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Nations Day 13 Created To Participate

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Nations Day 13 Created To Participate

Guest Writer

May 26, 2021

bride,Called,Christ,church,God,Holy Spirit,Jesus,Love,Peace,Redeemed,Scripture

Read His Words Before Ours!

Romans 12:3-8
1 Corinthians 12:24b-13:7
Acts 2:41-47


 

The Church is God’s people.
But it’s often misconstrued as an experience.

In truth, the Church cannot be confined to our experience or perspective. It is something larger than ourselves, in which we get to participate. We see this in Scripture, and I have had the blessing of learning it through experience. Therefore, I’d like to encourage us to live with zealous love for God by loving the Church, Christ’s bride.

A little back story, I grew up traveling. Our family lived in a trailer in the United States, going from church to church, doing old-school revivals. My parents helped churches reach the communities around them with the message of God’s love through Jesus. My “normal” was meeting new people every week, adapting to each church’s practices, and participating however I could.

Church wasn’t about me. Church was about sharing with others Who Jesus is.

Additionally, my dad pastored. We settled for a few years in Illinois and then Florida. In both settings, I entered into an environment where people had known each other their whole lives. As an outsider, I integrated into their programs and cultural norms. I went to Sunday school class, children’s church, and a mid-week mission class. For us kids, the main goal was to have fun while learning about the Bible.

Church wasn’t about me, but most of the time I thought it was.

Before I started high school, our family moved to West Africa as missionaries. My experience of church and its culture expanded dramatically. During school years, I attended a church comprised of more than 13 denominations and over 20 nationalities. During breaks, I attended Nigerian churches. I wore a wrapper (skirt) and head tie, sat on hard benches with the other females, listened to sermons in a language I didn’t speak, and hummed along with songs I didn’t understand.

Church wasn’t about me. Church was people relating to God, together.

Since then, I’ve gathered with believers on four continents and have worshipped in more languages than I can recall. I have met with God’s people in stadiums and under the stars. I have danced to the rhythm of homemade drums, stood still in the choral of magnificent pipe organs, and wept silently while listening to a man behind me praise the Lord in brokenness after the death of his son.

My experience of church has been broad.  My experience of God’s people has been beyond description. 

As we move into Scripture, it’s important to have a working definition of the word Church. In Greek, the word for church is ekklēsía, which means “people called out from the world and to God, the outcome being the Church.” Often, in North America, people think of church as a weekly event, which is understandable. When God’s people assemble, the Church is gathered, so we can legitimately say we’re “having church.” God’s people are the Church and the gathering of His people is church. 

Paul talks a lot about being the church in Ephesians.
He wrote, “God’s multifaceted wisdom may now be made known through the church to the rulers and the authorities in the heavens. This is according to His eternal purpose accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Ephesians 3:10-11)
Extraordinary! God’s age-long plan is to reveal His multifaceted wisdom through the Church.

You see, through His own blood, Christ redeemed us. (Titus 2:14)
He has cleansed our consciences from dead works to serve the living God
(Hebrews 9:11-14)
Now, He has given us His Spirit! (1 John 4:13)

How should we, the Church, respond to our God’s stunning mercy and love?
“Dear friends, if God loved us in this way, we must also love one another.” (1 John 4:11)
Simply put, we are to love one another, because He has loved us, because His Spirit is in us, and because when we do, His love is perfected and fulfilled. (1 John 4:7-16)

This is why Paul implores the Church “to walk worthy of the calling you have received, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, making every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.” (Ephesians 4:1-3)

According to 1 Corinthians 13:4-7, showing God’s love to one another means we are to be patient and kind. We should abandon arrogance, jealousy, and predetermined agendas. We are to forgive, bear with one another, rejoice with each other in truth, and to hope. Finally, we are to endure.

Notice, NOTHING in all of these verses talks about what we can expect to experience when we assemble together as the Church. Instead, every verse commissions the believer to live and love from the Spirit at work in her. This wildly unnatural, selfless love will be powerful witness to a lost world.

