was on that stupid roller coaster. My husband even said to me, I didn't hear you scream one time. All we could hear was your laughter on that roller coaster. I made a decision, though, to be present and to not miss the joy that God was putting right in front of me. When I read my Bible, I don't see a heavy Jesus. I don't see a burdened Jesus. In fact, Psalm 1611 says it this way, in His presence there is fullness of joy. So if God is here, then guess what? Joy should be here, which means fun isn't extra.

It means it's evidence of His presence. Christmas having fun, though, may seem like it's not very spiritual. But what if one of the most spiritual things that you could do is to just have fun? So how do we have fun here at Transformation Church? We start the party. What does that mean? We don't wait for the room to warm up. We don't wait for the energy. We bring it. We are the energizers. We don't just consume. We contribute. When we start the party, what we're really saying is this, I'll go first. I'll smile first. I'll welcome first. I'll bring life first. That's real leadership. In our services, that looks like you're the first one to worship. You're the first one in the praise pit raising your hands. Maybe you're the first one that's amening someone when they're preaching. We are the energizers. The next thing we do is we laugh loud. Now, listen, we are some loud laughing people here. We don't take ourselves too seriously because perfection doesn't connect people. Authenticity does. We are a church that values progression over perfection. The truth of the matter is this, laughter breaks walls down. It tells people you can be yourself here. You no longer have to perform here. You can belong here just as you are.

Here's the truth of the matter. Some people will never read a Bible, but they gonna read your face. They will either read joy or they will read the opposite of joy. And joy isn't just attractive, it's contagious. The next thing is we find joy in it all. Not just when everything is easy. Not just when everything is going our way. We find joy in serving. Joy in worship. welcoming, joy in building, joy in being a part of something so much bigger than ourselves. Because joy isn't based on our circumstance. It's based on purpose. And when you know you once were lost, but now you're found, and you know that God brought you here, even the smallest moments matter. Even the ordinary moments will feel meaningful. So here's my challenge to you. Don't just attend Transformation Church. Help create the culture. Be a part of the culture. Start the party. Be the one who brings the energy into the room. Laugh loud. Laugh obnoxiously. Your laugh may be exactly what someone else needs to break out of their survival mode. Also find joy in it all, even in the small things. Because when joy fills this church, people don't just come. They encounter Jesus, the Son of the living God. They experience true transformation in Christ. And guess what? They keep coming back, and they keep coming back, and they keep coming back.

So let me ask you this question. Do you need to have more fun in your life? I want to encourage you to join a tribe. That's what we call our small groups here at Transformation Church. We have tribes that are online that meet all over the world, and we have tribes that meet in person. But maybe you attend a different local church, or you live in a different community. Look for something to join in the area that you live in. I promise you there is a tribe or a community just for you. So remember, this is who we are. We are a church that values fun. Go out and live a transformed life.