The Daily Guide. grow. pray. study. from The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection in Leawood, Kansas, United States "We need each other to spark love and good deeds" for Wednesday. 1 March 2017
Hebrews 10:22 Therefore, let us approach the Holiest Place with a sincere heart, in the full assurance that comes from trusting — with our hearts sprinkled clean from a bad conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.[Hebrews 10:22 Ezekiel 36:25] 23 Let us continue holding fast to the hope we acknowledge, without wavering; for the One who made the promise is trustworthy. 24 And let us keep paying attention to one another, in order to spur each other on to love and good deeds, 25 not neglecting our own congregational meetings, as some have made a practice of doing, but, rather, encouraging each other.
And let us do this all the more as you see the Day approaching.
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As Acts 2 reported, the very first Christians in Jerusalem formed a congregation that met regularly, shared life, and supported one another. As the gospel spread, Christians in other places also formed congregations, often more than one in each city. They knew they were part of something bigger than just their local congregation. But they also knew that they belonged, grew and served together in those local churches.
• Pastor Lloyd John Ogilvie wrote, “The final miracle of the Holy Spirit on that day of Pentecost was the birth of the church. You may wonder why I call that a miracle. It is because I know human nature. Next to the transformation of persons, the second greatest miracle is oneness with others who have been transformed.”* In what ways has the Holy Spirit helped you bridge differences and find oneness with other members of your church family?
• Think about the depth and quality of the connection you have with other people in your church. Is anyone on your “2 a.m. call list” if you faced a serious problem? Are you on anyone else’s list? That kind of connection never happens overnight; building trust takes time and shared experiences. How can you let the Holy Spirit deepen your friendships now, so that you are there to uphold one another through any of life’s storms? (If you need ideas about how to start, visit cor.org/connect/community-life.)
Prayer: Lord God, thank you for connecting me to your family. Help me to “spark” love and good deeds in others, and to be receptive to your sparks as they arrive in my life. Amen. * Lloyd John Ogilvie, The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Volume 28: Acts. Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1983, p. 72.
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Ginny Howell
Ginny serves as the Connections Mobilization Director at Resurrection. She oversees all-church serve events, new member connections and our Re-Connection Team. Ginny is passionate about helping people get engaged in the life of the church and would love to visit with you if you are looking to find a way to get involved.
When I was two years old, my mother had to have her hip replaced. With a son in Kindergarten and a toddler at home, you can imagine the concern that being off her feet for several weeks, and then not very stable on her feet for quite a while after that would cause. My father traveled for business, and there were no funds to hire someone to help out at home.
A woman from our church, Janice, came to live at our house and care for my mother, brother and me after my mom’s surgery. I don’t remember this happening when I was only two years old, but I do remember learning about it several years later when my mom had to have the same surgery again when I was a teenager, and I asked how she’d managed when I was so little. I learned that Janice stepped away from her own children, older teenagers at the time, to be there when our family was in need. She showed us love, and demonstrated to her own children that when you see someone with needs that you can meet, you do so with a joyful heart.
Janice showed me that so many times throughout my childhood and teen years. She volunteered in the Mother’s Day Out class I went to when I was 4, then taught Sunday School when I was in Elementary School. She co-taught our Middle School Sunday School class, because, let’s be honest- Middle Schoolers need all the supervision and guidance the church can offer. She made meals for families who were sick, drove elderly folks to the doctor if they needed a ride and was the first person to offer a hug if you looked like you’d had a bad day.
She continued to teach Sunday School when I was in high school, and at some point in those years joined the church staff as the Church Secretary. Her door was always open, and her heart was always full of love for everyone. I loved to stop in the church and chat with her, and she was always interested in what we were doing, and encouraged us to be our best and to care for others.
