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Friday, 12 January 2018
Matthew 28:16 So the eleven talmidim went to the hill in the Galil where Yeshua had told them to go. 17 When they saw him, they prostrated themselves before him; but some hesitated. 18 Yeshua came and talked with them. He said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore, go and make people from all nations into talmidim, immersing them into the reality of the Father, the Son and the Ruach HaKodesh, 20 and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember! I will be with you always, yes, even until the end of the age.”
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A disciple is not just a person who knows some things about Jesus. A disciple intends to follow Jesus in all parts of life. So “making disciples” is not a one-time effort, but a continual choice to invest ourselves in making the lives of others better. According to Jesus’ “Great Commission,” that included (and includes) caring about “all nations.” As Paul wrote, after wrestling with questions of identity and faith, “God’s riches, wisdom, and knowledge are so deep!” (Romans 11:33)
• This passage offered a command, and a promise. Jesus addressed the command to all his followers: “Go…make disciples of all nations…baptizing them …and teaching them.” In what ways are you gifted to help carry out this commission? In what ways does this make “the church” like a hospital that is open 24/7 rather than a fortress with gates tightly shut against “enemies” or “outsiders”?
• Jesus’ promise was more priceless than anything a MasterCard could get you: “Surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” In what situations has it made your life better to remember and live in the light of that promise? How can knowing Jesus is with you give you courage, strength and peace to reach beyond your comfort zone to bless others?
Prayer: Lord Jesus, I need you to stay with me, every day, every minute. Thank you for promising to do just that. Amen.
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Darren Lippe
Darren Lippe helps facilitate Journey 101 “Loving God” classes, guides a 7th-grade Sunday school class, is a member of a small group and a men’s group, and serves on the curriculum team.As we read today’s passage, I wondered how the Disciples got started on their Great Commission some 2,000 years ago. Maybe it went like this:
Welcome to Miracle Travel Services, fellas. What can I do for you?
A world tour? Sounds exciting. Have a seat. Could I interest you in our patented “3D Travel Experience” – Donkeys, Dinghies, & Dromedaries?
What? Oh, Dromedaries is just another word for Camel. I know - kind of confusing. But it is much better than our owner’s first choice – “Travel as Easy as ABC” – with the initials indicating boats & camels, etc.
Now, where exactly do you wish to travel?
All nations of the earth? That is very ambitious. Have you ever traveled outside of Israel before?
Well, yes, I guess going to Jacob’s Well in Samaria counts, but that’s not one of our juicier destinations. Do you have your immunization shots, passports, TSA Precheck forms?
No to all of that. Huh. Do you speak any foreign languages?
No? Um, have you thought of maybe starting small with something like our Red Sea tour? Our guide, Moses, & his staff create a very memorable trip. Or have you seen The Walls of Jericho? Actually, after Joshua no one has! (Laughing) That’s a little travel agent humor.
No, I suppose it wasn’t that funny. Okay. May I ask why you want to embark on such an ambitious itinerary?
Ah, so your Rabbi, Jesus, said to go to all nations of the earth to make Disciples. Wow. He is really a dreamer isn’t He? You’d think He’d say something like start with your friends & family or maybe even your local community - you know, where you can speak the language, are familiar with the customs, & have an idea of the geography. Why would He say all nations?
Huh. So He didn’t want anyone to get the mistaken impression that His love was only for a certain people, or certain geographic region, or certain cultures. His love was available for everyone, & so now you are charged with making sure the entire world hears this Good News?
Oh, not just you. All of His followers have this responsibility? Oh my, how could His believers possibly do that?
Aha. NOW it makes sense. This Jesus is your tour guide, helping you every step of the way as you seek to help build His Kingdom by inviting others to hear the Good News, by showing others what Christ’s love looks like, & by being a role model of the faith. Got it.
Well, I think I can work up a special package for you guys by tomorrow. Thanks for stopping by Miracle Travel Services – remember our motto: “If you enjoyed your trip, then it must have been a Miracle!”
---
A disciple is not just a person who knows some things about Jesus. A disciple intends to follow Jesus in all parts of life. So “making disciples” is not a one-time effort, but a continual choice to invest ourselves in making the lives of others better. According to Jesus’ “Great Commission,” that included (and includes) caring about “all nations.” As Paul wrote, after wrestling with questions of identity and faith, “God’s riches, wisdom, and knowledge are so deep!” (Romans 11:33)
• This passage offered a command, and a promise. Jesus addressed the command to all his followers: “Go…make disciples of all nations…baptizing them …and teaching them.” In what ways are you gifted to help carry out this commission? In what ways does this make “the church” like a hospital that is open 24/7 rather than a fortress with gates tightly shut against “enemies” or “outsiders”?
