In episode 33, we dug into the idea of identity. We talked about who we are, if we are in Christ, as defined by scripture, and hinted at how that identity might shape how we view others. Today, let's talk about how being “in Christ” shapes how we view those who don’t yet know Him.

In future episodes, we will also look at how we view our “family” of fellow believers, and circle back to how that affects this relationship. But for today, let’s talk about our friends, family, and others in our lives who are not Christians.

 

Scripture calls those who are not saved neighbors, unrighteous, unredeemed, “all men,” and possibly, enemies. We’re talking about those who have not believed and professed belief in Christ, coming to a saving knowledge of Him.

 

Statistically speaking, for most of us, the majority of people we know should/could be unbelievers, because there are likely far more people in the world who have not placed trusting faith in Christ. The honest truth is many of us may primarily be in the company of other Christians.

As Christians, we are exhorted in scripture to “go into all the world” with the message of the gospel, and we should be looking at the people in our everyday lives as those who need to hear that gospel. We need to be actively asking the Lord how he views those people, and allowing it to shape how we look at them and how we treat them!

 

For an idea of how God believes those I think of as “not yet in Christ,” we can also look at how He has treated us. 2 Peter 3:9 reminds us, “The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.”

 

God wants the lost to be saved. (See 1 Timothy 2:1-4 and Galatians 6:10.)

So if we know God wants to see the lost saved, and He tells us to share that message, how do we interact daily with our friends, neighbors and family who don't know Him?

1. We pray for them. (See Matthew 5:43, .)

Rick Segal says, “Most of us do know personally at least dozens, some of us hundreds, and rather than lump these precious individuals into one big prayer cohort, we could begin to take their given names before God in prayer. Start writing their names down and praying over them at least once a week.” (source) Would you be willing to write down names and faithfully pray for the salvation of those you know who don’t know Christ?

1. We actually care about them.

We have to see our neighbors as humans, made in God’s image, in whose lives He may actually use us to show His saving love. We make time to build relationships, intentionally, with the aim of modeling His character, speaking the truth about this world and our desperate need for Him as we go. (See Philippians 2:15.)

We do live "set apart" lives as we interact with those who are not in Christ. In scripture, the idea of sin and repentance is closely connected to Jesus' purposeful relationship-building. 

John Piper says, “...from the little we can see, it is highly unlikely that Jesus would have simply listened and said nothing about the ways of the kingdom. He would have acted like a physician.‘ I see some disease here and I know a remedy.’ And he points them to the ways of the kingdom.”  (source)

1. We invite (or say yes to invitations).

Make time in your calendar and space in your life and home to purposefully invite your lost neighbor to build a relationship that can lead to gospel conversations.

Rosaria Butterfield says, “Let God use your home, apartment, dorm room, front yard, community gymnasium, or garden for the purpose of making strangers into neighbors and neighbors into family. Because that is the point—building the church and living like a family, the family of God.” (See The Gospel Comes With A House Key.)

1. We speak truth (see 2 Corinthians 5:11).

People often quote St. Francis of Assisi: “Preach the gospel at all times and if necessary, use words.” We model Christian living with our daily lives, but we have no excuse to avoid the uncomfortable work of talking about the message of salvation. God tells us to do it. Romans 10:14 tells us the lost need to be TOLD they need a savior. 

“Clearly, the biblical method of evangelism is the faithful proclamation of the truth of Scripture in conjunction with the living testimony of those who have been changed by that truth. When Jesus went about teaching the gospel message of salvation, He taught love and forgiveness, being kind and compassionate. But He went to sinners in order to convict them of their sins. A case in point is the very Samaritan woman we’ve been talking about here. Remember . . . the very first word Jesus said when He began His ministry was “Repent!” “From that time on Jesus began to preach, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near’” (Matthew 4:17). We are commissioned to bring that same message to the world, speaking the truth in love from a heart changed by the Savior.” - Got Questions (source) This is a GREAT article with many more biblical references that help us connect what our relationships should look like from a “kingdom mindset.”

 (See also Jeremiah 23:29 and Ephesians 4:25.)

Head to John 4 and read the story of the woman at the well - God used the truth about her sin to persuade her family and friends!

1. We do our homework.

Hebrews 4:12 gives us comfort and also challenges us when it reminds us that God’s word does the work of changing hearts.This simultaneously means we don’t bear the burden of changing hearts and minds, and that we need to work to KNOW the word so we can share it! (See also 1 Peter 3:15).

If sharing scripture comes hard for us, we need to spend more time in it. If we struggle to tell our own story of salvation, we need to spend more time thinking about it and preparing to tell it! In biblical terms, this means we need to be increasingly growing as disciples of Jesus so that we can “go and make disciples” in our relationships.

You may need to read your Bible more. You may need to study apologetics. You may need to read some sources on how to share the gospel - but the bottom line is, we all have homework to do to genuinely love our “neighbor” as God has called us to!

 6. We get over ourselves.

In episode 33 we talked about who we are as defined by God.  We must remember He tells us who we are and how to live, and then courageously allow Him to shape how we walk out our calling with who He has created us to be.

 “Knowing your personality and your sensitivities does not excuse you from ministry. It means that you need to prepare for it differently than others might.” - Rosaria Butterfield, The Gospel Comes With A House Key

1. We seek to help.

One way we can gain the ear of our lost friends and family members is to look for ways to genuinely do good for them. “And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up,” says Paul. “So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.” (See Galatians 6:9-10 and Jude 1:22–23.)

