Daily Scripture: Matthew 13:44 “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field. A man found it, hid it again, then in great joy went and sold everything he owned, and bought that field.
45 “Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a merchant on the lookout for fine pearls. 46 On finding one very valuable pearl he went away, sold everything he owned and bought it.
Reflection Questions:- Jesus talked about his kingdom as a buried treasure someone found unexpectedly. He said if that happened, the person would rush, “full of joy,” to do whatever it took to buy that piece of ground. Baseball announcer Harry Caray expressed joy in the setting of baseball. He usually began his broadcasts with, "Hello again, everybody. It's a bee-yooo-tiful day for baseball."
- Have you ever found a great buy at a garage or estate sale, or a truly beautiful flower, scene or adorable baby animal to photograph? When have you sensed a similar inner joy while studying your Bible, seeing God in a child’s face, or finding the unforced rhythms of God’s grace in your life? How can you stay alert to the joy of experiences like that?
- In these two brief parables, Jesus said that, as citizens of his kingdom, we get to have an experience like the treasure finders’. We receive new joy, new motivation and purpose in life, new values and focus. Is your experience of Jesus’ kingdom more and more one of joy, or duty? Of being set free, or just more rules to follow? What value do you place on belonging to Jesus' kingdom?
O God, because you love me the way Jesus said you do, you are worth more than anything else could possibly be. Help me make you my top priority, to seek you with all my heart. Amen.Insights from Nicole Alison
Nicole Alison serves as Coordinating Assistant to Operations at The Church of the Resurrection. Nicole finds her voice through writing. In her spare time she is a personal blogger and ghost-writer for a local church in Lenexa. Her passion is to share the love of Jesus through personal stories of redemption.
I’m so excited I get to share about joy today! Joy to me is more than happiness. There is an assurance or confidence in having joy. It runs deeper than fleeting feelings or emotions; like hope it’s something that we hold onto, and once we have it, we can’t let go.
My 10 year old son has taught me a lot about joy. When I was a single mom raising him, there were times that I thought I wasn’t cut out for being a mom. I had read all the parenting books, but when my son was born I might as well have thrown those books out the window. I don’t think anyone is ever fully prepared for the amazing and scary journey of being a parent. You’re responsible for a precious little life, and terrified of doing ONE thing wrong. I remember going to the grocery store armed for battle. I had all sorts of toys, pacifiers, bottles, anything to keep him from throwing a dreaded tantrum in front of a bunch of strangers. I also remember the panic of trying to find “something” for my son to be involved in. We tried soccer twice, basketball–he hated them. We finally found the perfect fit–swimming. Sigh of relief. Then there were the bedtime rituals. “Mom, can I stay up for 10 more minutes?”, “Mom, can I have a snack?”, “Mom, can you tuck me in again”, “Mom, can I have some water?” It was the same spiel every night, but how could I say no? There was innate pressure to be super mom–this was the one duty I was naturally supposed to be good at. This underlying burden could have stolen my joy if it weren’t for one moment at the end of each day.
Story time was when all the pressures of life would melt away. My son would nestle up next to me and listen intently as I read to him. In those moments I found an abundance of joy. I had found a nugget of gold in the chaos, something to cherish. Over time I realized that I didn’t have to be super mom, I just had to be present. The same joy that began to sprout up within me as a mom is the joy I have when I think of Jesus and His kingdom. Jesus is that nugget of gold in this unpredictable world. I hold onto His promises and strive to pursue a joyful life that declares what is to come. And I continue to be thankful for story time; I believe those special moments with my son are little slivers of heaven on earth.
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The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection
13720 Roe Avenue
I’m so excited I get to share about joy today! Joy to me is more than happiness. There is an assurance or confidence in having joy. It runs deeper than fleeting feelings or emotions; like hope it’s something that we hold onto, and once we have it, we can’t let go.
My 10 year old son has taught me a lot about joy. When I was a single mom raising him, there were times that I thought I wasn’t cut out for being a mom. I had read all the parenting books, but when my son was born I might as well have thrown those books out the window. I don’t think anyone is ever fully prepared for the amazing and scary journey of being a parent. You’re responsible for a precious little life, and terrified of doing ONE thing wrong. I remember going to the grocery store armed for battle. I had all sorts of toys, pacifiers, bottles, anything to keep him from throwing a dreaded tantrum in front of a bunch of strangers. I also remember the panic of trying to find “something” for my son to be involved in. We tried soccer twice, basketball–he hated them. We finally found the perfect fit–swimming. Sigh of relief. Then there were the bedtime rituals. “Mom, can I stay up for 10 more minutes?”, “Mom, can I have a snack?”, “Mom, can you tuck me in again”, “Mom, can I have some water?” It was the same spiel every night, but how could I say no? There was innate pressure to be super mom–this was the one duty I was naturally supposed to be good at. This underlying burden could have stolen my joy if it weren’t for one moment at the end of each day.
Story time was when all the pressures of life would melt away. My son would nestle up next to me and listen intently as I read to him. In those moments I found an abundance of joy. I had found a nugget of gold in the chaos, something to cherish. Over time I realized that I didn’t have to be super mom, I just had to be present. The same joy that began to sprout up within me as a mom is the joy I have when I think of Jesus and His kingdom. Jesus is that nugget of gold in this unpredictable world. I hold onto His promises and strive to pursue a joyful life that declares what is to come. And I continue to be thankful for story time; I believe those special moments with my son are little slivers of heaven on earth.
Download the GPS App
The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection
13720 Roe Avenue
Leawood, Kansas 66224 United States
913.897.0120
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