Hebrews 10:24 is one of my favorite verses of Scripture. “And let us consider each other carefully for the purpose of sparking love and good deeds.” This verse is included in my email signature, and has gone out in each of my church emails for almost the past five years. It’s the influence of people like Janice that that has ingrained in me the strong desire to show love and do good works. I see it every day in my work here at Resurrection. Matthew’s Ministry volunteers, Silver Link Volunteers, Confirmation Mentors, Alpha Leaders, Zone Group Leaders…so many people showing love and doing good works. That is the church.
How are you showing love? What are the ways you are engaged in good works? If you have a hard time answering these questions, I’d love to help you explore some ways you might begin. You can reach me by email at ginny.howell@cor.org.
Ginny HowellGinny serves as the Connections Mobilization Director at Resurrection. She oversees all-church serve events, new member connections and our Re-Connection Team. Ginny is passionate about helping people get engaged in the life of the church and would love to visit with you if you are looking to find a way to get involved.
When I was two years old, my mother had to have her hip replaced. With a son in Kindergarten and a toddler at home, you can imagine the concern that being off her feet for several weeks, and then not very stable on her feet for quite a while after that would cause. My father traveled for business, and there were no funds to hire someone to help out at home.
A woman from our church, Janice, came to live at our house and care for my mother, brother and me after my mom’s surgery. I don’t remember this happening when I was only two years old, but I do remember learning about it several years later when my mom had to have the same surgery again when I was a teenager, and I asked how she’d managed when I was so little. I learned that Janice stepped away from her own children, older teenagers at the time, to be there when our family was in need. She showed us love, and demonstrated to her own children that when you see someone with needs that you can meet, you do so with a joyful heart.
Janice showed me that so many times throughout my childhood and teen years. She volunteered in the Mother’s Day Out class I went to when I was 4, then taught Sunday School when I was in Elementary School. She co-taught our Middle School Sunday School class, because, let’s be honest- Middle Schoolers need all the supervision and guidance the church can offer. She made meals for families who were sick, drove elderly folks to the doctor if they needed a ride and was the first person to offer a hug if you looked like you’d had a bad day.
She continued to teach Sunday School when I was in high school, and at some point in those years joined the church staff as the Church Secretary. Her door was always open, and her heart was always full of love for everyone. I loved to stop in the church and chat with her, and she was always interested in what we were doing, and encouraged us to be our best and to care for others.
Hebrews 10:24 is one of my favorite verses of Scripture. “And let us consider each other carefully for the purpose of sparking love and good deeds.” This verse is included in my email signature, and has gone out in each of my church emails for almost the past five years. It’s the influence of people like Janice that that has ingrained in me the strong desire to show love and do good works. I see it every day in my work here at Resurrection. Matthew’s Ministry volunteers, Silver Link Volunteers, Confirmation Mentors, Alpha Leaders, Zone Group Leaders…so many people showing love and doing good works. That is the church.
How are you showing love? What are the ways you are engaged in good works? If you have a hard time answering these questions, I’d love to help you explore some ways you might begin. You can reach me by email at ginny.howell@cor.org.
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"The body of Christ—parts of each other, helping each other" for Thursday, 2 March 2017
1 Corinthians 12:12 For just as the body is one but has many parts; and all the parts of the body, though many, constitute one body; so it is with the Messiah. 13 For it was by one Spirit that we were all immersed into one body, whether Jews or Gentiles, slaves or free; and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.
14 For indeed the body is not one part but many. 15 If the foot says, “I’m not a hand, so I’m not part of the body,” that doesn’t make it stop being part of the body. 16 And if the ear says, “I’m not an eye, so I’m not part of the body,” that doesn’t make it stop being part of the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, how could it hear? If it were all hearing, how could it smell? 18 But as it is, God arranged each of the parts in the body exactly as he wanted them.
26 Thus if one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it; and if one part is honored, all the parts share its happiness.
27 Now you together constitute the body of the Messiah, and individually you are parts of it.
Galatians 5:26 Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.