1. We use wisdom and hold ground.

2 Corinthians 6, verses 14 and following, caution us that we aren’t to form inappropriate partnerships with the lost. God calls us to be “set apart,” and reminds us that we do not have true fellowship with the unbeliever. We have to be careful how we form relationships, and always be mindful of our calling to live holy lives. (See 1 Peter 2:17.)

Those boundaries we set should take into account the best choices for our relationship first with God, then with our husbands and children, if we have them.

Some great questions to ask from John Piper:

“Which way is the transforming influence flowing? When you are with someone, are they being transformed, or are you being transformed? Are you being drawn to minimize the value of holiness? Have your standards been compromised? Are you being made callous and hard toward things in, say, movies or on television or in language that you weren’t once hard to, but sensitive to? That is the first question… And the second question is, Are we loving these people for their sake — that is, that they would come to faith and they would become godly — or do we really love them because we love what they enjoy and really just like being with them in their worldliness?” - Pastor John Piper (source)

 

“Jesus dined with sinners, but he didn’t sin with sinners. Jesus lived in the world, but he didn’t live like the world. This is the Jesus paradox.” - Rosaria Butterfield, The Gospel Comes With A House Key (See also Mark 5:19-20!)

“We can participate in activities and relationships with unbelievers, but only to a point. We must be ready to say a polite, “No, thank you,” when asked to step outside our purpose. It may not be outright sin we are encouraged to pursue, but many other things can lure us away from pure devotion to Christ.” - Got Questions (source)

 

Finally as we lean next week into how we relate to our believing brothers and sisters, let's be challenged by Rick Segal: “Yes, we rejoice in corporate worship, in Christian fellowship, and in private devotion. But we must not neglect the essential work and untapped joy of sharing Christ with those who do not yet know him.”  (source)

Related episodes:

Hard Hospitality: Responding to “Pride” With Humility (episode 4)

How Do You Identify? (episode 33)

Ask Good Questions - Invite Genuine Community (episode 20)

Refine Your Focus: Pursue Community in Truth and Love (episode 21)

The Gift of Desperation and Community with Kera Freeman (episode 19)

When We Feel Afraid, But God is Bigger with Kim Russo (episode 7)

Resources:

• An excellent article on evangelism with friends and family

• The Gospel Comes With A House Key (Rosaria Butterfield)

• Before You Share Your Faith

• How Do I Lead Someone to Christ?

• Humbly Handling the Offense of the Gospel from Desiring God

 

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We know identity is a huge issue in our world today. What determines who you are and how you'll live? Dig in with me to answer the question of, "how do you identify?"

(Find the full post with complete show notes on the Everyday Welcome blog!)

Recently I found myself in maybe the most awkward 30 minutes in my adult life. And I know I can be dramatic, but it really felt that way. I was with a group of other believers and in this setting, I was the “new girl.” The people around me were talking about some deep and heavy things they'd recently walked through, and while I know without a doubt these are not people who meant to be unkind or unwelcoming, I couldn't help but feel awkwardly "talked around" as they discussed what was on their minds. While I'm pretty driven when it comes to pursuing connection, I felt weird enough that at a point, I ducked my head, slipped out, and went to sit alone while I waited for the event to start. I spent some time a day or two later talking with friends, and when I shared, each of them opened up with a time when they, too, had felt weird or unwelcome in a setting that should have been comfortable and inviting.

So what is it that makes us feel out of place with even those God's called us into a family relationship with? Over the next few weeks I'd like to tackle this, and today we're starting with identity. I think it's important we answer the question of how we identify ourselves, and answer it truthfully. Until we do that, we won't know or even care how we're called, then, to live!

 

It's amazing how much weight humans place on our "identity," as defined by personality tests, books, and whole schools of identity philosophy. 

 

Here's the thing: no matter what certain tools may do for us, they cannot be given more weight than the word of the One who created us. So let's dive into what God's word has to say about how we "identify" ourselves.

 

Biblical principles we can look to as we decide how we "identify:"

• We are created by God, uniquely male and female (see Genesis 1). 
• In Jeremiah 1:5-10, we see that God determines calling even before conception. We see that life in the womb is sacred and fully personhood. We see that our natural tendencies do not define our calling, but rather God's decision. And we can walk confidently in our calling, because God is WITH us and equips us.
• John 1:11-13 shows us that when we repent of our sins and accept the gift of salvation, because God willed it, we become His children.
• Romans 6 tells us part of our identity as Christ-followers is those who, formerly spiritually dead, are free from the bondage of sin, and fully alive because of His work in us!
• In Ephesians 1, we learn if we are His, it is because God chose us, and it pleases Him! We can take great confidence in His work, and rejoice in our new life!
• Ephesians 2:1-10 says we are identified as beloved, made alive, saved, lavished by grace and kindness, and gifted - by the work of God Himself. We are also now part of a set-apart family of people - His children... and this will define how we interact with each other, too!
• 1 Peter 2 tells us we are, in Christ, a “chosen people,” royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, and we're called, because of this identity, to “declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His wonderful light!”
• In 1 Peter 4:7-11 commands that we use our whole selves to give God glory and dominion forever and ever. As we ask the question of who we really are, we're told that we are called to use whatever strengths, gifts, personality traits we have, to pray, to use self-control, to give, to love, and to show joyful hospitality.