Sisters, do you hear Scripture’s call to both gather at church and BE the Church?
To commit to community with other believers?
To accept the responsibility to love and build up, according to the Spirit of grace at work within us?
The Church exists for a reason, and we get to be a part of it!

Grow well, my sisters.

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People often get caught up in the gifts God has given them and forget the purpose of the gifts, which is to extend God’s love to others. Quite likely, you have been blessed by a Christ-follower gifted by God who also moves in the love of Christ to minister to your heart.

When Christians reach out in love, they are actively being the hands and feet of Jesus, sharing His love and grace with those who need to know Him or be reminded that God is for them. Let’s reach out in love today to those who need Him.
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Sketched VI Day 1 Rhonda

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Sketched VI Day 1 Rhonda

Guest Writer

September 30, 2019

God,Hope,Love,Mercy,Seeking,Sketched

Read His Words Before Ours!

Matthew 13:10-17
Psalm 8
2 Corinthians 1:3-7

“Do you seek to please Me or man?”

Those were the exact words I heard as God and I were dialoguing.
Yes, talking.
And yes, I do hear Him speak to me, as clear as day.

I was walking through the lobby of our church on the way to Bible study, and we were having a discussion about me sharing my testimony. I, again, was saying, “No, not me, why me?”

This was not the first time I had run away from sharing my testimony. The first time was a few years back. Same church, different location.  I was listening to our pastor, and the message was one I had never heard before in church.

I had been christened and confirmed as a child; I was in the choir and a youth leader in the Anglican church. After meeting my husband, I moved to a Baptist church, and still, this was the first time I had heard this message. I was in my early thirties.

The message was about abortion. I was post-abortive, a truth that had been buried deep within me, and not one I believed I could ever bring to the light of day.

I was shocked and stunned. I felt trapped as if someone were shooting me with an AK47.  I realize more now it was definitely a stun gun. It was not meant to harm me, but to bring me to a realization.

And what a realization: God, in all His mercy, loved me fully. And accepted me fully. There were no unforgivable sins. His death covered even my sins!

My testimony, the things God had forgiven me for, did not need to be shared, I believed.
I had shared about being molested by my stepbrother and a priest; about countless other sins, but others also had similar stories.
Weren’t there certain sins that would get you blackballed, ridiculed, looked at, shunned? These words, I realized that day, were from the enemy of my soul.

I was in a place where things seemed to be good . . . finally.
I was a table leader in the biggest Bible study in my town at the time.  It seemed as if everyone was saved since childhood and never sinned badly. Not only that, I was one of the few black women.

“Why me, Lord?” I said.

“Do you seek to please Me or them?” He asked.

It really was a no-brainer. Jesus died for me. His death paid the price for my sin. I remembered the woman at the well, David, the woman with the alabaster box, Paul . . . those were my heroes. But I had never seen or heard anyone share my type of story.

Thank God for the Bible. I thank God constantly for placing messed-up, flawed people whom He loved and called His own in the Bible because, if I had to go on what I saw, I would have never found complete freedom and help.

That Tuesday, at Bible study, I shared how I had fallen and sinned against God in many ways, but ultimately with abortion. I told them how I felt that my life was worthless, but after reading God’s words about the woman caught in adultery and the woman at the well, I realized there was also hope for me.

I shared how I was not ashamed of the gospel because it had the power to save, like Paul said. I shed many true tears that morning.

My sisters in Christ received me and shared about a Crisis Pregnancy Center in the area. I didn’t think I needed a place like that. But God knew. I spoke with the Center director who was also post-abortive. I was amazed she was being used by God in such a way to minister to others.

She spoke about a Forgiven and Free Bible study. Again, I thought I didn’t need this either. Boy, was I wrong! I attended that recovery Bible study along with other women and, by the end of those lessons, I truly experienced freedom in Christ!

I went on to volunteer at the Center and came face to face with men and women, seeking abortion, or simply lost in choices they’d made and needing direction.
I finally felt truly alive serving in this capacity.
I also realized God has a way of using things meant to destroy us for His good and His glory.

Today, I serve as a full-time missionary in my country, where my husband and I began the first ProLife ministry and pregnancy center. As I sit across from a man or woman considering abortion, I can share truth about that “choice” and the truth of God’s word. I marvel at the goodness of God: that He could take a life like mine and use it for His glory.