6:1 Brothers, suppose someone is caught doing something wrong. You who have the Spirit should set him right, but in a spirit of humility, keeping an eye on yourselves so that you won’t be tempted too. 2 Bear one another’s burdens — in this way you will be fulfilling the Torah’s true meaning, which the Messiah upholds.
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The apostle Paul reminded his readers in Corinth that their varied gifts were not tools to outdo others in a quest for power or glory. Connected in Christ, they needed to depend on and support one another. To the Galatian Christians, he wrote that part of their God-given mission was to “carry each other’s burdens.”
• As Paul unfolded the metaphor of Christians as “the body of Christ,” he noted that our body parts do not envy or compete with another. Rather, as he wrote in verse 26, “If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it; if one part gets the glory, all the parts celebrate with it.” Who have you known who lived out that spirit as a member of “the Body of Christ”? How can you more fully honor both your own gifts and those of others?
• John Wesley built the Methodist movement by inviting people into a kind of life he called “watching over one another in love.” Are there people in your life with whom you have the kind of trust, candor and mutual support Galatians 6:1-2 describe? What concrete choices can make this a reality in the relationships you value most?
Prayer: Lord Jesus, so often the world around me says, openly or subtly, “It’s every man (and woman) for himself.” You call me to a very different approach to life. Give me the heart to live out your calling. Amen.
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Evan Palmer
Evan Palmer has been a member of Resurrection since 2002. She graduated from the University of Arkansas where she played soccer for the women's team (go Hogs!). Evan loves Montana and thinks her dad is the funniest person on the planet.
“The body of Christ” has always seemed like a loaded term to me. One that carries weight and responsibility. One that implies action if you choose to buy into it. The Church has reminded us time and time again that “we are the body of Christ” and to live accordingly. But what, in tangible terms, does this really look like?
I’ve often thought about what “part” of the body I am. There have been seasons where I thought, ‘Surely I am a hand (or, at least part of the hand—the wrist, or something) because I serve others so well.’ Humble, right? This is usually followed by a self-deprecating moment where I don’t feel worthy to be a part of Christ’s body at all. When we are (brutally) honest with ourselves, and look at the sin in our lives, how could we ever feel worthy enough to be a part of the body of Christ?
Good news/bad news: we’re a part of it. You and me. We are the body of Christ. Good news because what an amazing thing to know and trust. That we can do/have done nothing to deserve this, yet the Lord uses us and calls us accordingly. Bad news because, whether we like it or not, this does come with the responsibility to live differently.
Disclaimer: this really isn’t bad news. Our brains like to trick us into thinking responsibility or “a calling” is negative because it requires something of us. When in actuality this calling is a calling to live our best life. To love and serve others the way Jesus did and does. I’ll mark that as a win.
So, how do we do this? And how do we do it well?
Step #1 is to own your part. I may think I am a part of the heart. (Those that know me well will tell you, I am a crier. Seriously—I cry at least every other day. I like to think it’s because I sympathize with people; I have compassion. My mom might tell you it’s because I’m sensitive. Who’s to know, really?) When, in reality, I might be the pinky toe of the body of Christ.
And you know what? If the God of the Universe, asks me to be the pinky toe, you best believe I will own it. Know your strengths and live into them. Don’t trick yourself into thinking you are something you are not. God created you the way He did for His purposes.
Step #2? Serve, carry burdens, rejoice, and sympathize with one another. Last week, I was in a room full of women in a Church where we were asked by the speaker to say (out loud) burdens we’ve been carrying. Responses filled the room: “I am not enough,” “I have anxiety,” “There’s too much to do,” “I can’t measure up,” “I’m not a good parent,” “Everyone’s better than me,” and the comments went on. Our job as Christ’s body is to constantly, DAILY remind each other that we are enough because Christ is enough. It is our JOB to show up for people. To hurt with people. To rejoice with people. To be the body of Christ. Not because we’re a good friend, or because someone needs us. We show up, we speak truth, we laugh, we cry with other people because Christ can through us. All that is asked of you is that you be willing to accept your part, and go with it.