• Jesus’ promise was more priceless than anything a MasterCard could get you: “Surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” In what situations has it made your life better to remember and live in the light of that promise? How can knowing Jesus is with you give you courage, strength and peace to reach beyond your comfort zone to bless others?
Prayer: Lord Jesus, I need you to stay with me, every day, every minute. Thank you for promising to do just that. Amen.
---
Darren LippeDarren Lippe helps facilitate Journey 101 “Loving God” classes, guides a 7th-grade Sunday school class, is a member of a small group and a men’s group, and serves on the curriculum team.As we read today’s passage, I wondered how the Disciples got started on their Great Commission some 2,000 years ago. Maybe it went like this:
Welcome to Miracle Travel Services, fellas. What can I do for you?
A world tour? Sounds exciting. Have a seat. Could I interest you in our patented “3D Travel Experience” – Donkeys, Dinghies, & Dromedaries?
What? Oh, Dromedaries is just another word for Camel. I know - kind of confusing. But it is much better than our owner’s first choice – “Travel as Easy as ABC” – with the initials indicating boats & camels, etc.
Now, where exactly do you wish to travel?
All nations of the earth? That is very ambitious. Have you ever traveled outside of Israel before?
Well, yes, I guess going to Jacob’s Well in Samaria counts, but that’s not one of our juicier destinations. Do you have your immunization shots, passports, TSA Precheck forms?
No to all of that. Huh. Do you speak any foreign languages?
No? Um, have you thought of maybe starting small with something like our Red Sea tour? Our guide, Moses, & his staff create a very memorable trip. Or have you seen The Walls of Jericho? Actually, after Joshua no one has! (Laughing) That’s a little travel agent humor.
No, I suppose it wasn’t that funny. Okay. May I ask why you want to embark on such an ambitious itinerary?
Ah, so your Rabbi, Jesus, said to go to all nations of the earth to make Disciples. Wow. He is really a dreamer isn’t He? You’d think He’d say something like start with your friends & family or maybe even your local community - you know, where you can speak the language, are familiar with the customs, & have an idea of the geography. Why would He say all nations?
Huh. So He didn’t want anyone to get the mistaken impression that His love was only for a certain people, or certain geographic region, or certain cultures. His love was available for everyone, & so now you are charged with making sure the entire world hears this Good News?
Oh, not just you. All of His followers have this responsibility? Oh my, how could His believers possibly do that?
Aha. NOW it makes sense. This Jesus is your tour guide, helping you every step of the way as you seek to help build His Kingdom by inviting others to hear the Good News, by showing others what Christ’s love looks like, & by being a role model of the faith. Got it.
Well, I think I can work up a special package for you guys by tomorrow. Thanks for stopping by Miracle Travel Services – remember our motto: “If you enjoyed your trip, then it must have been a Miracle!”
---
“Now I know partially”
Saturday, 13 January 2018
“Now I know partially”
Saturday, 13 January 2018
1 Corinthians 13:9 For our knowledge is partial, and our prophecy partial;
The apostle Paul was a forceful advocate for his faith (as seen in Acts 17:16-34). Yet he spoke to the Athenian intellectuals with respect and humility. He honored their desire to serve an “unknown god,” and quoted from their writers in support of some of the truths he wanted to share. His deepseated faith didn’t make him arrogant, holding others in contempt. It made him humble, as he revealed in 1 Corinthians 13. He realized that his faith was about worshipping and serving the God who was bigger than everything even his exceptional mind could take in.
• 1 Corinthians 13:9 (“we know in part”) reminded us that we don’t know everything about God. Reflect on where you were in your faith journey 1 year, 5 years, 10 years ago. What have you learned in the meantime? In what areas, as you look back, can you sense how partial your understanding of God and God’s ways was? Could it be that at this time next year, or five years from now, you’ll have the same sense as you look back on some of the things you’re sure you “know” today? Given the scale and scope of the God we worship, do you think you will ever reach a point before eternity where you have nothing left to learn (or unlearn)? How does that realization shape the way you relate to other people with different beliefs?
Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you for the gift of a mind that can grapple with the great realities of life, learning more of your principles and your ways, and yet remaining humble in the light of all that I have left to learn. Help me grow in my understanding of you during 2018. Amen.
Family Activity: Many world religions value treating others the way we wish them to treat us. We Christians find this in Matthew 7:12(Matthew 7:12 “Always treat others as you would like them to treat you; that sums up the teaching of the Torah and the Prophets.), often called the Golden Rule. Read this passage, then hand out an index card to each person in your family. Have each person write, “I did or said something kind” on one side of the card. On the other side write, “I did or said something hurtful.” Ask each person to pay attention to their words and actions each day. Encourage them to place a mark on the appropriate side of the card each time they do something kind or hurtful. No one else needs to see the cards. These are just for each individual and God. Each day, work towards having fewer marks on the “hurtful” side and more marks on the “kind” side. Pray for God’s help to treat all people near and far with love, kindness, forgiveness and grace.