He is using me to bring life in the midst of death, light to the darkness, hope to the hopeless, freedom to those in bondage. Incredible!

In the words of David, “What is man that You are mindful of him. . . ?” (Psalm 8:4)
I will be forever grateful and blessed because of His compassion on us as He throws our sin into the depths of the sea.

My life–your life–is a living testimony, needing to be shared!

Two truths as I close my story.
“To whom much is given, much is required.” (Luke 12:48)

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.” (2 Corinthians 1:3-4)

A Note About Sketched

In Sketched themes, we imaginatively step into the shoes of various characters throughout history. Some are biblical, some are well-known in modern day times, and some are people our writers know personally.

We do our best to research the culture and times surrounding these individuals to give an accurate representation of their first-person perspectives on life and the world, but we can’t be 100% accurate. “Sketched” is our best interpretation of how these characters viewed God, themselves, and the world around them.

Perhaps we will find parts of our story reflected in theirs!

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covered,forgiven,fully,please,Rhonda,sharing,talking,testimony,worthless
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God will give us strength only He can provide. He will place other believers in our lives to walk with us, encourage us, and love us through our struggles, and we always have the hope found only in Jesus.

That is the comfort promised to us in our suffering. How have you been comforted lately?
Dig Deeper!

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Sep 30 - Oct 18, 2019 - Journey Theme #59

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Open day 2 Unlikely Reach: Digging Deeper

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Digging Deeper Days

Finding the original intent of Scripture and making good application to our everyday lives as we become equipped to correctly handle the Word of Truth!

Yesterday’s Journey Study connects with today’s!
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The Questions

1) How can I live at peace with everyone?

2) Why should I bless my enemy?

3) How can I pursue hospitality?

Romans 12:13-20

 Share with the saints in their needs; pursue hospitality. 14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice; weep with those who weep. 16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud; instead, associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own estimation. 17 Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Give careful thought to do what is honorable in everyone’s eyes. 18 If possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.

19 Friends, do not avenge yourselves; instead, leave room for God’s wrath, because it is written, Vengeance belongs to me; I will repay, says the Lord.
20 But If your enemy is hungry, feed him.
If he is thirsty, give him
something to drink.
For in so doing you will be
heaping fiery coals on his head.

Original Intent

1) How can I live at peace with everyone?
The Bible contains many references to living a life of peace in both the Old and New Testaments.  The apostle Paul recognized peace as an essential element of the life and message of Jesus, who Himself is the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6)  Proverbs 12:20 tells us to “promote peace”, and Psalm 34:14 encourages us to “seek peace and pursue it”.  Hebrews 12:14 also admonishes Christians to make every effort to live in peace with one another and be holy. Peace is imperative to Father God.  Author John Piper points out that “God is a peace-loving God, and a peacemaking God. The whole history of redemption, climaxing in the death and resurrection of Jesus, is God’s strategy to bring about a just and lasting peace between rebel man and himself, and then between man and his fellow man.”  God encourages us to be at peace with others because it reflects the peace of a loving relationship between God and his children.  One reason He wants us to extend peace to others is because in so doing, we extend God’s love to others.

2) Why should I bless my enemy?
When the apostle Paul wrote in Romans12:14 for us to bless and not curse those who persecute us, he was echoing a common message from the Old Testament that we are to love and not hate our enemies.  The book of Proverbs tells us in 20:22, “Don’t say, “I will avenge this evil!” Wait on the Lord, and he will rescue you.” In Romans 12:20, Paul even referenced Proverbs 25:21-22, “ If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat, and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink; for you will heap burning coals on his head, and the Lord will reward you.” The editors of the Messianic Bible Project suggest the reference of heaping burning coals on your enemy’s head is “a metaphor for providing a fire for his basic survival needs.” (free.messianicbible.com.) Paul reminded His readers that, even though our human nature wants to get revenge on our enemies, the Lord would have us treat them kindly instead, loving them, and providing for them. God wants us to do more than just not repay evil for evil; He wants us to do the unexpected and love our enemies.

