To Serve Mankind

As you live your life as a Christian, at home, in your neighborhood, at school, at work, at play - do you yet have the faith to speak boldly and see the signs and wonders that follow those who truly believe that God will do what He said He will do?  Or are you timid and fruitless?  God wants you to be bold, to speak, and become fruitful and multiply, all in the name of Jesus.

Asking Jesus, "how do You know me" is kind of like asking the sun, "how are you so hot?"  Nevertheless, Nathanael asks this question and we process together in this message that brings clarity to just how well Jesus knows each and every one of us - and how we are meant to engage because of it.

Philip answers Nathanael's good question about Messiah with the words, "come and see" and immediately we read about Nathanael being on his way... to see Jesus!

Hezekiah had an uphill battle to fight, against shadows of past leadership, family, culture... thankfully, God's plans for his life to be spared and for him to become a good king came to pass.  Be encouraged and begin expecting God to show up and provide for you suddenly as you live for Him.

Conversationally, immediately following a sermon titled "come and see," we focus our attention on how to actually get out there and make disciples, following Philip's humble example of using three little words... "Come and see."  If Christians aren't knowledgeable or comfortable with the beginning steps and impetus towards making disciples, we tend to simply not do it - which means the Great Commission is forever ignored, and we must reverse this dire trend among the Church.  Find out how.

Today, Karla Luther moderates the conversation that accompanied the message, Following Him, as we discover the steps of following Jesus... applying His example directly and immediately to our own Christian experience as true disciples who follow Jesus.

Did Jesus just tell me to wake up?  Is He calling me intentionally blind?  Surely, Jesus compassionately draws the attention of every true disciple to the reality that there are so many all around each of us ready to enter into new life in Him, if we will only see them as they are, in truth, with love, and offer them entrance.  May we all, as followers of Jesus, embrace the truth and then obediently carry out His instructions.

Different than the message the preceded this, notice the lowercase m on "me," which indicates someone besides God is talking.  :) today's Little Bible Conversation takes us deeper into the call of believers to follow the leader that Jesus established as under-shepherds in His ministry.  We talk straight about disappointment and letdown from human leaders, pride that prompts offense, spiritual maturity/immaturity and how the phrase "spiritual abuse" can be thrown around inappropriately without proper discernment of The Lord and His ways.  All in all, a powerful, practical LAB exercise.

Unfortunately, there are things that raise themselves up (or we raise up) above God's rightful place - in our minds - that do not belong there and must be removed.  We have each been gifted by God, equipped, strengthened and sent to tear them down, but we find ourselves back in the high life... again, worshipping at those same high places, instead of putting Jesus in that top spot.  It's time to break that pattern... break down the high places... and never return to living below our dignity as those entrusted by God to cause godliness to reign in our lives.

What's in a name?  A rose by any other name would smell as sweet... We discuss personal names and corporate names we should become aware of in today's Little Bible Conversation.