from Jeremiah 32:1-15
It’s not that we don’t want to respond faithfully to the life-changing gift that God has given us in Christ…it’s that too often faithfulness feels just too inconvenient.
What if instead of thinking about what it might mean for us now, we begin to think about what God is calling us to in terms of what it might mean for God’s Kingdom in the future?
What if you begin to think of both the little acts of faithfulness and the huge leaps of faithfulness as something might God use to teach you about Himself now as well as plant seeds for growth in the lives of others in the future?
w/ Vern Collins
from 2 Peter 1:1-11
If you could control anything what would it be? Time? Distractions? The weather?
What about yourself? What about those things that might be a distraction or a hindrance to experiencing, enjoying, and living in the fullness of life with Christ? What about those things that hinder and harm relationship with others, or those things that affect how you feel about YOU?
Imagine how your day or your week might begin to look different if you took seriously Peter’s words that one of the results of our faith in Jesus should be self-control.
w/ Vern Collins
from Psalm 27
Eugene Peterson speaks of the Christian journey as a, “long obedience in the same direction,” and is quick to note that this world does not encourage such a view of anything, much less Christianity. Impatience marks our interactions with others and with the world around us…and has seeped into our walk with Jesus.
And yet, Paul is clear: patience is meant to be one of the characteristics that marks our identity as Christ-followers. With situations that we want to get to the other side of, or people with whom we have little patience, how is it that we can cultivate this fruit that exemplifies God’s attitude toward us?
What if instead of pursuing a hundred little things (most of which we grow impatient with), you spent the remainder of your lifetime pursuing the One Thing that can change your perspective?
w/ Vern Collins
from John 14:22-31
What keeps you awake at night? What makes you nervous or anxious? Is it a relationship, concern for a loved one? Is it the state of the world right now, or our country?
How do you navigate that anxiety or unrest? Where do you turn? Do you just hope to survive it, or are you willing to believe that God is present in it? Imagine how things might begin to change if you believed that not only was God present in your worry, but offers you peace in the midst of it.
w/ Vern Collins
from Habakkuk 3:17-19
In our series on the Fruit of the Spirit (from Galatians 5:22-25) we look next at the fruit of “Joy.”
What is joy to you? Is it an intense feeling? Is it momentary or is it lasting? Is it the same as happiness or different? Is it some religious outburst or something that resides quietly within?
What if joy were all and none of these things? What if a response of joy had more to do with trusting God whatever your circumstances and offering a response of rejoicing as a result of that trust? How might your perspective on this life change of you chose a response of joy in the midst of trials? How might the lives around you be changed?
w/ Vern Collins
from Galatians 5:1, 13-25
This week begins an 8 week series looking at the Fruit of the Spirit Paul points to in his letter to the church in Galatia.
Living in the freedom that Christ offers is meant to look like something…the question is, are you living free or are you bound by things that have taken control in your life. To live freely means that God is able to bring things from you that are produced by the Life that is in you…imagine how different things could be!
w/ Vern Collins