3) How can I pursue hospitality?
The word hospitality comes from the Greek word philonexia, which literally means “love of strangers or a friend of strangers and thus one who entertains strangers or demonstrates hospitality or kindness to strangers.” (Barclay, William.)   As the NIV Woman’s Study Bible points out, “For the people of the Bible, hospitality was not merely a matter of good manners but a necessity in the harsh desert regions.”  For early Christians, pursuing hospitality was more than having a family from church over for a meal, though it certainly was that as well.  It also included showing kindness to strangers and opening their homes to travelers and passersby in need of shelter and nourishment.  Paul, the author of the letter to the Romans, encouraged the Christ followers in Rome to share their homes and lives with strangers because it provided a good opportunity to share the Gospel, which Paul called the “power of God for salvation to everyone who believes….” (Romans 1:16) Paul viewed hospitality as a means of sharing the love of Jesus with those living in the community and those passing through the community.

Everyday Application

1) How can I live at peace with everyone?
There really is no way to live at peace with everyone, because some people just don’t want to make peace. The apostle Paul acknowledged this fact when he said, “If possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.” (Romans 12:18)  By saying, “if possible,” he alluded to the reality that sometimes it is not possible to live at peace with some people.  His use of the phrase “as far as it depends on you” also recognizes that peace is a two-way street and you can only do your part.  But we, as believers, are expected to do exactly that. We are called to live in harmony with others, making every effort to do so as much as possible within our ability.  Peace lived out looks like not instigating fights, including mild fits of road rage and exasperation with rude, selfish people in the check-out line. We can live at peace by seeking out reconciliation and humbling ourselves rather than striving to be proved right, or arrogantly keep insisting we are right.  Of course, this isn’t something we can do without Divine help, but God graciously enables us to follow this exhortation as He gives us power through His Spirit.  He tells us in John 14:27, “Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Don’t let your heart be troubled or fearful.” In Philippians 4:7 He promises, “the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.”  His peace is already dwelling with us, and He will enable us to extend this same supernatural peace to others, even those we are in conflict with. I’m so grateful the Holy Spirit empowers us to do our part to live at peace with those around us!

2) Why should I bless my enemy
One day a friend of mine, who is a black man, and his family were out to dinner when a couple at a nearby table started making racist remarks about them.  My friend called the waitress over, but instead of complaining or asking for her intervention in some way, he asked if he could have their ticket so he could pay for their meal.  That is what I think of when I read the admonition of Romans 12:14 to bless those who persecute you and not curse them.  It is so easy and natural to come back at someone with equal malice when they say or do mean things, but it pleases the Lord when we intentionally choose love instead.  Jesus tells us in Matthew 5:43-44 to love our enemies and pray for our persecutors.  He goes on to say we do this to be like our Heavenly Father. Jesus asks a challenging question, “If you love only those who love you, what reward will you have?” (Matthew 5:46) Loving those who already love us well costs us nothing and doesn’t reflect Christ’s love. When we love the unlovely, those who reject and mock us, then we are loving like the God who sacrificed everything for us while we were His enemies. (Romans 5:8) When I remember His mercy and forgiveness to me, it is a little easier to love those I consider unlovable.

3) How can I pursue hospitality?
I know a few women who have what I would call the gift of hospitality.  They can make any room feel spacious, make any meal seem special, and make perfect strangers feel at ease as soon as they meet.  I am not one of those women!  But I can pursue hospitality even though I am not the hostess with the most-est.  I pursue hospitality by helping the mom with the screaming baby at the grocery store while she struggles with the grocery cart.  I pursue hospitality when I take the time to talk to the neighbors walking past my house.  Anytime I extend kindness to strangers or Christian friends, I am cultivating hospitality. When I extend myself in small, loving ways, it encourages me to open my heart and home in larger ways as well.  I like the way author Jen Schmidt describes hospitality in her book Just Open the Door: “Extending hospitality is about freely giving of ourselves while granting others the freedom to be themselves. Shifting our focus from us to them removes all unnecessary expectations.”  When I think of hospitality as another way of sharing the love of Jesus, it seems less daunting and more like a natural rhythm of life.

