As we go on our mission trip, our prayer is to bring the hope of Christ to those we encounter. I pray that the Gospel would go out from our group and heal the people around us. Gospel literally means good news. People in this world need some good news.
On the mission trip, the good news might mean that a families house is restored. It might mean that someone receives a warm meal. The good news is tangible. It is seen, felt, tasted. But there is more to this good news than that. We are bringing Jesus Christ. Even more than that, we are letting Jesus Christ lead us and showing others how He is working.
Take a moment to read Matthew 28:16-20, then come back here. OK, are you with me now? By sending out His disciples, Jesus is giving them authority. That has been passed down to us. We go with power. We go knowing that we are on God's side. Our mission should always point toward Christ because He's the reason we are doing this anyway.
And the encouragement for all of this is that we aren't alone. In case you passed over it, or didn't even read in the first place, go back and read verse 20.
Jesus doesn't promise that everything is going to be as we expected it. But He promises something even greater-His presence. No matter the circumstance, no matter what we run into in life, or on this mission trip, we can have peace knowing that Jesus is guiding us through it.
Here's how to respond to this:
- Pray that God would begin to work in your heart, that He would give you courage and boldness so that you are able to proclaim that Jesus is our Leader, our Savior. Pray that He will show you how to teach others in your life about what He says, that your life would point to Him, the Gospel, the Good News.
- Answer this question in the comments: How has Jesus shaped, changed, or flipped your life? How has following Jesus changed how you see the world, how you interact with others, how you see yourself?
The Good News about Jesus is that He changes everything. In whatever circumstance we find ourselves, we know that He is with us when we are proclaiming His name, and that gives me comfort. It changes how I see others, how I interact with others, and what I see as important.
I look forward to seeing your comments below. Remember that this Sunday you are to be at the church with your parents/guardians either after second service (10:30 am slow, 11:30 am fast) or before VIBE (5:00 pm slow, 6:00 pm fast) to sign the commitment forms. Bring your insurance card with you so we can make copies.
-Norm
2. There had been a constant "dry-spell" within my spirit for the last year and a half. I gave up on God because I felt that He had given up on me. I practiced other religions but nothing ever filled in that emptiness. And doing what I was doing, it felt like I was walking on egg shells. I felt no comfort in the things I carried out. When I heard about this trip, I knew that for some time, I needed to get back into ministry. I secretly felt the need to speak out or rebuke many people I was around that did not claim Christ as their Savior but always stifled it back. I couldn't hold back any longer. I reclaim Jesus as my redemption to God and I feel more wisdom than I've ever felt before. It was because of my parents constant nagging me to go to church and my best friend's encouragement that I made my decision. So this year, I'd like to "pay it forward" by sowing the seed and hopefully reaping the rewards in Heaven one day.
ReplyDeleteI feel very similarly to Brandi, I have gone through a lot this past year. My life has been flipped around and upside-down. The worst part is that there is not a lot I could do about it. So I have just sat back and watched my family fall apart. I tried to call to God, but it just seemed like He wasn't answering, so I fell away from Him. I no longer had a relationship with Him and my life was very dark. I miss what I once had and I have been working towards getting that back. This missions trip, I believe, is what God has been working me towards. In a way, my life has been torn through by one tornado after another and God has stayed faithful to me even when I haven't been to Him. I feel like I can relate to these people who have lost everything. I took so much for granted and I still do in some places, but I'm learning to live on the bare essential: God. :)
ReplyDeleteWow, that was a nice little summary Kayla!! Hopefully we can connect a little bit more with these experiences
Delete2. I feel God has changed my attention from constantly working on my grades to getting quality time with my family, because I won't have this chance forever. Someday I will be away at college and I will hardly get to see my family.
ReplyDeleteI had been going through something very similar as Kayla and Brandi. I was going through a rough time and ended up straying away from God. But at 3dyc I was "flipped" back in the right direction, towards God. I am so glad that I have been able to distinguish between what doesn't matter and what does.