 

Our identity as children of God through Christ is woven throughout all of scripture - and extra-biblical history shows us powerful examples of how God's people walked out that identity!

John Piper says this: "The big questions in life are not 'Who am I?' The big question in life is 'Whose am I?' You have got to answer that question. Whose are you? Whose are you? That’s the issue. In the twentieth century, we get all bent out of shape about self-identity and stuff. Who am I, and my worth, and my esteem, and my value, and all that — man. When you read the Bible, the huge issue is right relationship with God and to whom you belong, whose you are." (source)

 

 

It is vital as we ask the question of, "who am I?" we find the answer in the words of the One who made us, who lavishly loves us, and who calls us to walk according to the identity with which He has gifted us, because of that great love.

(Find the full show notes in the blog post at Everyday Welcome!)

In her book, The Hidden Art of Homemaking, Edith Schaeffer says, “There are various art forms we may or may not have talent for, may or may not have time for, and we may or may not be able to express ourselves in, but we ought to consider this fact-that whether we choose to be an environment or not, we are. We produce an environment other people have to live in. We should be conscious of the fact that this environment which we produce by our very 'being' can affect the people who live with us or work with us.” 

PS: I think the most obvious answer to the question of "how do you identify?" is that who we are is defined in the richest, most beautiful fullness, in our relationship with the God of the universe, who stepped down and invited us into intimate relationship with Himself.

Resources:

• Enneagram: Alisa Childers, Mama Bear Apologetics part 1 & part 2, Sean McDowell, Association of Certified Biblical Counselors, Got Questions, The Gospel Coalition, and Kevin DeYoung
• Edith Schaeffer Hidden Art (this is the original version I have) or The Hidden Art of Homemaking
• Desiring God on Identity
• John Piper, "How Do I Find My Identity?"

RELATED EPISODES:

 

Be Kingdom Minded (episode 9)

How to Read the Bible and Love It

 When We Feel Afraid But God Is Bigger 

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In today’s episode we move to John 8. Jesus said, “I AM” the Light of the World! 

 

(Find the full show notes on the Everyday Welcome blog!)

Reminder, each time He says I AM (and you can find seven of these statements in John), Jesus is telling us HE IS the God of the Old Testament, He is the Son of God, and He is the long-awaited Messiah who would fulfill every prophecy and complete the payment for sin for all who would repent and believe in Him. And John’s purpose in writing is to give us that information, so that we might believe, and be saved!  To find more on this, go back and listen to episodes 29 (A New Beginning), 30 (The Bread of Life), and 31, Living Water and Flowing Wine).

 

John 8:12 says, “Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.’” 

 

I believe there are many takeaways we can grab about the nature of God and His work through Jesus.

 

Jesus is the Light OF and FOR the world.

 

In Genesis 1 we see that Jesus, the Word, 1 of the triune Godhead, is the “agent of light.” - He is the initiator and activator in creation. In week 1 of our Advent series, we talked about the imagery of creation/darkness & light we see in Genesis 1, John 1 and 1 John 1. God creates the “light” at creation and He Himself is the Light.

 

 

Jesus is the light for mankind.

 

Psalm 119:1-5 says, “Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.”  The Psalmist wrote these words as he wrestled with persecution, his own personal darkness.  In John 1:1-5 (we studied this in episode 29, A New Beginning), we read,  “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”

 

When Jesus speaks in John 8, He’s fulfilling a Messianic prophecy from Isaiah 42:1-8 which describes Jesus in great detail, as if He’s already come.  Jesus is also fulfilling Isaiah 9:2, 6-7.

When we were alienated in our sin - our darkness - Christ reconciled us by His blood, and now those who have repented and accepted His offer or forgiveness blameless in the Father’s sight.  We’re called to continue in faith, stable and steadfast, NOT SHIFTING FROM THE HOPE OF THE GOSPEL.

 

Jesus, the Light of the World, moves circumstances and people from darkness, hopelessness, chaos, bondage, and NOTHINGNESS, to life and hope.  By Christ, God DOES NOT LEAVE US IN DARKNESS.

 

In John 8:1-11 the adulterous woman is “in darkness” in her sin (and it has been hidden and “brought to light”). The Pharisees want to condemn her IN her sin, in essence leaving her forever in darkness.  They seek her out to catch her “in the act” and ironically as religious leaders, in doing so, they actually model the darkness themselves. Ephesians 5 says not to even speak of the kind of sin that takes place under cover of darkness - and the Pharisees stalk this woman and drag her sin out to display it in the light. 

At Jesus’ crucifixion, (Matthew 27:45) darkness fell. Before His resurrection (John 20) - Mary and the others went to see His body while it was still dark, on the morning the third day. But He was gone; the darkness could not hold Him! Quite literally, we see the darkness of death could not overcome the light of life brought by Jesus.

In the end of all we know here on earth, there is HOPE!  There will be a NEW Heaven and new earth, and Revelation 21 tells us “I saw no  temple in it, for the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. And the city has no need of the sun or of the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God has illuminated it, and its lamp is the Lamb.  The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it.  In the daytime (for there will be no night there) its gates will never be closed;  and they will bring the glory and the honor of the nations into it;  and nothing unclean, and no one who practices abomination and lying, shall ever come into it, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life.” - Revelation 21:23-26, ESV

 

Jesus, the Light in our darkness, releases us from sin and calls for responsive obedience (which reveals His light and life to the dark world!). 