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Digging Deeper is for Everyone!

1) Take this passage (or any other passage).
2) Read it, and the verses around it,
several times
3) Write down your questions
as you think of them.
4) Ask specific culture related questions and be ready to dig around for your answers. Google them, use www.studylight.org, or look them up in a study Bible and read the footnotes (click on the little letters next to a word and it will show you
other related verses!). (www.esvbible.org)
5) Check your applications with other trusted Christians that you are in community with and embrace the fullness of God
in your everyday!

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Why Dig Deeper?

Finding the original meaning is a huge deal when we study Scripture and can make all the difference in our understanding as we apply God’s truths to our everyday lives.

In our modern-day relationships, we want people to understand our original intention as we communicate; how much more so between God and humanity?!

Here’s a little bit more on why we take Digging Deeper so seriously.

Study Tools

We love getting help while we study and www.studylight.org is one of many excellent resources, providing the original Hebrew (Old Testament) or Greek (New Testament) with an English translation.

Want to know more about a specific word in a verse? Click on “Strong’s Interlinear Bible” then click the word you’d like to study. Discover “origin”, “definition” and hear the original pronunciation – That Is Awesome!

Want more background? Click “Study Tools”, then pick a few commentaries to read their scholarly approach, keeping in mind that just because a commentary says it, doesn’t mean it’s true. (just like the internet :-))

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Captivating Day 15 Life For Life

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Isaiah 61:1-3
Luke 9:23-24
Acts 16:6-10

Captivating, Day 15

As I sat down to write this Journey Study, I took a deep breath and closed my eyes.
Within an instant, I was taken back to twelve-year-old Sara (who actually went by Lizzie, but that’s another story for another day), sitting in the church sanctuary pew, tears streaming down her face. I was a wreck!
My church’s mission team was heading to Jamaica for a week and was in the process of presenting a slideshow detailing how they would minister on the trip.

I sat captivated by the testimonies, the preaching, the song and dance, and envisioned myself walking the roads and sharing the gospel.
The longer I watched, the more tears I shed.

My mom leaned over and asked me what was wrong, as I was clearly engulfed in emotion.
Four words mumbled from my mouth through silent sobs.
I need to go.

 I had known about missionaries, and mission trips my entire life, but I’d always viewed it as something to do when I got ‘older’, whatever that meant.
It wasn’t until my sister gave us all hugs and said, ‘see you later’ I realized missions wasn’t intended for just some believers,
It was intended for every believer.

As mom and I talked, I couldn’t help but wonder why the emotion, and why the longing? It brought questions up in my heart, and I knew I needed to find answers. By the end of the night, we decided if I still felt the same way next summer, then I could sign up for my first mission trip.

Over the course of the next few months, I felt I heard the word ‘missions’ more than ever.
It’s beautiful the way the Spirit works to create a hunger within us, isn’t it?!
When you are increasingly sensitive to His leading, and really pressing into Him, He reveals His direction ever more consistently and clearly in our lives. From guest speakers, to videos, to Scripture, I felt drawn to missions more and more.

When the next summer rolled around, I had signed up for not one, but two trips. I was heading to El Salvador, and a couple weeks later, to Jamaica. It didn’t matter that it was summer and I was supposed to spend my days at the pool, what mattered to me was going. What mattered was obeying what God had told me to do.

The trip to El Salvador was overwhelming. To see how the world lives beyond my sphere was eye opening, especially as I wasn’t much older than most of those we interacted with.
I had spent one night on our trip praying and praying about what God wanted me to do with my life when I heard His voice for the first time.

I’ve called you to this, my daughter. To proclaim the Good News. To be a missionary.

I knew then, my life was forever changed.
This was why I was engulfed in emotion.
This was why the Spirit had been speaking to me for the last year.
He was preparing me to listen and obey.

The theme of the week in El Salvador was Vida por Vida, which means Life for Life.
Jesus gave His life,
So we can live our lives,
To tell others about Him.

This is the Gospel lived out!

If I wouldn’t have laid my own desires down, I would’ve missed what God created me to do. To make disciples, to teach them the Good News.