Evan PalmerEvan Palmer has been a member of Resurrection since 2002. She graduated from the University of Arkansas where she played soccer for the women's team (go Hogs!). Evan loves Montana and thinks her dad is the funniest person on the planet.
“The body of Christ” has always seemed like a loaded term to me. One that carries weight and responsibility. One that implies action if you choose to buy into it. The Church has reminded us time and time again that “we are the body of Christ” and to live accordingly. But what, in tangible terms, does this really look like?
I’ve often thought about what “part” of the body I am. There have been seasons where I thought, ‘Surely I am a hand (or, at least part of the hand—the wrist, or something) because I serve others so well.’ Humble, right? This is usually followed by a self-deprecating moment where I don’t feel worthy to be a part of Christ’s body at all. When we are (brutally) honest with ourselves, and look at the sin in our lives, how could we ever feel worthy enough to be a part of the body of Christ?
Good news/bad news: we’re a part of it. You and me. We are the body of Christ. Good news because what an amazing thing to know and trust. That we can do/have done nothing to deserve this, yet the Lord uses us and calls us accordingly. Bad news because, whether we like it or not, this does come with the responsibility to live differently.
Disclaimer: this really isn’t bad news. Our brains like to trick us into thinking responsibility or “a calling” is negative because it requires something of us. When in actuality this calling is a calling to live our best life. To love and serve others the way Jesus did and does. I’ll mark that as a win.
So, how do we do this? And how do we do it well?
Step #1 is to own your part. I may think I am a part of the heart. (Those that know me well will tell you, I am a crier. Seriously—I cry at least every other day. I like to think it’s because I sympathize with people; I have compassion. My mom might tell you it’s because I’m sensitive. Who’s to know, really?) When, in reality, I might be the pinky toe of the body of Christ.
And you know what? If the God of the Universe, asks me to be the pinky toe, you best believe I will own it. Know your strengths and live into them. Don’t trick yourself into thinking you are something you are not. God created you the way He did for His purposes.
Step #2? Serve, carry burdens, rejoice, and sympathize with one another. Last week, I was in a room full of women in a Church where we were asked by the speaker to say (out loud) burdens we’ve been carrying. Responses filled the room: “I am not enough,” “I have anxiety,” “There’s too much to do,” “I can’t measure up,” “I’m not a good parent,” “Everyone’s better than me,” and the comments went on. Our job as Christ’s body is to constantly, DAILY remind each other that we are enough because Christ is enough. It is our JOB to show up for people. To hurt with people. To rejoice with people. To be the body of Christ. Not because we’re a good friend, or because someone needs us. We show up, we speak truth, we laugh, we cry with other people because Christ can through us. All that is asked of you is that you be willing to accept your part, and go with it.
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"God’s family: living in peace, building each other up" for Friday, 3 March 2017
Romans 14:13 Therefore, let’s stop passing judgment on each other! Instead, make this one judgment — not to put a stumbling block or a snare in a brother’s way. 14 I know — that is, I have been persuaded by the Lord Yeshua the Messiah — that nothing is unclean in itself. But if a person considers something unclean, then for him it is unclean; 15 and if your brother is being upset by the food you eat, your life is no longer one of love. Do not, by your eating habits, destroy someone for whom the Messiah died! 16 Do not let what you know to be good, be spoken of as bad; 17 for the Kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness, shalom and joy in the Ruach HaKodesh. 18 Anyone who serves the Messiah in this fashion both pleases God and wins the approval of other people.
19 So then, let us pursue the things that make for shalom and mutual upbuilding.
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We sometimes think “church” means a big building. Paul’s letter went to a group of smaller “house churches” in Rome (cf. Romans 16:5, 10, 15). Paul wrote to Roman Christians about disputes over food choices, urging “the strong” to care about and encourage “the weak,” rather than mocking or discouraging them. They didn’t always agree on how best to live their faith. We can differ on the details, Paul said. The central command is to love. Life in God’s Kingdom is about “about righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit.”