 John the Baptist calls Jesus The Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.

 

Christ calls us to receive, believe, then in response to His gift of salvation, OBEY.

 

• Galatians 5:1-6 we see that it’s “For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.”
• In Romans 6:14, “For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.”
• In Ephesians 2:8-9, 13-16, “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast…”

 

We read in Psalm 119:97-106 that God’s Word is a lamp for our feet. We see in Galatians 3:1-3, and 24 a reminder that the law pointed us to God’s salvation through Christ, and we walk obediently to Him as a response to that. In Colossians 2:6-7 we’re reminded that we walk with Him “by faith,” which He grants us, just as He did for our salvation. In John 3:19-20 we’re told that judgment came to those who saw the light and did not recognize Him.

 

Jesus shines His light THROUGH us into a dark world.

In Philippians 2:12-16 Paul challenges the church (and us) to walk “with fear and trembling,” living holy lives so a needy world could see God at work in us. In Matthew 5:13-16 Jesus Himself said, “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.  You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden.  Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.  In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”

 

I propose that how we live, glorifying Jesus with our lives, is not so much about our personal conviction on each and every issue that pops up, but whether we first have responded to Jesus, the Light of the World, with repentance and belief. Next, do you preach the truth to yourself when the darkness SEEMS to overcome the light? Do you trust and obey the the Lord, the Word? Do you reflect His light and life by pointing others to Jesus? Do you long for the day when we will feast at the table of our Bridegroom, the Bread of Life?  

 

At the time of this post, I’ll be pausing for a couple weeks to study and prepare for coming episodes. If you would, I’d like to ask you for a couple things… if you’re blessed by Everyday Welcome!

 

1. Go right now and write a review! In Apple Podcasts, you can actually write a review; in other platforms, you can leave a rating. This helps listeners find the content and hopefully, blesses them as well. (Not listening? It’s also REALLY helpful if you leave a comment on the blog post!)
2. If you’ve been blessed, grab the link from this episode (or start at episode 29), and send it to two friends you think it would bless! If you do that, I’d love to send you a gift; screenshot the emails and send to me at [email protected].

 

As you celebrate the holidays, keep coming back to these themes. How is God calling you to think and live according to this truth we saw in John 8, that He is the Light of the World? This is what scripture tells us: “Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” My prayer for you this season is that you will come to Him with repentance, with faith, with HOPE, and with responsive obedience… that you’ll breathe deep of His fellowship and offer it bravely and beautifully to those God brings into your life!

 

RESOURCES:

Do you want to grow in JOY and your relationship with Jesus this holiday season? Join the Advent study, Longing and Light, and receive weekly updates on this series for free!

Find all resources from this series here!

Hospitality Beyond the Holidays

My Everyday Welcome Cozy Holidays E-Book

 

RELATED EPISODES:

A New Beginnning (episode 29)

I AM the Bread of Life (episode 30)

The Power of Pause (episode 17)

Reconciliation and Hope (episode 24)

Be Kingdom Minded (episode 9)

 

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This week we’re headed to John 2, and we get to peek in on Jesus’ first miracle, with the recognition our Jesus is the Living Water and flowing wine.

(Head here for complete show notes and make sure to download the printable journaling page to dig into these passages for yourself!)

Note the word that this miracle (along others we see Jesus perform!) is called in scripture - a SIGN. This will clue us in to how John wants us to see this story. Let's see what we can take away about the God who came to earth as a baby, as we see Him interact with His earthly mother. As you start, take a moment and read John 2:1-12.

 

Here's a reminder as we dive in today: Jesus comes, yes, for physical needs, but those are always pointing us to our truer, deeper spiritual need.

 

Remember, John writes so that we might know who Jesus is and believe, to be saved! John Piper says this, “He wants to reveal the glory of Christ to us. And he wants us to receive the grace of believing. So it would be perfectly in accord with John’s intention if we ask now, What is the glory of Christ revealed in this story of the wedding of Cana?” (source)

 

Every scripture is rich with meaning, but today I'd like us to look at five things we can see about the Messiah, Jesus, from this passage.

God is the giver of Joy.

We'll see in a bit that often in the Bible, wine and joy are connected with each other! So when we see Jesus give His support at a wedding and provide "new wine" for the guests, we can remember that God is the Author of all that is good; He is the giver of joy.

In John 1:16-17, we read, “For of His fullness we have all received, and grace upon grace. For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ.”

(See more on this here at the full blog post!)

Jesus is God - and He is the Son of God.

As we read the start of the story, we see what I'm calling Mary’s “mom moment.” She sees a need, grabs her son, and tells Him to "fix it." When He challenges her, she tells onlookers to "do whatever He says."

• We see Mary here as clearly human, and we see both the God and the man in Jesus. 
• We see Jesus as fully God, here, too - He is in control of created things. Remember Episode 29 - A New Beginning, with John's use of creation language? 
• We see Jesus here, too, as the Son of God, who joyfully submits to His Father’s will. 

 

  Jesus is the Living Water.

If we look forward to John 4:10 and 14, we will also see that He is the “Living Water.” He is our salvation. (See John 4 and the Samaritan woman who meets Jesus at the well. She enters a conversation about drawing physical water, and He tells her He IS her source for never thirsting again!)

