Tag Archive for: Jesus

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The Fruit of Gentleness

Gentleness is one of those characteristics we often admire but don’t always understand. In a world that rewards being loud, forceful, and reactive, gentleness can easily be mistaken for weakness. We sometimes assume that strong people must be tough, decisive, and unwilling to back down. But Jesus offers us a different model.

Jesus described himself as “gentle and humble in heart” (Matthew 11:29). He could speak difficult truths, confront injustice, and challenge those who misused their power. Yet he never needed cruelty to demonstrate strength. His strength was expressed through compassion, patience, humility, and love.

The fruit of gentleness is not the absence of strength. It is strength placed in the hands of love.

Gentleness changes the way we speak to one another, the way we respond when we are offended, the way we exercise authority, and even the way we disagree. It invites us to ask a simple but challenging question: What if the strongest thing we can sometimes do is choose to be gentle?

In a culture that often celebrates winning, gentleness reminds us that following Jesus is not primarily about winning arguments or proving our strength. It is about becoming more like Jesus. It is about becoming who God has created us to be.

Read Galatians 6:1

“Brothers and sisters, if anyone is detected in a transgression, you who have received the Spirit should restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness.”

Reflect on Galatians 6

Biblical gentleness is the strength to treat people with grace when you have every opportunity to treat them harshly. The Greek word often translated gentleness is the same word translated meekness in the Beatitudes. It describes a person who possesses strength but chooses to exercise it with restraint and love.

Gentleness is strength under control. By the work of God’s spirit within you, you have the ability to respond to others with humility, patience, and compassion rather than force or harshness.

Notice the word “restore” in Paul’s letter. Just after giving examples of the fruit of the spirit, he offers instruction on caring for others. So, the goal of gentleness is not to win, punish, embarrass, or prove someone wrong. The goal is to help another person become whole or to become who God has created them to be.

Gentleness reflects the character of Jesus. To become more like Jesus is to become increasingly gentle in the way we treat people.

So, Paul is instructing the followers of Jesus in Galatia that gentleness is not weakness or passivity. Gentleness is being so self-aware that you can have difficult conversations. By the work of God’s Spirit within you, you have the grace to challenge hypocrisy, injustice, and what is wrong without being cruel or vindictive.

He also instructed the followers of Jesus in Ephesus with a similar teaching by connecting gentleness with humility, patience, and love. He wrote, “With all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love.” (Ephesians 4:2).

Gentleness is about creating space for others to be heard even when you feel you have the right to argue your point or to have the last word.

Respond to Galatians 6

So, how will you produce the fruit of gentleness this week? Ask yourself these questions, “How can I speak the truth without destroying the person who needs to hear it?” Or, When I have the power to hurt, shame, silence, or overpower someone, will I instead choose the way of Jesus, the way of gentleness?

Maybe think of it this way. There was once an old gardener who had spent most of his life caring for roses. One spring, a young apprentice began working with him.

One morning, the apprentice was pruning a rosebush when he accidentally broke one of the largest branches. The branch had several beautiful buds on it, and the apprentice knew he had ruined the plant.

He became embarrassed and waited for the gardener to become angry. The gardener walked over, looked at the broken branch, and said, “You were trying to help the rose grow, weren’t you?”

The apprentice responded quietly, “Yes.”

Instead of scolding him, the gardener showed him how to cut the damaged branch cleanly and care for the wound. Then he placed his hand on the young man’s shoulder and said, “You will make mistakes while you learn. I don’t want you to be afraid of making mistakes. I want to help you learn from them.”

Years later, the apprentice became a gardener himself. He remembered that moment, not because the gardener had corrected him, but because the gardener had not humiliated him.

Gentleness doesn’t ignore mistakes. The gardener still corrected the problem. But he understood what Paul had written, “If anyone is caught in a transgression, you who have received the Spirit should restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness.”

So, how will you produce the fruit of gentleness this week?

Return

Give thanks for the people you encountered today. In what ways were you gentle with them? In what ways were you firm but caring? With whom do you need to celebrate their gentleness with you? What will you do differently tomorrow?

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The Fruit of Faithfulness

Who comes to mind when you hear the word “faithfulness?” Is it someone trustworthy? Someone dependable? Someone who shows up no matter what? Someone who keeps their word?

I like that one. Someone faithful is someone who keeps their word. Maybe a better way to say it is, someone who keeps the Word.

In John we know that the word became flesh in Jesus. We also know that Jesus is God’s love in human form. That means at the heart of faithfulness is God’s love and we are being faithful, keeping our word, when we love one another.

Maybe we can look at it this way. Faithfulness is not about trying harder to be better. It is about a relationship with Jesus and making that relationship the center of everything you do. 

Eugene Peterson, author of Working the Angles and the translator of The Message, in an interview said that there is a strong fundamentalist attitude that has penetrated all parts of faith. It is an attitude of telling people what to believe and how to act. It is this attitude that has gotten in the way of the intimacy of relationships and of paying attention to Jesus. 

Paying attention to Jesus is countercultural in today’s environment. But that paying attention, or keeping the Word, is at the heart of faithfulness. 

Christian Faith 

John R. Hendrick, in his book Opening the Door of Faith, defines Christian faith as a centered, personal, relational response involving trust and obedience. 

Centered

First, the Christian faith is centered. According to the scriptures, the object of Christian faith is the living God revealed in the person Jesus whom we call the Christ. It is not a generic faith or general faith. The object is not a philosophy of life or a system of ethical ideals or a set of beliefs to which we give intellectual acceptance. The object of Christian faith is the living God revealed in Jesus. 

Personal

Second, Christian faith is personal. It is personal because it is centered in a person, a living person, Jesus whom we know as the Christ. According to the scriptures, Jesus is the One who was dead, is alive, and is alive forevermore. Christian faith takes the resurrection of Jesus seriously. It is not a historical event that happened over two thousand years ago. It is not “what would Jesus do?” It is the dynamic action of, “what is Jesus doing” in our lives today. By its very nature, Christian faith is personal because its object is a living person. 

It is also personal because it requires a personal response from each human being. Not all people will respond to Jesus in the same way. Some people will accept this personal response and others will reject it. The bottom line is you cannot have faith for another person. Ultimately, each person must own the faith for herself or himself.

So, Christian faith is personal not only because its object is a living person but also because it requires a personal response. 

Relational

Third, Christian faith is relational. It is relational first because it makes possible a right relationship with God. Paul, in his letter to the Ephesians, wrote, “For it is by God’s grace you are saved, through trust in God” (Ephesians 2:8). It is the grace of God that provides the basis for a relationship with God. 

Faith not only properly relates you to God; it also properly relates you people – all people, The bible calls them your neighbor. You cannot be properly related to God and improperly related to neighbor. Your relationship with God is bound up in your relationship with the people around you, and your relationship with others is bound up with your relationship to God. You cannot claim to love God while you hate your brother or sister. 

Faith not only establishes a relationship with God and neighbor, but it also helps you become an integrated person. It helps connect your head with your heart, your intentions with your behavior, and your talk with your walk. When you are in relationship with God and with your neighbor, you are one with yourself. 

Christian faith is so dynamic that you have a new respect for and stewardship of God’s creation. While you are related to God, your neighbor, and yourself, you can no longer be content to treat God’s creation selfishly and thoughtlessly. 