10 but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass.
11 When I was a child, I spoke like a child,
thought like a child, argued like a child;
now that I have become a man,
I have finished with childish ways.
12 For now we see obscurely in a mirror,
but then it will be face to face.
Now I know partly; then I will know fully,
just as God has fully known me.
---The apostle Paul was a forceful advocate for his faith (as seen in Acts 17:16-34). Yet he spoke to the Athenian intellectuals with respect and humility. He honored their desire to serve an “unknown god,” and quoted from their writers in support of some of the truths he wanted to share. His deepseated faith didn’t make him arrogant, holding others in contempt. It made him humble, as he revealed in 1 Corinthians 13. He realized that his faith was about worshipping and serving the God who was bigger than everything even his exceptional mind could take in.
• 1 Corinthians 13:9 (“we know in part”) reminded us that we don’t know everything about God. Reflect on where you were in your faith journey 1 year, 5 years, 10 years ago. What have you learned in the meantime? In what areas, as you look back, can you sense how partial your understanding of God and God’s ways was? Could it be that at this time next year, or five years from now, you’ll have the same sense as you look back on some of the things you’re sure you “know” today? Given the scale and scope of the God we worship, do you think you will ever reach a point before eternity where you have nothing left to learn (or unlearn)? How does that realization shape the way you relate to other people with different beliefs?
Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you for the gift of a mind that can grapple with the great realities of life, learning more of your principles and your ways, and yet remaining humble in the light of all that I have left to learn. Help me grow in my understanding of you during 2018. Amen.
Family Activity: Many world religions value treating others the way we wish them to treat us. We Christians find this in Matthew 7:12(Matthew 7:12 “Always treat others as you would like them to treat you; that sums up the teaching of the Torah and the Prophets.), often called the Golden Rule. Read this passage, then hand out an index card to each person in your family. Have each person write, “I did or said something kind” on one side of the card. On the other side write, “I did or said something hurtful.” Ask each person to pay attention to their words and actions each day. Encourage them to place a mark on the appropriate side of the card each time they do something kind or hurtful. No one else needs to see the cards. These are just for each individual and God. Each day, work towards having fewer marks on the “hurtful” side and more marks on the “kind” side. Pray for God’s help to treat all people near and far with love, kindness, forgiveness and grace.
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Prayer Requests – cor.org/prayer
Prayers for Peace & Comfort for:
• Libby Julo and family on the death of her father Hunter Harrison, 12/16
•Sandi Morgan and family on the death of her mother Lois Kinnaw, 12/22
•Bill Reed and family on the death of his wife Mary J. Reed, 12/25
• Matt Xiong and family on the death of his father Bon Xiong, 12/25
•Xai Vang and family on the death of his mother Choua Lor, 12/26
•Pattie Shaw and family on the death of her brother Isaac Pickett Jr., 12/27
•Valerie Burton and family on the death of her uncle Isaac Pickett Jr., 12/27
• Judy Schmidt and family on the death of her mother Betty Marie Stauffer, 12/28
•Carolyn Carlson and family on the death of her sister Mary Jo Hilyard, 12/28
• Mike Carlson and family on the death of his aunt Mary Jo Hilyard, 12/28
•RJ Scott and family on the death of his wife Sue Ann Sheridan, 1/30
• Joyce Hursman and family on the death of her daughter Kristen Hursman, 12/31
•Susan Yacos and family on the death of her husband John Yacos III, 1/1
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Prayer Requests – cor.org/prayer
Prayers for Peace & Comfort for:
• Libby Julo and family on the death of her father Hunter Harrison, 12/16
•Sandi Morgan and family on the death of her mother Lois Kinnaw, 12/22
•Bill Reed and family on the death of his wife Mary J. Reed, 12/25
• Matt Xiong and family on the death of his father Bon Xiong, 12/25
•Xai Vang and family on the death of his mother Choua Lor, 12/26
•Pattie Shaw and family on the death of her brother Isaac Pickett Jr., 12/27
•Valerie Burton and family on the death of her uncle Isaac Pickett Jr., 12/27
• Judy Schmidt and family on the death of her mother Betty Marie Stauffer, 12/28
•Carolyn Carlson and family on the death of her sister Mary Jo Hilyard, 12/28
• Mike Carlson and family on the death of his aunt Mary Jo Hilyard, 12/28
•RJ Scott and family on the death of his wife Sue Ann Sheridan, 1/30
• Joyce Hursman and family on the death of her daughter Kristen Hursman, 12/31
•Susan Yacos and family on the death of her husband John Yacos III, 1/1
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The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection
13720 Roe Avenue
Leawood, Kansas 66224, United States
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