The jugs are specifically noted for “water for purification!” The old way of “being purified” is no more; while we have here a visible reminder of the "old ways," we have a brilliant foreshadowing that Jesus will be the One who takes away our actual sins! 1 John 1:9 tells us later, “If we confess our sins, HE is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

(In Episode 30, I think, we noted that we see elsewhere that Jesus actually scorns those who saw His miracles and didn’t believe. His miracles were to be signs to help those watching believe that He was the long-awaited Savior; He was God in the flesh.)

This is a new way of being: 2 Corinthians 5:17 tells us, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.!”

Jesus is the Flowing Wine.

This flowing wine may also point to His coming sacrifice as our hope for eternal life. As we touched on earlier but now in richer application, wine and blood and life weave together in scripture. In Genesis 9, Leviticus 17, Deuteronomy 12, God’s people were not to eat the blood of animals, because the blood represented the life of the animal.

1 Corinthians 5:7, Jesus is called “our Passover lamb,” who was sacrificed! His blood is the sacrifice for all time, for all who would see Him and repent and believe!

In Matthew 26, Jesus will offer the last supper. He’ll serve them wine… and He’ll tell them it symbolizes His blood. His blood equals our life. This is the New Covenant - His sacrifice for our eternal life. The life, eternal life, quite literally, is in the blood. We see yet again that Jesus is the Living Water and the "flowing wine."

“Jesus is the bringer of living water and that water is transformed by His death, which we remember by sharing in the wine of communion. This one act, at the beginning of His ministry provides bookends to his life’s ministry. Christ gives living water and is transformed into wine.” (source)

Jesus brings us newer, truer hope, joy, and LIFE.

Elsewhere in scripture, we see an illustration of "old skins" (the law) "new wine/skins" - the new covenant! Mark 2:22 says, “And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the wine will burst the skins—and the wine is destroyed, and so are the skins. But new wine is for fresh wineskins.”

The old wine and skins (the Law) were still good and were still a blessing. The law was not bad, but it showed God's people the need to repent and be forgiven, and it pointed toward Jesus, the ultimate sacrifice and Redeemer. The new wine/covenant is better! And another cool note: under the new covenant, in the “new wineskins,” we get Jesus Himself and the indwelling of the Spirit!

Ultimately, Jesus invites us to a feast - and we will join Him, as our Bridegroom. (We mentioned in Episode 30, The Bread of Life, - the feast in Revelation 19 - HE IS THE LAMB AND HE IS OUR BRIDEGROOM. He is our provider - and we are His bride!)

God is the giver of joy, and in Jesus, He brings us the ultimate JOY!

As we mentioned earlier, many old testament passages refer to wine and joy in the same vein. Lacking wine is associated with brokenness… GO READ Isaiah 24!!! It speaks of broken places of the earth and the people… it mourns the lack of provision from the vine, but LOOKS FORWARD to the coming of the One who will make all things right. In verse 14, “They lift up their voices, they sing for joy; over the majesty of the Lord they shout from the west.”

 

This wedding celebration at Cana, this first miracle or "sign" we see Jesus perform, is another invitation to see Him for all He was and is and will be. Thinking about Jesus and all we’ve seen of Him through this first miracle, or “SIGN,” listen to these words!

Isaiah 25:6-9:

On this mountain the Lord of hosts will make for all peoples a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wine, of rich food full of marrow, of aged wine well refined. And he will swallow up on this mountain the covering that is cast over all peoples, the veil that is spread over all nations. He will swallow up death forever; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces, and the reproach of his people he will take away from all the earth, for the Lord has spoken. It will be said on that day, “Behold, this is our God; we have waited for him, that he might save us. This is the Lord; we have waited for him;     let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation.”

  RESOURCES:

Do you want to grow in JOY and your relationship with Jesus this holiday season? Join the Advent study, Longing and Light, and receive weekly updates on this series for free!

Hospitality Beyond the Holidays

My Everyday Welcome Cozy Holidays E-Book

 

RELATED EPISODES:

A New Beginnning (episode 29)

I AM the Bread of Life (episode 30)

The Power of Pause (episode 17)

Reconciliation and Hope (episode 24)

Be Kingdom Minded (episode 9)

 

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For full shownotes, see the Everyday Welcome blog! If you'd like to join the free email series with a printable journaling page, sign up at Everyday Welcome.

Jesus is the Bread of Life. This week as we dig into Advent, we recognize our longing for all to be made right in this world and we celebrate that God is not just our provider; IN CHRIST, HE IS OUR PROVISION.

Read John 6:22-65! 

• God wants us to work, but to seek Him, not “stuff,” even good stuff from Him. See also Isaiah 55:1-3.

• Our “work” is to believe in Jesus (v. 29).

• God’s earthly provisions are short-term and He often uses them as examples of eternal truth (look at the comparison of Moses v. Jesus, v. 32-33).

• The life God offers us in Christ is eternal - we can’t lose it once we have it (v. 39-40, 58). God created us and gave us life, but through sin we became spiritually dead. In Christ, we have LIFE, and that life cannot be taken from us!  

• Our salvation, our life, comes from God; it is nothing we choose or work to earn (v. 44).

• Jesus is the fulfillment of the Old Testament promises of God (v. 45, 65).

• Jesus does not mince words - He is the ONLY way to receive life and to be in relationship with God (v. 54-57). In a world that says, “all roads lead to God,” we can be sure that only the road of Christ leads to salvation and eternal life from God! (See this sermon from Pastor Josh Tompkins for more on this!)