Following Him in obedience will always involve sacrifice.
But it will always be worth it!

Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of
The Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
Teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you.
And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
Matthew 28:18-20

We were all created to go.
It could be within the walls of your home, in the checkout aisle, across the street to neighbors, or going to the 10/40 window, but the mission is the same.
To ensure every person on earth has heard the name of Jesus.

If you’ve never been on a mission trip before, I encourage you to pray about it, then follow through and sign up for one. It’s incredible to see the Lord working beyond your everyday borders.

Will it cost you?
Yes
Will it be worth it?
Beyond measure, friends, beyond measure, as you give your life for another life.

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Embracing God’s fullness in our lives is rooted in scripture and memorizing His word is vital to our continued growth and depth with Jesus. Tap and hold from your mobile device to download this week’s verse and make it your phone’s lockscreen!

Thanks for joining us today as we journeyed into Captivating Week Three! Don’t miss out on the discussion below – we’d love to hear your thoughts!
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The GT Weekend! ~ Ignite Week 3

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The GT Weekend! ~ Ignite Week 3

Rebecca Adams

June 15, 2019

Bold,God,Gospel,GT Weekend,Ignite,Jesus,Obedience,Salvation

Rest your soul through reflective journaling,
praying Scripture,
and worshiping the Creator who
longs for intimacy with each of us!

His Words Before Ours

Matthew 5:14-16

You are the light of the world! A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they might see your good works and glorify your father who is in Heaven.
Read More Of His Words

Reflective Prayer

It will always be remarkable to me, Lord, that You intentionally designed us, as flawed, sinful, prone to wandering human beings to be Your light bearers to a world dying in darkness. Father, the right now society can feel so overwhelming, and so lost, and so easily distracted by possession and popularity.

Remind every believing sister praying with me now of her mission to join with other brothers and sisters to share the light brightly! Your mission is vast, but Your power, Your call, and Your equipping are mightier than we imagine! Show us more of Yourself as we surrender to You again and again.
Pray Scripture

Worship Through Song

Reflection One

In her Journey into the Great Awakening, Lesley noted that not everyone supported the widespread revival that brought so many into a genuine relationship with Christ. People within the church! The Lord was moving in a mighty way, yet people within His own Body were against the growing and stretching.

Uncomfortable stretching isn’t exciting for anyone, and if we aren’t careful, we too can easily fall into the category of “critical and negative” when it comes to God growing us.

To fight against our own heart’s natural tendency to “oppose” change and keep everything comfortable, spend some time this weekend praying about where the Holy Spirit is inviting you into new growth. Ask Him to change your heart!
Monday & Tuesday

Reflection Two

“Just One”, Kendra wondered. Would just one soul rescued from eternity apart from Christ be worth a lifetime of persecution, hardship, and suffering? Consider it a bit differently, what if the just one was you? Blessedly, yes!

Countless individuals have counted the cost of following Jesus and concluded it is indeed worth it, even for just one. If that cost is worth one rescued soul, what implications does that hold for each of us as Christ-followers?

As we go through everyday life, we all need a reminder call to re-assess our focus. Does it align with following Jesus no matter what? Take this as an opportunity to ponder the Lord’s call on your life and what He might be inviting you into!
Wednesday & Thursday

Reflection Three

“The Father always preserves His light, placed on deposit in every believer”, wrote Paula. If you have said yes to Jesus, and surrendered your all to Him, His light, as the light of the world, is within you!

It can feel like our everyday lives are too mediocre or monotonous to share that light, but that is an enemy’s lie! Each day, we are presented with a new set of invitations to shine the light of Jesus brightly. Pause to think back through the last 24 hours and identify ways to share the light of Christ.

As you move into the weekend, ask the Holy Spirit to convict you of the moments He is providing for you to shine, then follow through with bold obedience!
2-for-1 Friday

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May 27 - June 14, 2019 - Journey Theme #53
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Flame,Holy Spirit,light,Light Bearers,sharing,World
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Chase Day 5 Chasing Entitlement

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Jonah 4
John 3:16-18
1 John 2:16-18
Matthew 20:1-16

“For God so loved the world…”

The world.

