Instead of being a respite for the weary, what if church was also a launching pad? In the infamous Great Commission Jesus lays the ground work for the church to be a gathering of people who are sent out, to share the Good News and love of Christ with others.

Joshua 4 is the beginning of a new era for God's people. They enter the Promised Land with a grand entrance, and it's almost like Joshua knows his people too well. The first thing they do: create a physical reminder of God's great work before them, knowing int he midst of life, it might get lost or forgotten.

For as long as I can remember I saw the word testimony and witness along with the word evangelism when I heard about following Jesus. And all these words are important, and there is one more that Jesus specifically tells his disciples to do: witness. To tell people what you have seen and experienced first-hand about God.

Church is a wonderful place, until it gets filled with people. Sometimes the hardest part of living into God's plans is the unique people that He calls us to share that journey with. In Jesus' parables, He provides some wisdom and insight about the eclectic gathering that is the church.

Outreach - be a servant of God

Sometimes we are the greatest barrier to seeing God’s Will happen in our lives, because we don’t know what we don’t know. It is tough not to fall into the trap of assuming the only way forward, is a way we know, and way we have gone before. God confronts the disciples about who God is going to use for His purposes as a part of God’s great plan to change the world.

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It is wonderful to want to follow God, and to pursue the Spirit’s leading and we should do it. Jesus did not hesitate though to warn his disciples that following comes at a cost that should be first considered. Following Jesus is a wonderful adventure, and one that can change our lives, but are you ready to invest what this journey calls from you?

We often call Christians, “Christ followers,” and with those words insinuate actively following Jesus like his first disciples did. But we live in a world where we have been taught for a long time to consume knowledge and education like food, with the end goal being, get more of it. What if our call starts with the very act of following Jesus, instead of learning information about him?

Community is something that most people long for. A group of people who care for me, and know me well. We hear in Ecclesiastes that being a disciple of Jesus means being part of a different community where we encourage one another in our faith, and push each other to become more of the person that God has called us to be.