Centered, Personal, Relational Faith

Christian faith is a centered, personal, relational response of trust and obedience. Although emotion and goodness are results of faithfulness, the foundation of faith is based upon who God is and what God has done on your behalf. The foundation of faith is not your commitment to God but God’s commitment to you. Your faithfulness is not a mental acceptance but a full, all in, involvement of your whole being…body, mind, soul, spirit, senses, and will.  

So, your response is one of trust and of obedience. Trust is the personal and relationship aspect of faith. Obedience is your ethical aspect of faith. As a follower of Jesus, your allegiance is first to God. Your faithfulness is seen in your relationship with God and with the people around you.

Three Practices of Faithfulness 

Here are three practices to help develop and nurture your faithfulness as a follower of Jesus. There is nothing magical here. Just three ways that help you focus upon Jesus and reveal who you are in your relationships. 

1. Spend Time with Jesus

Spend time with Jesus. Read John 4:5-9. In the scripture, Jesus says, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you know me, you will know my Father also… Whoever has seen me has seen the father.” 

The theme in John’s gospel is “If you have seen Jesus, you have seen God.” The implication is that the work of God is seen in the work of Jesus. The work of God’s love is seen in the way Jesus loves. 

Then, Jesus turns things around and says, “As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” In other words, faithfulness is to live the life of Jesus, loving people the way Jesus has loved you. 

Spend time with Jesus to experience who God is and what God expects of you. Your time with Jesus is an active response of faithfulness. Your time with Jesus will be seen in the way you love others. 

2. Learn the Ways of Jesus

Learn the ways of Jesus. Read Matthew 28:18-20. In the scripture, Jesus says, “…teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you.” 

The theme in Matthew is “God sent Jesus to teach us how to live a righteous life.” So, to believe in Jesus, to trust and obey Jesus, is to live a life of righteousness. When you read Matthew’s story of Jesus, righteousness is not the purity of living as much as living in the right relationship with God, “Love the Lord your God…” and the right relationship with others, “love your neighbor as yourself.” The implication is that you learn and obey the ways of Jesus to teach others the way of Jesus. 

When Jesus says, in what we know as the great commission, “teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you,” he is referring to living in a loving relationship, working for the well-being of neighbor, stranger, and enemy. He is referring to the way you make promises and commitments to the people around you. He is referring to forgiving others as you have been forgiven. 

Learning and obeying the way of Jesus is what God expects of you as a son or daughter. What you learn and what you share is an active response of trust and obedience. What you learn and obey will be seen in your relationships. It will be seen in how you work for the good of others with integrity and trust.  

3. Live the Life of Jesus

Live the life of Jesus.  Read Mark 1:21-27. In the scripture, there is a shouting match in the sanctuary. Jesus confronts an unclean spirit. In doing so, he sets a person free to be who God created him to be. 

The theme in Mark’s Gospel is “God sent Jesus to oppose all the evil, suffering, and pain in the world.” The implication is, to spend time with Jesus, to learn and obey the ways of Jesus, will lead you to oppose the evil, suffering, and pain in your communities, neighborhoods, and the world at large. 

Even the unclean spirits know who Jesus is (intellectual acceptance). “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are, the Holy One of God.” There is no change of behavior. No love of neighbor or enemy. Just a disruption of the life of a man, who knows who Jesus is, but who does not live in trust and obedience. 

When you read Mark’s story of Jesus, Jesus is restoring relationships. When he heals the man with leprosy, he is restoring the man to his family, to his community, to his synagogue, to his job. When Jesus encounters the man with demons in the cemetery, he frees the man from the pigs, from living life as if he were dead, trapped in the evil of his living. 

Repeatedly in Mark’s story, Jesus is facing the evil of unclean spirits that lead to the suffering and pain of the people he encounters. To live the life of Jesus is an active response of trust and obedience. Your living will reveal how you face the challenges and difficulties of this time. 

Faith Shaped Leadership

These three practices can and will assist you in deepening your faith and producing the fruit of faithfulness.

So, as a follower of Jesus, what are you doing to pay attention to Jesus and to develop your trust and obedience? Let’s not make it an intellectual exercise, but with trust and obedience let’s actively commit ourselves to God and to one another for the transformation of our lives, our families, our communities, our church, and the world. 

Someone who is faithful is someone who keeps the Word. The heart of faithfulness is God’s love, and we are being faithful, keeping our word, when we love one another.

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The Fruit of Generosity

If you are like me, when you hear the word “generosity,” you immediately think of someone giving a significant gift like money. But have you ever considered that being generous might also mean giving someone the benefit of the doubt?

Think about it. Instead of jumping to the worst possible conclusions, you might consider that they are doing the best they can. Before jumping to conclusions, consider what they might be experiencing within themselves, their families, or their life situation?

Brené Brown, in her book, Dare to Lead, writes that generosity is giving others the benefit of the doubt and generously interesting their motives.

As a follower of Jesus, living a holy life, filled with God’s love, generosity is a fruit you produce. Paul gives a description of the soil for cultivating the fruit of generosity.

Read 1 Thessalonians 5:15-18

Make sure no one repays a wrong with a wrong, but always pursue the good for each other and everyone else. Rejoice always. Pray continually. Give thanks in every situation because this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

Reflect on 1 Thessalonians 5

In his letter to the Thessalonians, Paul writes about how to treat difficult people and then moves to how to cultivate an inner posture of joy, prayer, and gratitude.

He begins with relationships. When someone hurts you. Often your immediate response is retaliation. “You hurt me, so I’ll hurt you.” Paul says that as a follower of Jesus, you are to break that cycle. He doesn’t say “Don’t retaliate.” He says, “Always seek to do good.”

The point is that you don’t simply avoid revenge; you look for ways to bless, heal, reconcile, and serve others, even when they don’t deserve it. To seek the good of others is to love them. You love them even if they hurt you. You always seek to do good to those who mistreat you.

Then he says, “rejoice always.” Your deepest joy isn’t determined by whether life is going well. Your joy comes from knowing that God is always with you. You can experience sadness, brief disappointment, and even anger while still possessing a deeper joy. Joy is not the denial of pain and disappointment. Joy is rooted in the confidence of God’s presence in the midst of the pain and disappointment.

Then comes the direction to “Pray continually.” Paul instructs his readers to develop a life in which conversation with God becomes woven into everything you do. You live in the ongoing awareness of God. Prayer becomes a posture, a way of living, a way to approach every situation and circumstance.

Then, give thanks in all situations and circumstances. Paul doesn’t say to “give thanks for all circumstances.” He says, “to give thanks in all circumstances.” You don’t have to be thankful for grief, injustice, betrayal, or suffering. But even in those circumstances, you can find reason to say, “God, I am grateful that you are with me in the midst of this.

Gratitude changes the way you see your circumstances. It might change the situation, but it allows for the opportunity to acknowledge that God is with you, and nothing can separate you from God.

Paul provides fertile soil of generosity. Rooted in generosity, you respond with goodness rather than retaliate. You cultivate joy, remain connected to God, and practice gratitude when you cultivate generosity. This is a life shaped by the character of Jesus.

Respond to 1 Thessalonians 5 

How will you be generous today?

Brené Brown defines being generous as extending the “most generous interpretation possible” to the intentions, words, and actions of others. Giving others the benefit of the doubt and generously interpreting their motives.

Maybe you can think of this way.

What’s Your Most Generous Interpretation?

I read recently of a mother who was teaching her two children what they might expect in a new school environment. She had taught them to be kind and genuine and how to navigate the complexities of the new school.