God loves the world.

Not just the saints.
Not just the Jews.
Not just the believers.
Not just the Christians.
Not just the rule followers and law obey-ers.
Not just the mamas who seem to have it all together.
Not just the families that go to church every Sunday.
Not just the women who can balance their whole lives perfectly.
Not just the thankful.
Not just the healthy.
Not just the clean.
God loves the WORLD.

He loves the people overtaken with pride.
He loves the Muslims.
He loves the agnostics.
He loves the rule breakers.
He loves the mamas who get a little too angry a little too quickly.
He loves the broken families.
He loves the women who put on their lipstick while trying to drive a stick shift in traffic.
He loves the dissatisfied.
He loves the sick.
He loves the dirty.
God loves everyone.

It doesn’t always seem fair that He has the same amount of love for the person who doesn’t even try to live a godly life as He does for those who are working daily to grow their relationship with Him.

And as embarrassing as it is to admit, these thoughts cross my mind sometimes:
“I’m such a better mom than her.”
“I’m so much nicer than her.”
“I give so much more than them.”
“I present myself better than her.”
“My house is so much cleaner than hers.”
“My walk with God is a little shinier than hers.”

I bet I’m not the only one that thinks these things… (Read: Please tell me I’m not the only one that thinks these things!)

And even if I am today… I know I’m not the only one in history who has had similar thoughts.
Pharisees.
Adam.
The Prodigal Son’s brother.
James.
John.
The Rich Young Man in Mark and Luke.
Saul.
Joseph.
Jacob.
I mean, just to name a few.

But one that stands out to me the most is this man we’re going to be talking about for a little while… Jonah.

Jonah. The prophet infamously known for being swallowed by a giant fish because he refused to go where God called him to go. But, why did he refuse to go to Nineveh? He was a prophet of the Lord! Shouldn’t he WANT to go where God’s love was greatly needed?

He thought the Ninevites didn’t deserve grace.

They were too far gone. Too dirty. Too lost.
Way too sinful.

And this is where my breath catches and my eyes start to tingle with tears of guilt suddenly threatening to spill over.

How many times have I been Jonah?

How many times have I looked at someone and refused to show them love because I thought they were too far gone? They were too dirty, too lost, and way too sinful for me to even consider offering them the grace that God gives freely to ALL? Sisters, if my answer is even “just one time”, that’s one time too many. And, unfortunately, my answer is way more than one.

My prejudice-ness, pride, judgment, and self-entitlement clouds my perception of others and their need for grace, while also radically fogging other’s viewpoint of God’s character of pursuit of His children.

We all have our own ideas of what “too far gone” looks like.
For Jonah, it was the Ninevites.
For some, it might be murderers, child abusers, prostitutes, politicians, dictators.
For me, sometimes it looks like another woman who is struggling to find her place in this world. And realizing that ugliness in me, breaks my heart.

I can’t believe that I could ever limit the love that I show someone based on my perception of them. Until I remember how dirty and lost and sinful I am too.
Jesus saved me, despite all of it, and in the sight of the Lord,
I am absolutely no better than anyone else.

Love can be so messy.
It can be so dirty.
But if Jesus can love the entire world… the abuser and the victim, the prostitute and the pimp, the dictator and the citizens, you and me…
then surely I can love the people that can seem the hardest to love.

Let us learn from the sad life of a man who would rather die than watch the Lord extend grace to people he deemed unworthy.
Because we are all unworthy.

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Embracing God’s fullness in our lives is rooted in scripture and memorizing His word is vital to our continued growth and depth with Jesus. Tap and hold from your mobile device to download this week’s verse and make it your phone’s lockscreen!

Thanks for joining us today as we journeyed into Worship Week Three! Don’t miss out on the discussion below – we’d love to hear your thoughts!
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Space Day 15
Space To Share

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Matthew 28:16-20
Romans 10:5-17
Isaiah 52:6-12

“Boldness.” The sound of my own voice startled me and I jumped slightly. My answer surprised me even more. “I want to become more bold in my faith.” Our leader continued around the table to the next person as I wondered silently at my response. The seven of us were meeting for the first time to discuss the formation of discipleship groups and to learn more about each other. Our leader had asked each of us to share what we hoped to gain over the course of our year together.

