From the Blog
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Heart For Our World
Over the last three weeks, we’ve talked about the first two qualities of disciple-making. This week, we will focus on the third quality, Heart for Our World.
The gospel always goes against our excuses and our temptations. What’s the antidote for the sinful, “curved inward” bent of our souls? The gospel of Christ offers the antidote. And it bids us to turn our hearts outward towards God, each other and our world. In the book of 2 Corinthians, the apostle Paul challenged believers to answer Christ’s call to have a heart for their world. We can answer Christ’s call to have a heart for our world. -
Heart for Each Other
This week, we will focus on the second quality, Heart for Each Other. We live in a time when it is easier to stay in touch, but people are starving for a in-person touch.
What’s the solution to our increasing loneliness and social isolation? A loving relationship with Jesus and through Him a loving relationship with one another. Jesus invites us to follow Him and belong to His family. In the apostle Paul’s letter to the Colossians, he reminded them that as Christ-followers they were to show a heart for each other. As followers of Christ, we are to show a heart for each other. -
Heart for God
We are called to make disciples of Jesus. What should those disciples look like? The first and most important thing is they should have a growing Heart for God.
In Psalm 96, David taught the Israelites how to worship with a true heart for God. We can worship with a true heart for God. -
Making Room for More
Whenever God wants to get a work done, He lays hold of a people who are willing to rise up. In the Old Testament, it was Nehemiah and those returning from Babylonian exile who answered the call of God to Rise Up. Today, God is calling us! In Matthew 28:19, Jesus called us to make disciples. But what should they look like?
In Matthew 22:37-40, Jesus said that the greatest commandment was to love God with all your heart and to love your neighbor as yourself. We believe that’s the kind of disciples He wants us to make–– disciples of Jesus who have a heart for God, for each other, and for our world. -
Send Me
This week, we’re going to learn to pray, “Lord, send me,” agreeing with the Lord’s prayer in John 17.
“Lead us” and “deliver us.” This closing part of the Lord’s Model Prayer is aimed at us. It requests both direction and protection. It closes with the purpose for which we live: His kingdom and His glory according to His power, Amen. It is that part of the Lord’s Model Prayer that sends us out into the world! In John 17, Jesus prayed that His disciples would be sent into the world just as the Father had sent Him into the world. We can pray in agreement with Christ’s prayer that we are sent just as He was sent. -
Shape Me
This week, we’re going to learn to pray, “Lord, shape me.” Prayers where we ask God to examine our inner life to make sure we are in alignment with His will.
In Psalm 51, which David wrote after being confronted with his sin of adultery with Bathsheba, he prayed that God would forgive him of his sin and shape him for His glory. We can pray that God would shape us for His glory. -
Search Me
This week, we’re going to learn to pray, “Lord, search me.” Prayers where we ask God to examine our inner life to make sure we are in alignment with His will.
In Psalm 139, David prayed that God would search him so that he might bring his life into alignment with God’s will. We can pray for God to search us that we might align our lives to His will. -
Show Me
What if we began to pray “dangerous prayers?” Prayers that cry out to God for an answer? Prayers that are God-sized and God-willed? Prayers that stretch us outside of our comfort zone? If we were to begin praying “dangerous prayers” together as a church, who knows what would happen!
In Psalm 25, King David prayed that God would show him how to get God’s perspective on life. We can pray that God will show us His perspective on life. -
A Letter to the Lukewarm
How are you doing in your spiritual life today? Would you say that you’re passionate and on fire for God? Or would you say you’re more lukewarm? You know, not too hot, nor too cold. A lot of us like it that way, don’t we? I mean, we don’t want to be considered fanatics, right? It’s comfortable being “lukewarm.” It may be comfortable being lukewarm, but it isn’t Christlike. And Jesus warns against it!
In Revelation 3:14-22, Jesus told John to write a letter to the church of Laodicea warning them about their lukewarm spiritual condition. We can heed Christ’s warning about being spiritually lukewarm. -
A Letter to Open Doors
Where are the “closed doors” in your life? Do you often say to yourself, “Well, that door is closed to me now.” The one without much money, says, If only I had more money, then this opportunity would be open to me.” The one without an education says, “If only I had gotten a college degree, this promotion would be open to me.” The one without much talent says, “If only I could sing, play an instrument, repair automobiles, play sports…, then this door would be open to me.”
What if there was someone who had the keys to the doors that seem locked to us? What if there were someone who could open doors? In Revelation 3:7-13, Jesus told the church of Philadelphia that He had opened a door for them. We can trust Christ to open doors for us.