From April 4-7  this year, three guys from Hills Church joined more than 80 others on the 4M ‘Extreme Character Challenge’ (XCC).  The XCC is promoted as a life changing hiking adventure for men, designed to take you outside of your comfort zone, discover your breaking point and then push you that bit further.

Why would you do this to yourself? I think sometimes life can feel a bit like Groundhog Day – just getting up and doing it all over again. Sometimes we need to be challenged to pursue God again in a new way. And to learn courage, perseverance and the ability to keep moving forward one step at a time.

I’m not sure XCC was modelled after my next two sermons on the life of Enoch, who ‘walked with God’. But it sure did encourage us to take God’s calling seriously. To know He can be trusted. To know that God gives more when you think you’re finished. To restore the lives of men so they can better serve the King and others.

We have just celebrated Easter, and Jesus’ willingness to walk up the hill of Calvary bearing all of humanity’s sin on the cross. He did it in our place so that we would never to bear that burden ourselves. And at the top of a mountain, exhausted and kneeling at the foot of a cross, I discovered a whole new appreciation for what my Saviour did for me, and desire to walk closer with Him.

If you’re one of the guys who need to rediscover God and be encouraged to persevere, I would highly recommend XCC as a challenging but incredibly rewarding experience. Life just isn’t quite the same when you get home. If you can’t go yourself or your best days ‘physically’ are behind you, would you sponsor someone else so they can?

The next XCC is in October 2019 and they’re held every 6 months. Dave Griffith, Vinh Choi and I would be happy to chat with you about it if you have any questions. You can find more information at (https://www.4maus.com/XCC/) or click here to send me a message.

Who knows, we might do it again with you…

God bless,

Pastor Steve