At the end of one school day, her oldest daughter began to explain about the most recent incident of bullying, hurt feelings, and distress. Although the mother had taught her children to use their words, seek adult support, and defend themselves, the “lessons were lost in the heat of this moment.” She declared, “Why didn’t you simply put the girl in her place?” Her words were a direct command to end bullying once and for all.

Her youngest child replied, “Mom, something hard must be going on in her life. Maybe we should pray for her.” The words coming from her first-grader stung, and the mother immediately regretted what she had said.


The decision not to repay a wrong with a wrong is a way of living that results from our desire to express gratitude rather than fear. It is a lifestyle that includes an attitude of kindness and generosity even in the face of unfairness. It requires continually cultivating holy habits that foster a better world for everyone.


It is difficult to be a positive witness of God’s love without aligning your words and actions. Nothing will be solved by repaying wrong actions with wrong actions. When we see and experience wrongs, choose a different path. The path of generosity reflects the love you have received in and through Jesus.


What kind of community would exist if we truly cared about each other? How different would our world be if we were generous with the people around us, in the decisions we make, and in the actions we take?

In a world where bullying, meanness, selfishness, and greed exist, choose to respond from a place of generosity and actively work for the good of everyone. Generosity requires us to live like Jesus, in a Christlike manner, which is often counter to the world’s view.

So, how will you be generous today?

Return 

Give thanks for the people you encountered today. In what ways were you generous with them? In what ways did you assist others in being generous?  With whom do you need to celebrate the generosity you have experienced in and through them? What will you do differently tomorrow?

Producing the Fruit of Kindness

What comes to mind when you hear the word “kindness?” If you are like me, it is words like nice and polite. But in the scripture, kindness is deeper and richer than being nice or polite. It is a deliberate expression of God’s love that seeks to make life good for others. It is active, compassionate, and generous. Its source is God’s love.

One of the interesting things about kindness is that word “chrestotes,” that Paul uses in the Fruit of the Spirit, is the same word Jesus uses for easy in Matthew when he says, “…my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

From that scripture, kindness is an invitation to a new way of living in relationship with God and with people.

Read Matthew 11:28-30

28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

Reflect

Jesus offers an invitation to “come” to him. The invitation is not a set of rules, a philosophy, or a religion. The invitation is to him.

He is talking to people who are carrying many kinds of burdens. You can imagine what the burdens might have been: guilt, religious legalism, hardships of life under Roman rule, disappointments, grief, fear. The list goes on.

As you might know, many people carry similar burdens today. Burdens like anxiety, regret, unrealistic expectations, overwhelming financial pressure, spiritual exhaustion, again, the list goes on. But as you come to Jesus, he offers refreshment, relief, restoration, and renewal. He does not promise an easy life without problems, but he does promise rest for your weariness.

Here is where kindness, the fruit of the Spirit, comes in. Jesus says, “Take my yoke upon you.” It sounds surprising until you put the emphasis upon “my.”

A yoke was a wooden beam placed over two oxen so they could pull together. It became a common Jewish metaphor for submitting to a teacher’s instruction or way of life.

What Jesus is saying is, “Exchange the yoke you’ve been carrying for mine.” In other words, “let me walk with you and you give me your burden, and I will give you mine.” Walking with Jesus requires trust. But his yoke is different because he walks beside us and shares the load. As you walk with him, you learn from him. You become more like him. You reflect his character.

His character reveals that he is approachable, patient, and compassionate. His character is of one who is welcoming the weary with kindness and humility.

Kindness is…

Here is the meaning of kindness. The word translated easy means kind, well-fitting, or good. So, like a well-crafted yoke that fits perfectly, Jesus’ yoke is designed for the life God created you to live. It is not a burden-free life, but a life made easier by walking with Jesus. He does not remove every burden from your shoulders; he removes the burden of carrying life alone. He invites you to walk beside him, to learn his way, until his peace becomes the deepest reality of your soul.

As I wrote earlier, the word for kindness in the fruit of the Spirit is the same work for easy in “my yoke is easy.” In other words, the natural result of living by God’s grace is living under Jesus’ “easy” or “kind” yoke. As you learn from him, his character is gradually formed within you, and you are identified as a child of God because of the fruit you produce.

Reflect on Matthew 11:28-30

During World War II, Eric Liddell was imprisoned in a Japanese internment camp in China. The conditions were harsh. Food was scarce, disease spread easily, and uncertainty hung over everyone. There were no cheering crowds, no medals, and no freedom.

Yet those who lived with Liddell noticed something remarkable. While others were consumed by fear and frustration, he seemed to possess a deep, quiet peace.

Every day he taught children, organized games, encouraged the discouraged, shared what little food he had, and visited the sick. One fellow prisoner later said that Liddell “radiated the love of Christ.” Another recalled that when tensions flared, people naturally sought him out because he brought calm wherever he went.

One evening a young man, overwhelmed by the hopelessness of the camp, asked him, “How can you stay so peaceful? Don’t you feel the weight of all this?”

Liddell smiled gently and replied, “Of course I feel it. But I’ve learned that when the load becomes too heavy, I don’t carry it alone.”

He wasn’t denying the burden. He was describing the yoke of Jesus. The circumstances never became easier. The food didn’t improve. The guards didn’t become kinder. Eventually, Liddell would die in that camp just months before liberation. But those who knew him testified that he carried a lightness of spirit that could only be explained by his relationship with Jesus.

Jesus never promised that life would become effortless. Instead, he said: “Come to me… Take my yoke upon you… and you will find rest for your souls.”

Eric Liddell discovered that rest. The burden was still real, but it was no longer his to bear alone.

The kindness of Jesus was not to take the burden away, but to help carry it with us. He steps under the yoke with us. Like two oxen pulling together, the stronger one bears the greater weight. Our peace comes not because the road is easy, but because we never walk it alone.

Return

Give thanks for the people you encountered today. In what ways did you extend kindness? In what ways did you assist others in being kind?  With whom do you need to celebrate the kindness you have experienced in and through them? What will you do differently tomorrow?

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Producing the Fruit of Joy

As a child, when I attended Vacation Bible School, I learned the song, “I’ve got the joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart.” At that time in my life, I had no idea what I was singing, but obviously, it made an impact on me.

What is the joy we sing about? If we look at joy in the scripture, it is much deeper than happiness. Happiness is often based on circumstances, while joy is a deep, enduring delight rooted in God’s presence, character, and promises, regardless of our outward circumstances.

Read Galatians 5:22-23

“…the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control…”

Reflect on Galatians 5:22-23

Paul lists joy as the second fruit of the Spirit. This means joy is not something we manufacture through positive thinking. It is produced by the Holy Spirit as we remain connected to Jesus.

The word for joy in the Greek is “chara.” It comes from the same root for grace which is charis. This is significant because it tells us that joy is the natural response to experiencing God’s grace.

With that in mind, a good definition of joy is, “the Spirit-given confidence and delight that comes from knowing God, trusting God’s promises, and experiencing God’s presence, regardless of life’s circumstances.”

Joy is rooted in God’s character and not in the changing circumstances in which we live. It flows from God’s grace, is sustained by the Holy Spirit, and coexists with suffering.