 

Let’s look at some places in scripture where we can gain more context of Jesus as the Bread of Life. Jesus is the Bread of Life | The Passover (Exodus 12)

• God always has a bigger plan than what we can see.  

• Blood = life. So eventually when Jesus sheds His blood for the forgiveness of sin, we see this concept realized fully!

• We are all dead without Christ.

• Jesus is the ONLY WAY to life.  Only those who have been made righteous (by His sacrifice, not anything we do to try to earn it!) can partake of life in God/eternal life.

• God’s holiness and our obedience are fiercely protected. God gave chance after chance for Pharaoh. But in the end, He deserves and rightfully demands our response to His sovereignty and command.

• God wants us to REMEMBER, and TELL OF His works. No matter what season we are in, we are CALLED TO TEACH others of His works. We’re called to remember who He is and what He’s done.

• God gives way more than He expects.  He takes the firstborn from Egypt only after giving chances over and over and over to obey. And ultimately, He GIVES HIS FIRSTBORN for the sin of the whole world and the provision of Life.

 

Jesus is Ultimately our Manna (Exodus 16)

• Manna showed in a fresh, tangible way, God’s provision.  The word man-hu means “what is it?!”  This food itself was foreign to God’s people, and God’s way of providing it to them is foreign.  This is significant:

• In Exodus 16 the Israelites complain they have no food, and God literally rains it down, but they still need to work to gather it.  The Israelites had to participate in getting their “daily bread.”  EXCEPT the 6th day, when He referenced the need to rest and wait for Him.

• God’s provision is so that we can obey Him, and it is linked with His discipline when we do not. 

• Manna gave nourishment, daily provision, despite their sin - so they could keep moving forward toward the freedom, the Land, He had for them. Read Psalm 78:9-25. What do you see here about God’s provision and our obedience?

• Manna was a physical provision representing a spiritual truth.  Read Deuteronomy 8:1-3.  Jesus quotes this same passage in Matthew 4, when He is being tempted in the wilderness by Satan. What connections do you see? 

 

Christ is Master Over Creation and He Does Care for Our Physical Needs: (Feeding the 5,000 John 6 & the Disciples)

Read John 6:1-59, especially 22-59. This is one of many examples of How Jesus - God in the flesh - provides for our physical needs, and shows us His mastery over creation.  Did you know this is the only miracle besides the resurrection in all four gospels!

• God provides ABUNDANTLY. God feeds us so we can feed others. When we are in Christ, He expects us to tell others about Him. 

• We want God to meet our earthly needs; God promises to BE WITH US through them.  In John 16:25-33 Jesus told followers to expect trouble - but He has overcome the world. 

 

Look For Jesus in the Marriage Supper of the Lamb (Matthew 26:27-29)

Read Matthew 26:27-29. Jesus is the ultimate fulfillment of every longing we ever have, and we will feast with Him in eternity!

 

This Advent season, let’s look at Jesus - our Bread of Life - our provider and our PROVISION. Let’s feast on His word, celebrate the life we have in  Him, share with others, and keep remembering the work He has done, is doing, and will do. (Find even more resources and notes at the complete show blog post.)

 

RESOURCES:

Do you want to grow in JOY and your relationship with Jesus this holiday season? Join the Advent study, Longing and Light, and receive weekly updates on this series for free!

Hospitality Beyond the Holidays

My Everyday Welcome Cozy Holidays E-Book

 

RELATED EPISODES:

The Power of Pause (episode 17)

Reconciliation and Hope (episode 24)

Be Kingdom Minded (episode 9)

 

LET’S CONNECT:

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We live in a world longing for light and hope. Much like people of all time, we recognize that all is not as it should be here in the Shadowlands, and we long for a new beginning. The sure hope we hold is that God has already brought that new beginning in Christ... and He promises to fulfill every longing, to make right every wrong, once and for all when He returns. The book of John shows us just who Jesus is, and calls us to believe Him fully so that we can have eternal life.

 

 

We start our study with John 1:1-18 (the Prologue), and John introduces Jesus’ coming as a new beginning, in a creation narrative that echoes Genesis 1.

 

See the full shownotes for details about John, the author and the gospel.

  Just as we often feel the weight of darkness in what C.S. Lewis calls the Shadowlands, God’s people felt this weight in many ways as they awaited the coming of the Messiah - the new beginning promised by God.

 

DARKNESS APPEARED TO REIGN.

What darkness do you feel in your own life and surroundings? In what ways do you long for God to speak, to make all things new, to right the wrongs in this world?

 

In John 1:1-4, we see a strong reference Genesis 1 - from one beginning that quickly went downhill, to a NEW beginning in Christ!

God creates by speaking. Jesus is The Word, and we are told He created all that has been created... and that He was and is God.

Into darkness, Jesus brings LIGHT. Into nothing, Jesus brings a new creation. Jesus, the second Adam, brings new hope for new LIFE! (For more on this, read Romans 5 and I encourage you to listen to this sermon about Christ the second Adam.

In Christ, every person has the opportunity for a new beginning.

Isaiah 9:2 says, “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shone.”

John challenges his readers (and that includes us!) to see and believe in Jesus. When we do, we will receive life, and we will radiate His light for a world waiting in darkness.

 

 

RESOURCES:

Do you want to grow in JOY and your relationship with Jesus this holiday season? Join the Advent study, Longing and Light, and receive weekly updates on this series for free!