ReplyDeleteJesus has a way of flipping our lives in ways that we would never expect it. I am so grateful for my relationship with him. My life would be completely empty with out him. I want to encourage each of you to hold onto your relationship with Jesus. Reading your thoughts about the past year and your struggles takes me back to when I was your age and in college. I will tell you this...I never ever ever have regretted making Jesus the Lord of my life. My regrets in life come from when I did not follow him. I pray that each one of you will find the peace that can only come from having a relationship with Him. I am praying each day for this trip and the lives that will be changed. I am praying for each of you to stay strong in your faith and when you feel like you only have that tiny sliver of hope you can remember that God is with you always.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure the flipping in my life has ever been something I noticed. It's just been a part of who I am for as long as I can remember. Sure, there's always bumps in the road, but isn't that the time that God uses to strengthen you? In my case it always has been. But only when I've been willing to change. That is why I'm looking foward to this trip. Anything and everything that I have ever done like this in the past has taken me out of my comfort zone and allows me to see God working in the lives of those around us. That is a prayer I have for this trip too.
ReplyDeleteWhen I moved to Lakeville from Goshen in January it was very hard for me to move away from all of my friends and all of the activities that I was used to doing. It was very stressful to drive an hour just to see people or go to classes that I have in Goshen and even church. But it was through this move that I realized I was not relying on the Lord and was trying to push through life by myself using God as a back seat driver instead of letting Him have full control. After a couple of weeks in Lakeville I began to read my Bible more often and noticed that I was not looking at where I was in the right perspective. Living in Lakeville has allowed me to pursue things that were not possible in Goshen and I am still able to see my friends and make it to my activities, which is a blessing and not a punishment.
ReplyDeleteThroughout my life I have seen God working in many different situations, and I think that this year has been the year that my life has been flipped the most by God. This year God has helped me to realize that I don't need people to approve of me. God has shown me that I can just be who I am instead of being what I thought everyone else wanted me to be. Jesus has helped me to be able to see myself for what I am. And I am a unique individual who is different from everyone else and that's okay.
ReplyDeleteJesus has changed my life by showing me that He is always with me. Through the devotions this week I have looked for ways that Jesus has been with me, and the number was just unthinkable. If I look for it, every where I go I can see things that He has set out for me. I know that He has a plan for my life and everything is going to be okay. Having a relationship with Jesus has helped me get through tough situations in my life. If I didn't have a good relationship with Jesus and I didn't have friends that love Him I would be in a completely different place, and I'm glad I'm were I am.
ReplyDeleteJesus has changed my life by making me a leader. I have learned from my parents to put others first and always lead by example. But it's the time and prayer I've put in with Jesus that helps me stay on track and make good decisions. I probably wouldn't be who I am today if I hadn't looked to Jesus in tough times. Following Jesus has changed the way I see the world by not allowing me to just skim through life. I always look out for little things that I can do to make this world a better place,
ReplyDeleteI had a rough patch in my life where I wasn't really as close to God as I would have liked to have been. Through that tough time, God showed me how the people of the world act and that most of them aren't joyful because they don't have something to be joyful about.God showed me how to love the people that don't have his presence and how to share him with them.
ReplyDeleteJesus changed my life in the same way he changed Joshua and Blake's. Not only have I started worrying less about school and enjoying the short time left I have with the people around me, but also in making me a leader though helping others.
ReplyDelete(Jada Moore)
ReplyDeleteJesus flipped my life when we moved away from all my friends and my church
Ever since I was young I've been a Christian. However, I went though a period in my life where I felt extremely alone and beaten. I didn't feel like there was a point when I couldn't make everyone in my life happy. I was disappointment. Fortunately I was able to overcome this and I know if I wouldn't have had Christ I could possibly still feel sad and alone, even if I didn't show it.
ReplyDeleteJesus has changed my life by allowing be to see myself as for who I am and who I'm meant to be. Also, I have grown closer with my parents. Another thing is, I've learned to be nicer to people that are mean to me.
ReplyDeleteJesus has changed my life by moving from my friends; my dad and my step brothers; and my old church. Moving away was hard for me and my siblings. But, it has helped me grow.
ReplyDelete