In the scripture, joy and sorrow are not opposites. Paul wrote to the Corinthians, “Sorrowful, yet always rejoicing.” (2 Corinthians 6:10) and James encouraged believers to, “Consider it pure joy…whenever you face trials…” (James 1:2)

This does not mean suffering is enjoyable. Rather, we can rejoice because God is at work even through disappointment and pain, producing perseverance, maturity, and hope. Jesus offers hope to us as his followers, “I have told you these things so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.” (John 15:11)

Jesus himself endured the cross “…for the joy set before him…” (Hebrews 12:2) His joy came from being faithful to God’s plan and purpose. As Jesus followers, our joy is centered in the plan and purpose of Jesus. Henri Nouwen wrote: “Joy does not simply happen to us. We have to choose joy and keep choosing it every day.”

While joy is a fruit of the Spirit and ultimately God’s gift, Wesley taught us to cultivate practice like the “means of grace” to keep ourselves open to the work of God’s Spirit in us.

I believe that is part of what Paul was saying when he wrote, “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!” (Philippians 4:4)

Respond to Galatians 5

One winter morning in Washington, D.C., thousands of commuters hurried through a busy Metro station. Most had somewhere important to be. Heads were down, coffee in hand, eyes fixed on the clock.

Standing near a wall was a man with a violin. He began to play some of the most beautiful music ever written. For forty-five minutes he performed six masterpieces with extraordinary skill.

Nearly everyone walked by.

A few slowed for a moment, then hurried on. Several dropped a dollar into his violin case without stopping. Children wanted to linger, but their parents tugged them along. In all, more than a thousand people passed him, yet only a handful truly listened.

What the commuters didn’t know was that the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the greatest musicians in the world. Just two nights earlier, people had paid over $100 each to hear him perform in a sold-out concert hall.

The music hadn’t changed. The musician hadn’t changed. Only the setting had changed. Many people missed something beautiful because they were too consumed by their circumstances.

How will your life be filled with God’s presence today? The circumstances might be ordinary. They might be difficult, but God’s song is still playing. Joy is not found because life is easy. Joy is found because God is present.

I’ve got the joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart. How about you? Where will you find joy today?

Return

Give thanks for the people you encountered today. In what ways did you experience joy? In what ways did you help others experience joy? With whom do you need to celebrate the joy you experience in and through them? What will you do differently tomorrow?

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The Ministry is in Our Hands

There is a legend of a conversation between Jesus and the angel Gabriel, after the ascension. The conversation focuses on how Jesus’ work on earth will continue. Gabriel approaches Jesus and asks, “Master, you suffered terribly on earth to pay for the sins of humankind. Does everyone down there know and appreciate the extent of your sacrifice?” Jesus replies, “No, not yet. Right now, only a handful of people know about it.” Puzzled, Gabriel asks, “What plan do you have to tell everyone else?” Jesus explains, “I have asked Peter, James, John, and a few other friends to spread the news. They will tell others, who will then tell others, until the message spreads to the ends of the earth.” Gabriel, knowing the limitations of human beings, asks, “Yes, but Master what if Peter grows weary and goes back to fishing: What if John loses his enthusiasm, or the others who come after them forget? Do you have a Plan B?” With a study and loving gaze on Gabriel, Jesus simply answers, “I have no other plans. I am counting on them.” Jesus left his work in the hands of ordinary, imperfect people like you and me. He is counting on everyday ordinary followers to continue to spread his message of love. We are an extension of his ministry. You can read about it in Matthew’s story of the life and ministry of Jesus

Read Matthew 9:35-10:8

Jesus traveled among all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, announcing the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and every sickness. Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he had compassion for them because they were troubled and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The size of the harvest is bigger than you can imagine, but there are few workers. Therefore, plead with the Lord of the harvest to send out workers for his harvest.”He called his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits to throw them out and to heal every disease and every sickness. Here are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon, who is called Peter; and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee; and John his brother; Philip; and Bartholomew; Thomas; and Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus; and Thaddaeus; Simon the Cananaean; and Judas, who betrayed Jesus.Jesus sent these twelve out and commanded them, “Don’t go among the Gentiles or into a Samaritan city. Go instead to the lost sheep, the people of Israel. As you go, make this announcement: ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those with skin diseases, and throw out demons. You received without having to pay. Therefore, give without demanding payment.

Reflect on Matthew 10

Jesus Sees the Need

When Jesus sees the crowds, he is moved with compassion. He calls and invites people like you and me to join his mission. In the story, he equips those whom he calls with his authority, and he sends them out to share God’s love in both word and deed.

Matthew tells of Jesus’ teaching, preaching, and healing throughout the towns and villages. Then he writes, “When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.”

The word “compassion” refers to a deep, gut-level concern that moves a person to action. When Jesus saw the need, he didn’t feel sorry for the people, he was moved from deep within himself to care for the people.

Matthew tells us that Jesus sees us as “sheep who need a shepherd.” People are not seen as problems to avoid, but as people who need care and direction. He is moved by their condition.

Jesus Calls for Workers

Then Matthew changes the image. The shift is from sheep to harvest. “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few.”

The problem is not that there are too few people interested in God; the problem is that there are too few workers willing to serve. Jesus’ first instruction is “Pray.” He says,” Ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers.”

Ministry begins with prayer and then moves into action. God’s mission first requires being aware of the need and then a response to meet the need. God wants you and me to participate in God’s mission.

Jesus Equips and Sends

Jesus calls twelve ordinary people, and he gives them authority to heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, and cast out demons.” I think it is interesting that God often chooses ordinary people to accomplish extraordinary purposes. The authority belongs to Jesus. He simples calls and invites us to carry out his mission in the world.

He says, “Freely you have received; freely give.”

The grace they received was gift from God. What they are learning is that God’s love is not something to just talk about but is an action to be demonstrated through acts of mercy and restoration.

Respond

Jesus looked at the crowds and saw people who were “harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.” His heart was filled with compassion. But instead of trying to do all the work Himself, He called ordinary people to follow. He equipped them for ministry and sent them out to respond in love.

It might be helpful to think of it this way. In a small town located in the mountains was a clinic. Because it was the only medical facility in the area, it functioned at capacity most of the time. The staff worked tirelessly to meet the needs of those who were sick, injured, and in need of care.   

The director of the clinic, Dr. Carter, noticed that there was a growing number of people coming to the clinic who were lonely, experiencing grief, and needing basic care.

One evening, he stood at the clinic window looking out at the crowded parking lot. A young nurse walked up, stood beside him, and said, “It has been another full day.”

He responded, “Yes, every day is getting fuller. There are so many people who need help. I look out and all of you are working as hard as you can to meet the needs. The problem is not the needs. Our problem is, we don’t have enough people helping to meet the need.”

The next week, when making out the staff schedule, Dr. Carter did something unexpected. He invited a dozen or so people from the community to help address the needs of the clinic. He asked his mechanic, a teacher he knew, a farmer he had helped, the clerk at the grocery story, a retired firefighter, and several others. None of them were doctors and some of them even wondered why they had been invited.

At an initial gathering, Dr. Carter looked around the room and said, “The town is hurting, and I can’t reach everyone by myself. I’m going to teach you how to help.”

So, Dr Carter began to train them for service. He taught them how to recognize emergencies, how to provide basic care, how to comfort frightened families, and how to connect people with resources.

At the end of their training, the doctor handed each of them a medical kit and said, “You know enough to begin. I’m sending you out as an extension of the clinic.”

The mechanic raised his hand, “What if we’re not ready?”

Dr. Carter smiled, “You’ll never feel completely ready. But the people need help now.”

It did not take long for those invited to care for the needs of the community to scatter throughout the community. They checked on elderly neighbors, responded to emergencies, delivered medicine, and encouraged discouraged families.

