Hey there MABC family & friends,
I wanted to start out by saying “Good Morning” but when it “feels like” -15 degrees outside that is hard to say!
Yesterday morning on Facebook I did a live feed with a devotion about the patterns of life. Every year we hope for a better year than the year before but every year follows the same patterns. We will have opportunities, struggles and loss, and ultimately some victories. Good years, bad years – doesn’t matter. I think how we approach those things is the biggest determination on good and bad. You can see the video by going to this link that Les shared in his Monday update: https://www.facebook.com/
It is the opportunities area I want to focus on this morning. I mentioned that we need to be intentional about taking advantage of opportunities to grow both mentally and spiritually but I feel like the greatest opportunities we have to take hold of this year are the opportunity to serve and to share the gospel. I think the importance of these two activities are summed up in the Great Commandment:
Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with
all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest
commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as
yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two
commandments.”
Matt.22:37-40 NIV
If we love the Lord, we will serve him. If we love others, we will serve them and share the gospel with them. How can we truly love others if we aren’t willing to meet their needs and share the hope of Jesus with them?
This coming Sunday I will share more about my thoughts on this for us a church family in the coming year. I have been doing a lot of reading on this subject lately! Right now, I want to give you a hint about Sunday’s message by sharing a couple of verses. These are from the Message version which is not my favorite but there is an interesting word in these passages I want you to take note of. See if you can figure out which word I am referring to! (There might even be a hint in the Great Commandment passage which is from the NIV)
The Word became flesh and blood and moved into the neighborhood. We saw the glory with our own eyes, the one-of-a-kind glory, like Father, like Son, Generous inside and out, true from start to finish.
John 1:14 MSG
Jesus sent his twelve harvest hands out with this charge: “Don’t begin by traveling to some far-off place to convert unbelievers. And don’t try to be dramatic by tackling some public enemy. Go to the lost, confused people right here in the neighborhood. Tell them that the kingdom is here.
Matt. 10:5-8 MSG
We have been together for a year now so it shouldn’t be too hard to figure out!
P.R.