Find the full shownotes here.

Hospitality Beyond the Holidays

My Everyday Welcome Cozy Holidays E-Book

 

RELATED EPISODES:

The Power of Pause (episode 17)

Reconciliation and Hope (episode 24)

Be Kingdom Minded (episode 9)

 

LET’S CONNECT:

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Facebook

Join the Facebook Community!

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This episode, let's just simmer in the Word and GIVE THANKS!

 

While it's easy to be stressed and overwhelmed at the holidays, we can pause and set our hearts and minds on the things of God, allowing Him to shape how we think and act in this "inviting life," whether we are guests, or hosts, or walking solo this holiday season.

 

Want more encouragement? Message me through Instagram or Facebook. And be sure to sign up for the free Advent study, "Longing and Light!"

 

The following passages are read in episode 28:

• Psalm 95:1-7
• Psalm 107:1-3
• Psalm 118:1-9
• Psalm 136:1-9
• Ephesians 5:15-21
• Philippians 4:4-9
• Colossians 2:6-15
• Colossians 3:12-17
• Hebrews 13:14-16
• James 1:12, 1:17-18
• 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

 

It is my prayer for each of us that as we celebrate holidays here in the "shadowlands," whether we're hosting or "guesting," whether we're solo or with others, the Lord will remind us of His goodness, His sovereignty, and of all the richest of blessings we have in Him through Christ. I pray that as we lean into His blessings, we will joyfully bless others - for His glory and their good!

If you haven't already signed up for the free Advent devotional series, go to Everyday Welcome and subscribe now. Together we'll study "Longing and Light," focusing on the hope we have in Christ.

 

COMPLETE SHOW NOTES HERE.

 

RESOURCES:

Do you want to grow in JOY and your relationship with Jesus this holiday season? Join the Advent study, Longing and Light, for free!

How to Have the Best Thanksgiving Ever

Hospitality Beyond the Holidays

My Everyday Welcome Cozy Holidays E-Book

Tips for Transitioning Holiday Decor

 

RELATED EPISODES:

The Power of Pause (episode 17)

Reconciliation and Hope (episode 24)

Ask Good Questions: Invite Genuine Community (episode 20)

Be Kingdom Minded (episode 9)

 

LET’S CONNECT:

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This episode we'll cover a few great tips for your holiday meal planning/prep along with the last round of take-home ideas you can use whether you cook or not, to set the tone for your day (and especially at the holidays) that puts living the #invitinglife at the forefront. Let's get our heart and mind in the place to experience God’s grace and pour it out to others - whether you’re actually “hosting” in a traditional way, or not!

Find the full shownotes here!

A Few great meal planning tips: 

• Do what you can in advance. Try making a breakfast in advance (breakfast soup with sausage and eggs, paleo peach streusel muffins) so you can start your day with a nourishing meal.

• Set your table and your serving dishes a day or two ahead.  

• Use Shortcuts. A turkey roaster, a smoker, an Instant Pot or slow cooker can be your best ally for saving oven space. Try freezing unbaked rolls or mashed sweet potatoes so there's less prep on feast day.

• Invite others to bake and bring to your gathering, if you're hosting. It’s a blessing to you, but it also blesses the person who gets to participate. Are you the guest? Offer to bring your favorite dish or pick up ice on the way!

 

Let's go even a little bit further - these are some things you can do all year long to help you set a tone in your home that celebrates God's kindness and those you love - from a place of grace.

 

• Set the Mood - even for you! Put on some calming music and a scent that you love.
• Give grace - to you and everyone else! I have a post-it on my bathroom mirror I try to pray over each day: “By God’s grace, I will establish a rhythm of work and rest that influences my home with peace, empowers movement with my mind and body, and glorifies by Father by a joyful, loving, fearless countenance.”
• Stick to your schedule. It's ok to set boundaries for what's best for you or if you have them, your kiddos. Everyone will be happier!
• Be flexible. By the same token, don't hold so tightly to your expectations that it causes frustration for you or those you love.
• Take a break. Take a nap (or a time-out!), go for a walk, or build in some quiet before the day begins. (Listen to Episode 17: The Power of Pause!)
• Choose your traditions with intention. Celebrations like a favorite dish, the Jesse Tree, and reading the Christmas story from Luke 2 can be wonderful, but if you have traditions that aren't working for you any more, it's ok to drop them!
• Streamline. Look at your calendar - is there one thing you can bow out of? 
• Be mindful of where others are. The holidays have their own kind of hard for different people. We may never know what someone is going through, but if we’re paying attention, we might have the opportunity to connect more deeply and bless that person! (see episode 20 - Ask Good Questions).

 

In the next episode we'll fellowship together as we share some scripture and pray in real-time to help each one of us pause and set our hearts on things above. Until then, meditate on this scripture:

"If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.” - Colossians 3:1-3

 

RECIPES:

Sausage and Egg Breakfast Soup

Holiday Hosting: Creating a Beautiful Cheese Platter

Instant Pot Mashed Sweet Potatoes

Autumn Quinoa Salad with Sweet Potatoes, Cherries and Walnuts

 

RESOURCES:

Do you want to grow in JOY and your relationship with Jesus this holiday season? Join the Advent study, Longing and Light, for free!