Months later, someone asked Dr. Carter, “Do you ever get concerned about giving ordinary people so much responsibility.”

He looked out at the town and replied, “The need was too great for me to keep it to myself. The best way to care for people was to send others to care for them too.”

Jeus says, “The harvest is plentiful.” The needs are great and Jesus still calls each of us to become his hands, feet, and voice in the world. The compassion of Jesus always leads to mission.

Return

Give thanks for God’s call upon your life, and thanks for the people you encountered today. In what ways were you aware of following Jesus? How did you live out your call? How did you experience God’s love? In what ways did you model and share God’s love? With whom do you need to celebrate the love you experience in and through them: what will you do differently tomorrow?

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Begin to Engage Your Community – Part 3 – Koinonia

Engaging the community is about God’s business. It is about following Jesus in relating to and loving others within the community in which you are located.

To help resource you in Engaging the Community, let’s focus on two distinct community ideas. The first is koinonia found in the New Testament. The second is the community in which your congregation is located. In both communities, you can share the gospel and grow your relationship with Jesus and the people entrusted to your care.  

To focus on these two concepts, remember that you are about God’s business. So, through the lens of being a follower of Jesus, what does it mean to live in community with other followers of Jesus and what does it mean to be a follower of Jesus in a diversity of people and beliefs?  

It is important to know and understand koinonia as you engage the community in which you are located. So, let’s start with koinonia, the New Testament understanding of fellowship or community.   

Read Acts 2:42:47 

They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. Awe came upon everyone because many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. All who believed were together and had all things in common; they would sell their possessions and goods and distribute the proceeds to all, as any had need. Day by day, as they spent much time together in the temple, they broke bread at home and ate their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having the goodwill of all the people. And day by day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved.  

Reflect on Acts 2

The first followers of Jesus, “…devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship…” Gathering in community was important. It is mentioned three times: They devoted themselves to “fellowship” (verse 42), “All who believed were together” (verse 44), and “Day by day, as they spent much time together in the temple…” (verse 46). Being together was an important characteristic of their faith development.  

Koinonia

This fellowship was known as “koinonia.” Before describing what “koinonia” is, let’s identify what it is not. Koinonia is not formal gatherings for potluck dinners nor informal gatherings of people who are like us. It is neither being a part of a country or civic club nor is it like being a part of a service organization. Koinonia is more than participating in worship. All of these are good and needed, but they do not describe what those early followers of Jesus experienced as koinonia. 

Koinonia for them was gathering to listen and learn of the gospel (apostles’ teaching). They were trying to make sense of what they had experienced at Pentecost. Gathering was to eat together, (breaking bread). It was an expression of God’s love, agape, working for the good of others, especially those who had little to eat. Gathering to pray (prayers). They gathered with glad and generous hearts in gratitude to God, seeking direction on how to live their lives as followers of Jesus. 

Koinonia and John Wesley

It is this same koinonia that John Wesley experienced when he expressed that “I felt my heart strangely warmed, I felt I did trust Christ, Christ alone for salvation; and an assurance was given me that he had taken away my sins, even mine, and saved me from the law of sin and death.”  

Wesley was motivated to establish a koinonia system to help others, whose hearts were also “strangely warmed.” He was surrounded by people who not only wanted to hear the gospel but wanted to experience it. They lived in a time of spiritual apathy in which there was a disconnect between themselves and their faith. There was also an institutional disconnect that created disillusionment and distrust of the church.  

Wesley’s Aldersgate experience became a model for heartfelt faith. For the people whose hearts were warmed by God’s love, Wesley developed a system to help keep the heartfelt faith alive with experiences of care, support, encouragement, and correction.  

Koinonia and Methodism

He developed community by using class meetings and bands in which followers of Jesus were nurtured in faith and held accountable with compassion. People cared for and looked after each other’s souls. It was in the fellowship where loving hearts set other hearts on fire.  

Koinonia was woven into the DNA of those early Methodist Christians. Whether you are a United Methodist or not, this koinonia has shaped your faith as a Jesus follower. It is an essential experience in assisting you in becoming who you are created to be.  

Embodying Koinonia

Although I did not know it then, my earliest memories of faith are of people teaching, caring, supporting, and encouraging me in the faith community. Whether it was a fourth-grade Sunday school teacher telling me I would go somewhere else in the world to tell others of Jesus, a junior high school teacher who taught me to pray and to listen for God to speak, a high school teacher who cried with the class the day after a major disaster, or the Jesus followers who nurtured me in faith with compassion from a child to an adult, koinonia was part of my experience in becoming who I am today.  

Over the years, I have attempted to develop koinonia through small groups or other fellowship experiences. Still, the most common experience in which I have experienced koinonia is when it was woven into the fabric of the community of faith. It was when other followers of Jesus, whose hearts were warmed with God’s love, shared their faith and love with one another, the larger community, and the world.  

Heartfelt Faith

As a follower of Jesus and a Christ-centered leader, you lead with a heartfelt faith. There are two aspects of this heartfelt faith: the experience of God’s love in each individual’s life and the gathering of followers of Jesus who have experienced God’s love. Think clearly about providing opportunities for the “warm heart” and the structures of care that will lead to transforming individual lives, communities, and the world.  

When Wesley insisted that “true Christianity cannot exist without the inward experience and the outward practice of justice, mercy, and truth,” he gave us our focus on koinonia.  

So, take a moment to reflect upon these questions for yourself:

  • How is my relationship with Jesus growing in depth and expression?
  • How am I living out my heart being warmed by God’s love?
  • How do I grow in faith and live out my faith in meaningful ways? 

Take a moment to reflect upon this question for your faith community:

  • Am I developing the structures of care where people can grow in grace and discipleship, where the fruits of the spirit are being cultivated, and where loving hearts are setting others’ hearts on fire?  

The early followers of Jesus “devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship…” So, one of the characteristics of engaging the community is to develop koinonia, Christian community. 

Respond

Beware of moments when your heart is “strangely warmed” by the presence of Jesus in the lives of the people you encounter and in the situations you find yourself today. Continue to be mindful of how you are growing in faith and living in God’s love.  Be intentional in extending God’s love to the people around you. Ask God to help you be a blessing to someone, somewhere today. 

Prayer 

O God, thank you for your fellowship so I can grow in my faith. By your grace, continue introducing me to people who can provide care, support, instruction, and correction. Thank you for the ways you have provided for me to become more of the person you have created me to be. Give me the faith to trust you more. Make me aware of the people around me today so that I might become a blessing to someone, somewhere today. I offer myself to be in koinonia with you in the name of Jesus. Amen. 

Return

Give God thanks for the people you encountered today. In whom did you meet Jesus? How was your heart strangely warmed? What structures did you put in place to give others care, support, encouragement, and hope? What do you need to do to lead others into koinonia? Give God thanks for the opportunities you had to become more who God has created you to be. 

As you learn and grow in engaging the community, keep in mind, who you are is how you lead.

Next, we will look at the second concept of community in Part Four of Beginning to Engage the Community.

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Begin to Practice Your Faith – Part 2

(This is the second in the series or Begin To Practice Your Faith. Read Part 1 here)

One of the characteristics of God’s mission is practicing your faith. Practicing your faith comes in two ways. First, to practice means to perform an activity or exercise a skill repeatedly in order to improve or maintain your proficiency. In other words, you rehearse or practice. 

Second, practice means to put into action or to implement what you have learned and experienced. It is the actual doing or application of an idea, belief, or method as opposed to talking about it. In other words, you apply or practice what you have rehearsed. 