More bold? Where on earth did that come from? I thought. I’m plenty bold. I talk to people about God all the time. I sing on the worship team, for crying out loud. I mean, I guess I can be quiet sometimes, but I’m pretty extroverted as a rule. What a weird thing for me to say. My attention returned to the other women seated around the table. The Sunday School classroom was cold, and I pulled my sweater tightly around my shoulders as I listened to each response. My own answer faded from my thoughts as our leader resumed speaking and I didn’t think of it again until I left the church building and walked to my car.

As I put my key into the ignition, I felt a gentle nudge in my spirit. Are you bold? I paused. Is it bold to tell someone at church that you will pray for them? I pushed the key in further. Is it bold to talk about what I am doing in your life on Sunday mornings… with people who know Me already? I turned the heater on and clasped my hands together.
The Spirit of God was right.
My “boldness” had been limited to others within my “Sanitized Sunday Circle”.
I had no problem sharing Him and talking about Him if those individuals attended my church or if I knew of their faith.
I felt my cheeks begin to burn as I recognized my sinful arrogance.

We can all recall times when we have taken the more comfortable path.
Perhaps we told a suffering neighbor that we would keep them in our prayers…
and swallowed the urge to pray for them on the spot.
Perhaps we kept silent when a coworker mentioned that their plans fell through for Sunday morning…
and quelled the invitation that nearly reached our lips.
Perhaps we explained a miraculous physical healing to an unbelieving friend as luck…
when God’s power was unquestionably the reason for our recovery.

Let’s face it; sharing Jesus in an unbelieving world is majorly intimidating sometimes.
So what can we do about it?
How can we begin sharing Jesus in the real world on a daily basis?

First, we can’t miss the fact that we need Jesus as much as those who are lost.
That acknowledgement looks like making sure that time alone with God is a top priority. No excuses, just deciding to make it happen. As we spend quality time in His presence, our hearts begin to mimic His and our actions will follow suit. When we set aside space to grow our relationship with Him, our reality begins to reflect His reality, which spills over onto others…in amazing, authentic ways.

As we work on developing our relationship with Him, we must also be intentional about interacting with unbelievers. For some, it might be normal to go through an entire week without interacting with one other person that does not know Jesus. Some of us may face physical limitations. Some of us are in a stage that requires us to be home a lot more than others. Some of us are in the workforce and interact with far more unbelievers than believers. Whatever our situation, we need to connect with others in real ways and decidedly purpose to share Jesus through our compassion, humility, truthfulness and forgiveness. Our behavior and choices are a direct reflection of the One we follow. Are our thoughts and treatment of others reflecting the King of our heart? Or do we have some heart work to do?

Next, we can humbly ask Him to give us His heart and His eyes. Ask Him to show us who He wants us to lovingly engage on His behalf and create space to listen for His response. Sometimes He would have us reach out to the person we would least expect, but we miss the mark because we are busy reaching out to the person we think needs Him more. We must trust that He knows what He is doing and relinquish our grip of control… no matter how uncomfortable that may make us.

Father, we love You. Forgive us for the times we have ignored Your direction and have chosen comfort over Christ. Embolden us to share You in real and practical ways as we encounter a dark and desperate world. Help us practice being available for You and show us who You would have us love on today.

Ready for more? Dig Deeper!
Join us for every Journey Study by signing up!
Looking for yesterday’s Journey Study?
Share your thoughts from today’s Study!

Don’t miss today’s Digging Deeper!     And we’d love to hear your thoughts from today’s Journey!    Comment Here!

Embracing God’s fullness in our lives is rooted in scripture and memorizing His word is vital to our continued growth and depth with Jesus. Tap and hold from your mobile device to download this week’s verse and make it your phone’s lockscreen!

Thanks for joining us today as we journeyed into Space Week Three! Don’t miss out on the discussion below – we’d love to hear your thoughts!
Click the above image for today’s Digging Deeper!

Looking for other journeys from this theme?
Here’s a link to all past studies in Space!