How to Have the Best Thanksgiving Ever

Hospitality Beyond the Holidays

My Everyday Welcome Cozy Holidays E-Book

Tips for Transitioning Holiday Decor

 

RELATED EPISODES:

The Power of Pause (episode 17)

Reconciliation and Hope (episode 24)

Ask Good Questions: Invite Genuine Community (episode 20)

Be Kingdom Minded (episode 9)

 

LET’S CONNECT:

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Facebook

Join the Facebook Community!

Pinterest

YouTube

 

Do you want to grow in JOY and your relationship with Jesus this holiday season? Join the Advent study, Longing and Light, for free!

For part 1 of this series on making the holidays truly sweet, see episode 26 of Everyday Welcome Podcast!)

I'm convinced that the God who ordained feasts and celebrations wants us to seek and find Him, to share His goodness, with others during our holidays. We can create rhythms that celebrate, make memories, and invite others into the Kingdom life, with less stress and more joy! So here's part two with ideas we can all use this season to celebrate the holidays with a Kingdom mindset - to make your holidays truly sweet (and maybe avoid stress as a Christian family!).

(Find full show notes and more details on the episode blog post!)

Nourish yourself.

We need to care for these limited bodies so that we can serve from a place of peace and joy. 

• Go to bed.  
• Get up a bit earlier.  
• Drink water and eat something. 
• Save time to get ready. 
• Get your face in the Word.  

Be an invite-er.

If you have one extra chair in your home, you can invite someone to join you for your holiday celebrating. Take time individually or as a family to pray over who to invite and when to invite them. 

And despite what etiquette books might say, I say it’s good to invite yourself to join someone else! Offer to bring a side or a favorite dessert and ask someone close to you if you can pitch in. (CHURCH – don’t let someone HAVE to invite themselves! Let’s look and see who needs us to just open the door, pull up a chair, and welcome them to our table!)

Say YES to help!

Don’t be tempted to think you have to do all the work yourself.

If someone offers to bring a dish, say yes. Welcome guests to help with cleanup. Leave a task or two for last-minute help to do so that everyone can really enjoy a meal together.

Want to learn more? Listen to Making the Holidays Truly Sweet, episode 28, for some practical tips on hosting and meal prep to make your holiday celebrations even more sweet. 

 

RESOURCES:

Grow in JOY and your relationship with Jesus this holiday season! Join the Advent study, Longing and Light, for free!

Holiday Hosting: Creating a Beautiful Cheese Platter

Hospitality Beyond the Holidays

My Everyday Welcome Cozy Holidays E-Book

Tips for Transitioning Holiday Decor

 

RELATED EPISODES:

What does Modesty Have to do With Hospitality? (episode 8)

Reconciliation and Hope (episode 24)

Ask Good Questions: Invite Genuine Community (episode 20)

When We Feel Afraid But God is Bigger (episode 7)

Be Kingdom Minded (episode 9)

 

LET’S CONNECT:

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Facebook

Join the Facebook Community!

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Let's make this holiday season truly sweet! Before we get started, have you signed up to join us for the Advent study, Longing and Light? 

Along with weekly podcast episodes, I'll be sending out a printable scripture art and phone screensaver, along with weekly emails throughout December, devotional content and journaling pages. Sign up here to join us!

Now, here are a few tips to get us started our series of making this holiday season sweet. :) (And be sure to head to the blog for the full show notes.) Drop all your expectations.

Think for a minute about all the things you think Thanksgiving MUST HAVE, and then let them go.  

Psalm 131:1-2 says this: “O LORD, my heart is not proud, nor my eyes haughty; Nor do I involve myself in great matters, Or in things too difficult for me.  Surely I have composed and quieted my soul; Like a weaned child rests against his mother, My soul is like a weaned child within me. “ 

Let’s make a pact to plan for beauty and deliciousness, but be joy-FILLED with reality – because we have the One who walks with us through the good and the imperfect.

 

Raise your hopes.

Because God is the author of celebrations and of life transformation, we can and should look at holidays as an opportunity to see Him at work; we can participate when we make the effort to show extra grace. 

• Initiate meaningful conversation. 
• Speak blessing over those you eat, cook, and clean up with. 
• Pray over how you’ll navigate potential relationship “moments.” 

 

Give your holiday to God.

1 Chronicles 16:23-26 says: “Sing to the Lord, all the earth; proclaim his salvation day after day. Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous deeds among all peoples. For great is the Lord and most worthy of praise; he is to be feared above all gods. For all the gods of the nations are idols, but the Lord made the heavens.” 

Our Father invites us to celebrate so that we might remember who He is and what He has done throughout history and in our own personal story.  He invites us to celebrate what He WILL do in the days and years and centuries to come.  A few thoughts on ways to do this:

• Meditate on scripture throughout your holiday. 
• Journal prayers and thanks to the Lord.
• Pray as plan, prepare, and celebrate.
• Worship Him through your holiday plans.

 

RELATED EPISODES:

Reconciliation and Hope (episode 24)

Ask Good Questions: Invite Genuine Community (episode 20)

Salted Honey: The Words We Eat and the Words We Speak (episode 13)

Be Kingdom Minded (episode 9)

 

RESOURCES:

Longing and Light Advent Study

Full show notes

Holiday Hosting: Creating a Beautiful Cheese Platter

Hospitality Beyond the Holidays

My Everyday Welcome Cozy Holidays E-Book

Tips for Transitioning Holiday Decor

 

LET’S CONNECT:

Instagram

Facebook

Join the Facebook Community!

Pinterest

YouTube