Nurture and Equipped to Live Out Your Faith 

As a follower of Jesus, you have the opportunity to nurture people in their faith as well as equip them to live out their faith in everyday situations and circumstances. You have the opportunity to assist them in rehearsing their faith as well as applying their faith in everyday situations with every person they encounter.    

So, as you invite people into the movement of God’s grace and equip them for the mission of God’s love, you provide opportunities for them to practice by learning and growing in their faith. It might be you’re helping people practice their faith through the means of grace, a small group, or a Sunday School class. Whether it be serving meals, caring for those who are homeless, or teaching children to read, assist people by incorporating scripture, prayer, and reflection as ways of practicing their faith. Whether it be a finance meeting, trustee meeting, choir rehearsal, a women’s or men’s meeting, youth fellowship, or nursery school board, offer people opportunities to talk about faith experiences as ways of practicing their faith. 

The point is you have the opportunity to nurture and equip people by providing opportunities to rehearse their faith and apply what they have rehearsed.    

People experience God’s love and learn to share God’s love through practice. Jesus gives clear direction in Matthew’s good news. He says, “Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Matthew 5:48). When you are preparing for mission, practice makes perfect.

Let’s explore several examples of practicing faith from the early church in The Acts of the Apostles, Acts 2:42.

Read

Christ-Centered Leaders Develop Community

Christ-Centered Leaders Develop Community – Part 2 

Read Acts 2:42-47 

They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. Awe came upon everyone because many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. All who believed were together and had all things in common; they would sell their possessions and goods and distribute the proceeds to all, as any had need. Day by day, as they spent much time together in the temple, they broke bread at home and ate their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having the goodwill of all the people. And day by day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved.  

Reflect on Acts 2:42-47

The first followers of Jesus practiced by devoting “themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship…” Part of the practice of the first followers was to gather in community. Practicing community was important. 

It is mentioned three times: They devoted themselves to “fellowship” (verse 42), “All who believed were together” (verse 44), and “Day by day, as they spent much time together in the temple…” (verse 46). Being together was an important characteristic of their faith development. They practiced their faith in relationship with other Jesus followers. 

Practicing Community

Practicing community was seen in the relationships they made and deepened as they gathered to listen and learn of the gospel (apostles’ teaching). They practiced community when they ate together, (breaking of bread). 

They practiced God’s love, agape, by working for the good of others, especially with those who had little to eat. They practiced relationships by praying together and by gathering with glad and generous hearts in gratitude to God. They practiced by seeking direction on how to live their lives as followers of Jesus. 

Studying the Scripture

They practiced by studying the scripture together. “They devoted themselves to the apostles teaching…” Wesley called this “searching the scriptures.” 

One of the distinctive marks of Jesus’ followers was they sought to understand how to live their lives in relationship with one another.  Just as the apostles’ teaching was transformational in the lives of the early followers of Jesus, practicing living the good news of Jesus Christ is transformational both personally and socially.  

Practicing Fellowship

They practiced fellowship together. “They devoted themselves to…fellowship.”  When they gathered, they practiced loving one another. Their time together was formational as they grew together in their personal faith and learned to have compassion and encouragement in their social interactions.  

They practiced accountability. “Day by day, as they spent much time together in the temple.” Those early Jesus followers spent time together sharing stories, asking questions, learning, and growing together. It was in their conversations (Christian conferencing) they practiced accountability. 

For a more in-depth exploration of accountability can be found in the blog Christ-Centered Leaders Develop Community 

Practice Sharing Your Faith

Their practice inward led to their practice beyond themselves. As they practiced their faith together, they were led to practice their faith outside their group. They discovered new ways to love others the way God Jesus had loved them. They practiced their faith by sharing what they had with others. Whether it was their food, clothing, shelter, money, or other possessions, they practiced generosity by offering themselves to one another in love. 

Their practice helped them become more of who God had created them to be. How are you practicing your faith? Who you are is how you lead. 

Respond

How will you practice your faith today? Be aware of the people God sends your way today. How will you participate in community? How will you develop relationships with people who are not part of your inner circle? In what new way will you love others the way God in Christ has loved you? 

How will you practice your faith by reading and studying the scripture, by praying, by entering conversations about faith and how to grow in love? 

How will you practice your faith? Sometimes it is by feeding people who are hungry or finding shelter for those who are homeless. At other times, it is by providing care for children or finding jobs for those unemployed. Sometimes it is by taking time to listen, really listen, and responding with encouragement and support. At other times, it is being with someone, just by coming alongside them and being present. 

Practicing your faith helps to turn your inner faith into an outward expression of love and care. How will you practice your faith today? 

Prayer

O God, make me aware of the people around me today. By your grace, help me be an extension of your love in the lives of the people you send my way. Help me yield a little more of myself so that I may love others as you have loved me in Jesus. Help me be faithful to your call upon my life so that I may be a blessing to someone, somewhere, today. Amen  

Return

As you reflect upon your day, give thanks for God’s call to follow Jesus. In what ways did you practice your faith? With whom did you share God’s love? How did you invite people into God’s movement of grace and mission of love? How did you practice hospitality? How did you practice offering Christ to the people around you? With whom do you need to celebrate the love you experienced in and through them? What will you do differently tomorrow?

Becoming One Who Offers Christ Part Three

This is part 3 of a 3-part series.

Read Becoming One Who Offers Christ Part One and

Becoming One Who Offers Christ Part Two

As a follower of Jesus, you model for and assist others in becoming people who offer Christ. You have the responsibility to remind them that they are God’s beloved children, and as God’s children, they are about doing God’s business. They are living God’s love by loving others as they have been loved. So, to become one who offers Christ, you are about God’s business in your living and loving each day.

(Read Preparing for Mission: Being About God’s Business).

How to Engage People in Offering Christ?

The question for most of us comes down to how. How do you engage people in God’s business of love? How do you engage people in offering Christ?

At this point, it is easy to jump into techniques and practices of faith sharing. I believe there are practical ways of living your faith that naturally lead to sharing your faith and offering Christ. But I also believe many of those practical ways fall short without a clear understanding of who you are as a follower of Jesus.

Who are You as a Follower of Jesus?

As a follower of Jesus, you have the opportunity and responsibility to remind those who are entrusted to your care that:

They are beloved children of God. 

They are claimed by God and commissioned to be about God’s business. With that in mind and heart, offering Christ is not a personal choice of whether you are good at it or not. It is how you live your life in relationship with the people you encounter each day. When you are claimed as a beloved child of God, you are also equipped with a love that will not let you go and a love that is meant to be lived out and shared in every situation and circumstance in which you find yourself. Offering Christ is about loving others as you have been loved.

God’s claim upon their lives is bigger than themselves…

God’s claim on their lives is also bigger than their church and their denomination. They have been claimed, commissioned, and equipped to be the human touch of God’s love in the places they live, work, and play. Every time you say the words “remember your baptism and be thankful” you are reminding them that they have been claimed and commissioned to be God’s love with family, friends, colleagues, neighbors, strangers, and even enemies. Offering Christ is about loving others as you have been loved.

Jesus is the way of love. 

Offering Christ is about Jesus. It is not about getting people into the church, or getting people to worship, or getting people to believe what you believe, or about gender, sexuality, politics, economics, race, nationality, (add what I left out), etc. When you are a follower of Jesus, you love others as God in Jesus has loved you. Offering Christ is about Jesus.

