The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection of Leawood, Kansas, United States Daily Guide grow. pray. study. for Saturday, 17 January 2015 “What do you have that you didn’t receive?”Insight from Jason Gant Jason Gant is the Campus Pastor at Resurrection West. Paul is strengthening our understanding here of accountability. Accountability is different than judgement. As followers of Christ we are called to accountability in our faith through word and deed. I am reminded of John Wesley who was so concerned with building a righteous fellowship that he devised a series of questions for his followers to ask each other every week. Some found this rigorous system of inquiry too demanding and left. I serve as the campus pastor at Resurrection West and recently preached a sermon entitled Rez-Oltuions where I spoke into Bishop Robert Schnase’s Five Practices of a Fruitful Congregation. I return to this book often and invited the congregation to look deeply at these five practices and then apply them not only to our church practice, but also individual discipleship. Here are the five practices and the questions I posed after sharing each one; 1. Radical Hospitality How will you share radical hospitality in your workplace, your family, your neighborhood in 2015? 2. Passionate Worship How will you worship God in the world throughout 2015? 3. Intentional Faith Development How will you be intentional about your faith development in 2015 Your spouse? Your family? 4. Risk-Taking Mission and Service How will you help those in need in 2015? 5. Extravagant Generosity How will you give sacrificially in this coming year? May these five practices of a fruitful congregation also be five practices of a deeply committed Christian! You can view the entire sermon by clicking here.

The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection of Leawood, Kansas, United States Daily Guide grow. pray. study. for Saturday, 17 January 2015 “What do you have that you didn’t receive?”
Daily Scripture: 1 Corinthians 4:4 I don’t know of anything against me, but that doesn’t prove that I am right. The Lord is my judge. 5 So don’t judge anyone until the Lord returns. He will show what is hidden in the dark and what is in everyone’s heart. Then God will be the one who praises each of us.
6 Friends, I have used Apollos and myself as examples to teach you the meaning of the saying, “Follow the rules.” I want you to stop saying that one of us is better than the other. 7 What is so special about you? What do you have that you were not given? And if it was given to you, how can you brag?
Reflection Questions:
After founding the church in Corinth, Paul received reports (cf. 1 Corinthians 1:11-12) that the Christians there were dividing into factions, claiming superiority to one another based on which preacher/teacher they preferred. They seemed to think their walk with God was about their superior discernment or taste, rather than about receiving God’s gift of grace. That was why Paul asked them, pointedly, “What do you have that you didn’t receive?” He wanted to underscore the point that, especially (but not exclusively) in the realm of salvation, God helps us more than we ever help ourselves.
• Scholar N. T. Wright summed up Paul’s message to the Corinthians: “The most obvious argument against boasting of the kind that’s been going on is that every gift, talent and skill we possess is a gift from God. You might as well boast about having brown eyes or being left-handed.” Are there any good things in your life that you are tempted to see as your own doing, something God is fortunate to receive from you? What helps you to remember that, ultimately, you have nothing that you didn’t receive from God?
Prayer: O God, you are the source of the very life into which I awakened this morning. Keep me grateful for your gifts, and humble in heart as I seek to use them in your service. Amen.
Family Activity: God uses his people to help and care for one another. As a family, share ideas about how you can work with God to bring comfort and care to others. Discuss each person’s unique gifts and abilities. How can those be used to comfort others? Use construction paper to create the symbol of a heart. On it, write or draw the gifts of each person. Also write or draw about how they can be used to comfort people who are sad, lonely or in need. Pray together, asking God to help guide you to use your ideas and gifts. Thank God for giving them to you. Display your family’s “heart” as a reminder to help and comfort others this year. Also, remember to receive comfort from others when you need it!
Prayer Requests
Prayers for those receiving long-term care: www.cor.org/prayer.
Prayers for Health and Healing: Doug Curts, Rob McGregor, Noah Brooks Mills, Barb Starr, Stephanie Ward, Betty Hayes, Dexter DeWitt, Andrea Johnson, Alexandra Lewis, Rob McGregor, Chuck Nicolay, Lisa Passmore, Doris Reif, Jason Tremblay, James Turner,  Connie Worthington, Lester Young
Praise for the Birth of: Noah Brooks Mills, 1/1
Prayers for Peace & Comfort for:
• Lynn Kurr and family following the death of her father, Tom Hughes, 1/2
• Chuck Simpson and family following the death of his wife, Valerie Simpson, 1/1
• Terry Smith, Katina Smith and families following the death of Terry’s son and Katina’s husband, Jonathan Smith, 1/4
• Katie Wilson and family following the death of her grandfather, Carl Sherman, 12/30

Insight from Jason Gant

Jason Gant is the Campus Pastor at Resurrection West.

Paul is strengthening our understanding here of accountability. Accountability is different than judgement. As followers of Christ we are called to accountability in our faith through word and deed. I am reminded of John Wesley who was so concerned with building a righteous fellowship that he devised a series of questions for his followers to ask each other every week. Some found this rigorous system of inquiry too demanding and left.

I serve as the campus pastor at Resurrection West and recently preached a sermon entitled Rez-Oltuions where I spoke into Bishop Robert Schnase’s Five Practices of a Fruitful Congregation. I return to this book often and invited the congregation to look deeply at these five practices and then apply them not only to our church practice, but also individual discipleship. Here are the five practices and the questions I posed after sharing each one;

1. Radical Hospitality
How will you share radical hospitality in your workplace, your family, your neighborhood in 2015?

2. Passionate Worship
How will you worship God in the world throughout 2015?

3. Intentional Faith Development
How will you be intentional about your faith development in 2015 Your spouse? Your family?

4. Risk-Taking Mission and Service
How will you help those in need in 2015?

5. Extravagant Generosity
How will you give sacrificially in this coming year?

May these five practices of a fruitful congregation also be five practices of a deeply committed Christian!

You can view the entire sermon by clicking here.

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