• Paul wrote that as Christians focus their spiritual walk on “righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit,” they are able to stop sniping at one another. How easy or hard do you find it to lay aside a value system built on “being right” to live a life that seeks to lift up others? What helps you see whatever good things you have as gifts meant to bless others, not just to cling to for your own sake?
• “Stop judging each other,” Paul wrote directly. In what ways does that set a high, serious standard for how we relate to one another? Could it be seen as setting a “low” norm for acceptance, one even a woman taken in adultery or a thief on a cross could pass? Which do you find more challenging: the “height” or the “lowness” of Paul’s standard?
Prayer: Lord God, only you are wise enough to judge the thoughts and intentions of each person’s heart. Help me release the urge to judge others, and instead to seek to live with all people in your peace and love. Amen.
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"Loving one another with God’s love" for Saturday, 4 March 2017
1 John 4:7 Beloved friends, let us love one another; because love is from God; and everyone who loves has God as his Father and knows God. 8 Those who do not love, do not know God; because God is love. 9 Here is how God showed his love among us: God sent his only Son into the world, so that through him we might have life. 10 Here is what love is: not that we have loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the kapparah for our sins.
11 Beloved friends, if this is how God loved us, we likewise ought to love one another. 12 No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God remains united with us, and our love for him has been brought to its goal in us.
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As John wrote about how Christians treat one another, he likely thought about himself and Jesus’ other disciples. They jockeyed for position, and got angry with one another at times (cf. Mark 10:35-45). Over time, Jesus re-shaped their thoughts and actions. John knew that loving others with Christ’s love doesn’t spring from a naturally warm human disposition. It goes much deeper than just being “nice.” This kind of active love comes from the heart of the God of the universe. God loves us—that is the reason that we love.
• An unknown humorist wrote, “To live above with saints we love—ah, that will be glory! To live below with saints we know—well, that’s another story.” But John (and the other Bible writers) said that, in Christ, we are able to grow beyond that. Which people, inside or beyond the church, do you find it hardest to love? Read and pray through this passage, plugging in their names and faces. Ask God to help you live out God’s love even toward them.
Prayer: Dear God, you ARE love—what an amazing, mind-stretching truth. You know that it’s not quite as natural for me to love. Please keep loving me as I stretch and grow in my ability to reflect your love to others. Amen.
Family Activity: Jesus asked His followers to treat others the way He did. As a family, discuss your responses to each of these scenarios:
• A new person comes to your Sunday school class and doesn’t know anyone.
• The person standing in front of you at the grocery store drops a dollar.
• Your neighbor is an older woman and lives alone. A storm comes and all her trash cans fall over.
Talk together about ways to be Christ-like in each of these situations. This week ask each other, “How did you follow Jesus today? Did you ignore an opportunity to serve? How can you do a better job being kind to others tomorrow?” Pray together, asking God to help you be a faithful follower of Jesus.
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Prayer Requests – cor.org/prayer Prayers for Peace & Comfort for:
• Karen McCarthy and family on the death of her mother Margaret Stewart, 2/22
• Craig Allers and family on the death of his father Alan Allers, 2/21
• Roger and Glenda Wright and family on the death of their daughter Kassandra Wright, 2/19
• Terrie Dalrymple and family on the death of her niece Kassandra Wright, 2/19
• Marilyn Brewer and family on the death of her cousin Rev. James Kimbrough, 2/18
• Judy Setley and family on the death of her husband Gary Setley, 2/15
• Brian Setley and family on the death of his father Gary Setley, 2/15
• Steve Campbell and family on the death of his father James Campbell, 2/15
• Betty Walter and family on the death of her brother Jack Goodman, 2/15
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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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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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