All people are included in God’s love. 

Offering Christ is about loving people. I know that sounds redundant, but your responsibility is to lead people into God’s business. People thrive and find fulfillment in companionship, support, and relationships. Relationships play a significant role in the overall well-being, happiness, and fulfillment in everyday living. Offering Christ, as difficult and inconvenient as it can be at times, is loving others as God has loved you. It is who you are as a follower of Jesus. (Read: Reflections on 50 years of Ministry: The Importance of People).

When you engage in the mission of offering Christ, people respond in different ways. Below are seven responses to God’s love. It is certainly not an exhaustive list but is an offering of several “biblical models of offering Christ.” 

Saul Encounters Christ Acts 9:1-19

A dramatic experience of someone coming to Jesus is found in Acts 9:1-19. It is the story of Saul of Tarsus and his experience of the Risen Christ. Saul was so firm in his faith convictions as a Pharisee, that he participated in persecuting Stephen and other early followers of Jesus.

The offer of Christ came as he experienced the faith and forgiveness of those he was persecuting. His transforming experience came, not in dialogue with Christians, but in his interaction with them. Even in the midst of his misguided theological views, he received a clear offer of God’s love through the Christians around him. 

Cleopas on the Road to Emmaus Luke 24:13-32

Another experience of the Risen Christ is found in Luke 24:13-32. It is the story of Cleopas and his companion walking on the road to Emmaus. As they are walking, they are talking about the events of the crucifixion and the resurrection related to Jesus.  In the midst of their conversation, a stranger joins them. As the stranger is invited into the conversation, he begins to teach them.

Beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interprets to them “the things about (Jesus)” in all the scriptures.  Cleopas invites the stranger into his home. It is in the midst of this act of hospitality, while breaking bread together, that Cleopas and his companion recognize the stranger as Jesus. The offer of Christ came in their offer of hospitality. In the midst of welcoming a stranger, they received a clear offer of God’s presence. In whom have you experienced Jesus lately? Where have you seen Jesus? 

Paul’s Second Letter to Timothy – 2 Timothy 1

Another experience of an offer of Christ comes in Paul’s second letter to Timothy (II Timothy 1:3-5). In his letter, he remembers Timothy’s sincere faith, a faith that lived first in his grandmother Lois and his mother Eunice. From Paul’s perspective, it was a faith learned at home. The offer of Christ came through the faithful living and loving of family. 

The Gospel of John & Offering Christ

In John’s story of good news, there are several experiences of offering Christ. In John 1:40-42, Andrew, after spending the day with Jesus, finds his brother Simon and says, “We have found the Messiah.” (which translated Anointed). He brings Simon to Jesus, who looks at him and says, “You are Simon, son of John.  You are to be called ‘Cephas’ (which is translated Peter).” The offer of Christ comes through the excitement of a brother. 

In John 1:43-46, Philip, after being invited by Jesus to follow, Philip finds his friend, Nathanael, and invites him to follow Jesus as well.  Even faced with Nathanael’s skepticism, Philip offers the invitation, “come and see.” Come and see is a common theme of offering Christ in John’s good news about Jesus. (For more, read Becoming One Who Offers Christ Part One and Becoming One Who Offers Christ Part Two).

Simon Peter Encounters Jesus

There are several stories of Simon Peter experiencing the love of God in and through Jesus. Most of his stories focus on his struggles with faith. After he drops his fishing net to follow Jesus (Matthew 4:18-20), his faith journey is anything but a smooth one. He argues with the other disciples over which of them is to be regarded as the greatest (Luke 22:24).  

He challenges Jesus to allow him to walk on the water and cries out to be saved when he becomes frightened (Matthew 14:25-33).  He is affirmed by Jesus when he confesses his faith by saying “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:13-20).  Then, the very night he tells Jesus, “I will never desert you,” he denies Jesus three times (Matthew 26:31-35, 69-75).  Yet his faith matures through his struggles.  

Because of his faithful response and his proclaiming Christ, “More than ever believers were added to the Lord…so that they even carried out the sick into the streets, and laid them on cots and mats, in order that Peter’s shadow might fall on some of them as he came by” (Acts 5:12-15).  Simon Peter offered Christ through his own experiences of failure and maturity. His faith was anchored in his strong commitment, but his faith grew because of the grace he experienced in both good and not so good ways.

Experience Jesus for Yourself

And maybe one of the most dramatic experiences of offering Christ comes in John 4:39-42. It is a story of a woman who encounters Jesus and begins to tell everyone in the community about him. John writes that many of the people from the community believed in Jesus because of her testimony.  

They say to the woman, “It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that he is truly the Savior of the world.” The offer of Christ is to experience Jesus for themselves. Again, the offer came through the invitation to “come and see.” 

Love People as You Have Been Loved

So, as you engage in offering Christ, practice loving the people around you as you have been loved. 

Think of two or three people with whom you will interact over the next week. The people might be friends, family, neighbors, or colleagues. Write their names in your phone, or a piece of paper you will carry with you or make a mental note not to forget them. 

A Commitment of Prayer

Commit yourself to pray for each person, especially when they come to mind. Give God thanks for their lives and for what they mean to you. Pray for their well-being and health. Offer them to God’s love and care.  Your prayer might be like this: 

O God, I give you thanks for _______ and her ministry. I pray that she might have a good day as she experiences your love in and through the people she meets. I also pray that she might be an instrument of your love to those people as well. Keep her safe as I offer her to your love in Jesus’ name. 

As you go through each day, continue to offer yourself as an instrument of love and peace in the situations and circumstances in which you find yourself. Make yourself available to be a conduit of God’s love for the people you meet. 

Always be ready to offer a kind, caring, encouraging word. In each encounter, you are offering Christ just by being who God created you to be. 

Prayer

Here is a prayer for today:  

Lord, send me the people no one else wants and help me receive the people you are sending to me. By your grace, help me offer them Christ by the way I live out your love. Make me a blessing to someone, somewhere, today.  

Reflect on Offering Christ 

At the end of the day, reflect on the following regarding Offering Christ: As you reflect upon your day, give God thanks for God’s call to follow Jesus. Who did you meet who needed a kind, caring, encouraging word? In what ways did you offer Christ to the people you met? What did you learn about yourself? Give God thanks for the opportunities you had to offer Christ. To whom do you need to respond with words of hope, words of encouragement, or words of forgiveness? What will you do differently tomorrow?

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Becoming One Who Offers Christ – Part Two

 

This is Part Two of a three-part series on Offering Christ. Read Part One

As you begin to engage in the mission of offering Christ, take some time to reflect upon what offering Christ means to you. I ask that question because many people think that offering Christ is about personally witnessing by either going “door to door” to invite people to attend worship or by asking people carefully worded questions to engage in a conversation which leads to a faith conversion.

I am in full agreement that offering Christ is both personal and about giving a witness to God’s love, but if either of the above statements are true for you, I invite you to read this blog on Offering Christ. Although you have heard that both are necessary, this is neither a blog on “how to convert” nor on how to share your faith. This is a blog on how you, as a follower of Jesus, offer God’s love in everyday, ordinary situations.  So, as a follower of Jesus, before you engage in the mission of offering Christ, take time to reflect upon what offering Christ means to you.

Be Who God Created You to Be

With that in mind, to offer Christ is to be who God created you to be, a beloved child of God. 

