I'm back online after a long hiatus from blogging devotional thoughts! I hope this tool will help you grow through the week as you follow along with me in your own devotional reading of God's Word. Let's start reading the book of 1 John together and share what God says to us there. Today, read chapter one. It's short. Read it again. What jumps out at you? What do you hear God saying? There's a lot here. Just focus in on one thought for today. Here's what jumped out at me today:
We saw it; we heart it; and now we're telling you so you can experience it along with us, this experience of communion with the Father and his Son, Jesus Christ. Our motive for writing is simply this: We want you to enjoy this too. Your joy will double our joy! (v. 3-4 The Message)
When you receive Christ, you find joy! The life he gives, the hope, the love is beyond anything you'll find anywhere else. But you get double the joy when you share him with someone else and help them receive him, too.
Father, though it's often frustrating when people don't respond, I'm going to continue to share Jesus with those who are still missing out. The joy of the one who says yes to Jesus is so worth it! Give me the eyes to see the opportunities and the people around me who are in such need of your grace, love and leadership. Amen.
Showing posts with label Evangelism. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Evangelism. Show all posts
Monday, February 7, 2011
Monday, December 10, 2007
Through Your Eyes
What does it mean to serve others? Sound obvious? But it really isn't. It's more than just meeting a physical need. Mowing a lawn or taking a meal to someone are certainly servant acts, but there's another level of service. It's best displayed when we serve people by taking the time to understand them and then bend over backwards to relate to them.
...I have voluntarily become a servant to any and all in order to reach a wide range of people: religious, non-religious, meticulous moralists, loose-living immoralists, the defeated, the demoralized--whoever. I didn't take on their way of life. I kept my bearings in Christ--but I entered their world and tried to experience things from their point of view. (1 Cor. 9:19-22 Message)
Why aren't believers and churches influencing more people to Christ? My observation is that the process breaks down right at this very point. Sure, we want to see people come to Christ. We put programs in place to attempt to do that. We badger our neighbors to come to church. But here is where things are getting hung up--rarely do we take the time to see things and experience things through their eyes, much less care enough to adjust the way we do things so that they can really relate. We haven't begun to serve them at the highest level. Imagine the flood of new believers we might harvest if we did!
I hear believers blaming the unbelievers for their lack of interest or their preoccupation with entertainment, or blaming scandals for giving God a bad name. It's easy to blame. It's difficult but godly to serve. And that is where the power is--the power to step inside someone else's experience and get a different perspective. The power to grow and learn and develop the ability to build relational rapport.
The bottom line is, we can do a whole lot better. We haven't yet learned to really serve like Jesus did. He stepped into our world and put on our shoes and took the time to see what we see, to feel what we feel. No wonder his approach was so compelling to people.
Lord, make me a servant. Make me like you. Amen.
...I have voluntarily become a servant to any and all in order to reach a wide range of people: religious, non-religious, meticulous moralists, loose-living immoralists, the defeated, the demoralized--whoever. I didn't take on their way of life. I kept my bearings in Christ--but I entered their world and tried to experience things from their point of view. (1 Cor. 9:19-22 Message)
Why aren't believers and churches influencing more people to Christ? My observation is that the process breaks down right at this very point. Sure, we want to see people come to Christ. We put programs in place to attempt to do that. We badger our neighbors to come to church. But here is where things are getting hung up--rarely do we take the time to see things and experience things through their eyes, much less care enough to adjust the way we do things so that they can really relate. We haven't begun to serve them at the highest level. Imagine the flood of new believers we might harvest if we did!
I hear believers blaming the unbelievers for their lack of interest or their preoccupation with entertainment, or blaming scandals for giving God a bad name. It's easy to blame. It's difficult but godly to serve. And that is where the power is--the power to step inside someone else's experience and get a different perspective. The power to grow and learn and develop the ability to build relational rapport.
The bottom line is, we can do a whole lot better. We haven't yet learned to really serve like Jesus did. He stepped into our world and put on our shoes and took the time to see what we see, to feel what we feel. No wonder his approach was so compelling to people.
Lord, make me a servant. Make me like you. Amen.
Saturday, September 22, 2007
The Turning Away
"The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life. Yet there are some of you who do not believe." ...From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him. (Jn. 6:63-66)
I can feel Jesus' heart breaking here. He wants only to lead people into spirit life. He's taught and he's modeled it and he's brought healing, acceptance and love to a harsh, uncaring society. But many still don't get it. They don't want what he's offering. They're being handed the winning lottery ticket and they're turning up their noses. He watches them walk away in sad clusters.
Sometimes I can relate to what Jesus felt here. I just want to invite people out of their meaningless lives into the joy and power of God's reign, but they just don't see it. You would think I were offering them a life of digging ditches. They walk away. I feel at times like I failed, but even Jesus watched crowds leave. Perhaps the real failure is that of the human heart to crave the divine life.
Lord, make me a more usable messenger. And please open their eyes to what you are really offering. Amen.
I can feel Jesus' heart breaking here. He wants only to lead people into spirit life. He's taught and he's modeled it and he's brought healing, acceptance and love to a harsh, uncaring society. But many still don't get it. They don't want what he's offering. They're being handed the winning lottery ticket and they're turning up their noses. He watches them walk away in sad clusters.
Sometimes I can relate to what Jesus felt here. I just want to invite people out of their meaningless lives into the joy and power of God's reign, but they just don't see it. You would think I were offering them a life of digging ditches. They walk away. I feel at times like I failed, but even Jesus watched crowds leave. Perhaps the real failure is that of the human heart to crave the divine life.
Lord, make me a more usable messenger. And please open their eyes to what you are really offering. Amen.
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