Senior Pastor BiIl Hybels’ hard-hitting message on October 19/20 launched the new series, Satisfied?, and his message this past weekend kept the heat coming. The barrage of interest from Willow Creek attenders and beyond has pushed attendance up more than 1,000 people above average at South Barrington’s services, and a social media flurry on Facebook and Twitter confirmed the topic hits close to home.
Rooted in the book of Ecclesiastes, the message grabbed listeners by the throat and challenged them to focus their priorities on things that really matter:
“The last time I checked, the death rate is still hovering around 100%,” Bill said. “You only get one life, one pass through. Are you building into your family? Are you reconciling broken relationships? Or are you chasing the wind, distracted by things that don’t matter in the end?”
Anthony Zamfoti, who follows Willow’s Facebook page, posted this message:
Not too late
“Satisfied? is a series everyone can relate to,” says Teaching Pastor Steve Carter, who partners with Bill in developing the series. “Invite your friends! No matter what their stage of life, it’s not too late to stop chasing the wind and start living life with more purpose and direction.”
Final days
At the close of the first Satisfied? message, Bill took a seat next to an empty bed in a hospital room set up on stage.
“You’re likely going to spend your final day in a room like this,” he said. “People talk about two things when they’re in a bed like this: They talk about their families, and they talk about meeting their Maker.”
This moment in the service brought it close to home for many.
“When Bill sat down next to the bed, I immediately thought of my brother, who took his own life last year,” says Linda, a Willow member. “I couldn’t help but think, ‘If only my brother had found the satisfied life he was looking for, perhaps things would have turned out differently for him.’ I am grateful for a pastor who pulls no punches—and a church that equips us to live satisfied lives that matter—for eternity.”
Electronic invitations
“We’re confident this message will be a game-changer for people,” Steve says. “Check out the video trailer for the series below, and share it with your Facebook friends and Twitter followers. This small action is a great way to practice spending your one and only life on something that matters!”
If you missed either of the first two messages in the Satisfield? series, you can watch them online.