It is more than sharing “spiritual facts” or biblical beliefs. For some, to offer Christ has been reduced to a list of beliefs. If you believe the beliefs on the list, you are saved. This is a form of mental assent to correct beliefs that leads to logical decisions. You and I don’t experience God’s love as a form of indoctrination. We experience God’s love through relationships with one another.

The offer of Christ is not, what I grew up hearing, “closing the deal” for Jesus.  You and I don’t experience God’s love by being manipulated into saying “yes” to carefully worded questions. We experience God’s love through relationships with one another.

Offering Christ – An Honest Interaction

The offer of Christ is a two-way process of honest interaction. Because you and I simply have the same need for love, particularly God’s love, we develop a friend-to-friend relationship.  So, the offer of Christ is not a single encounter.  It is an extended relationship of mutual respect and care.  It is in and through our relationship that God’s love is experienced, and hope is developed, and transformation takes place.

As important as it is, the offer of Christ is more than inviting people to worship or to participate in the programs of the church.  To offer Christ is to offer God’s love to those who are discontented and dissatisfied in their search for God. It is an offer of God’s love to those who are disenfranchised and separated. It is an offer of God’s love to those who are up and out as well as those who are down and out. It is in and through relationships that we can share experiences of God searching for us in Jesus.  New possibilities are found in the love you offer. All that is to say, offering Christ becomes who you are and is expressed in how you live in everyday ordinary situations and relationships.

Offering Christ – It Matters Where You Start

There is another important aspect of offering Christ that must be taken into consideration as you begin to engage in the mission. It matters where you start regarding your understanding of offering Christ.

The very origin, pattern, and basis for offering Christ is rooted in the nature of God’s mission. (Read: What Is Mission” Part One).

In the New Testament, the word for evangelism, what I am calling offering Christ, comes from two words which mean a good message. We have shortened it to “good news” or “gospel.” As a verb, evangelism (offering Christ) means “bringing, spreading or announcing the good news.” So, evangelism, offering Christ, describes the spreading of the good news of God’s love in and through Jesus Christ.

Offer Christ – Love Others as God Loves You

Notice that the primary focus is on the living and sharing of God’s love and not on the recipient or target of the message. In other words, to offer Christ is to love others as God in Jesus has loved you and not to convert or save someone.

In recent years, it seems that we have confused the process of offering Christ with the goal of the process. We do not evangelize people or nations, or even structures. We evangelize the gospel, which is to introduce people to the love of God in life-changing ways.

So, it matters where you start. 

Evangelize the Gospel – Four Perspectives

The words used for evangelism were common words when the New Testament was written. They were used to bring good news about a great event. The words were picked up by the followers of Jesus to describe the great event of Jesus coming into the world. 

Each of the gospel writers share the good news in different ways based on their context and their listeners. They evangelized Jesus so we, the hearers, can live the life of God’s love experienced in and through Jesus the Christ. 

As you begin to engage in the mission of offering Christ, it will be helpful to study and understand the gospel stories. For example: (Although these are brief and incomplete summaries of the good news presented by each gospel writer, they are examples of offering Christ). 

The Good News – Matthew

The good news according to Matthew is, “God sent Jesus to teach us how to live a holy or righteous life.” From Matthew’s perspective, “holy” and “righteous” are related to relationships.  When you read Matthew 28:20, “teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you…,” you will find that the word “teaching” in this place refers to what Matthew wants us to know about “holiness.”  It is what we learn as followers of Jesus. It is what the movement of God is all about.  At the very heart of “holiness” or “righteousness” is relationship, relationship with God and with one another. (Read the blog “What Is Mission? Part 2). To offer Christ from Matthew’s perspective is to build and maintain healthy relationships with family, friends, colleagues, neighbors, strangers, and enemies. 

The Good News – Mark

The good news according to Mark is, “God sent Jesus to oppose the evil, suffering, pain, in the world.” Mark’s community was facing persecution.  The good news of Jesus is that he faced the pain and suffering of those being persecuted. Half of Mark’s gospel is about the suffering and death of Jesus. You get a clue to Mark’s good news when Jesus heals a man with leprosy (Mark 1:40-45). Leprosy was a sign of suffering and separation. When a person suffered with leprosy, they were separated from all that was important and meaningful to them. To be healed was to be restored to family, work, synagogue, and all that was meaningful. To offer Christ from Mark’s perspective is to work to oppose the structures and behaviors that separate people from God and from one another.   

The Good News – Luke 

The good news according to Luke is “Jesus not only possessed the Holy Spirit but promised the Holy Spirit to his followers.” The Holy Spirit, God’s presence and power, gave the followers of Jesus the power to witness beyond the barriers of race, gender, age, nationality, theology, religion, and influence. The witness was both in word and deed. Take for example the baptism of the Ethiopian eunuch or Simon Peter visiting Cornelious’ house. Both are examples of offering Christ to people, in word and action, who were considered unacceptable or were outsiders, or people of influence who were not Hebrews. To offer Christ from Luke’s perspective was to work to overcome the barriers that separated people from God’s acceptance and from accepting one another.    

The Good News – John 

The good news according to John is “if you have seen Jesus, you have seen God.” On several occasions Jesus says, “If you have seen me, you have seen the Father.” John knows people want to know God. Even Philip says to Jesus in John 14, “Show us God and we will be satisfied.” Throughout John’s good news there are stories of seeing Jesus. When John the Baptist sees Jesus coming toward him, he says to his followers, “Behold the Lamb of God” (John 1:29). Even Jesus responds to two of John’s disciples with “come and you will see” (John 1:39). And when Philip goes to tell his brother, Nathanael, about seeing Jesus, he says to him, “Come and see” (John 1:46). When some Greeks came seeking Jesus, they came to Philip and made a request, “Sir, we want to see Jesus” John 12:20-22). Even at the tomb on the morning of the resurrection, Mary sees Jesus and she goes to tell the disciples the news, “I have seen the Lord!” (John 20: 18). If you have seen Jesus, you have seen God. (Listen to Transforming Mission Podcast Episode 314). 

There is one other aspect of offering Christ in John’s gospel. To offer Christ is to love others as God has loved you. Loving others becomes who you are.

Preach What You Practice

N.T. Wright wrote it this way, “If you want to know who God is, look at Jesus. If you want to know what it means to be human, look at Jesus. If you want to know what love is, look at Jesus.  If you want to know what grief is, look at Jesus.  And go on looking until you’re not just a spectator, but you’re actually part of the drama which has him as the central character.”

To offer Christ means you become part of the story. You shift from “practicing what you preach” to “preaching what you practice.” The more you tell the story, the more you live the story. 

Love Others as God Loves You

So, what does offering Christ mean to you? Before engaging in the mission of offering Christ, practice loving others as God in Christ has loved you. Learn of God’s mission and how you have been invited into it. Become an instrument of God’s love and then you can tell people what you are doing.

Next week, I look forward to sharing with you part 3 of Becoming One Who Offers Christ.

Prayer

Lord, send me the people no one else wants and help me receive the people you are sending to me. By your grace, help me offer them Christ by the way I live out your love. Make me a blessing to someone, somewhere, today. 

Reflect on Offering Christ

At the end of the day, reflect on the following regarding Offering Christ: 

As you reflect upon your day, give God thanks for God’s call to follow Jesus. Who did you meet who needed a kind, caring, encouraging word? In what ways did you offer Christ to the people you met? What did you learn about yourself? Give God thanks for the opportunities you had to offer Christ. To whom do you need to respond with words of hope, words of encouragement, or words of forgiveness? What will you do differently tomorrow?