Love God Love One Another

Empathy is a timeless value that needs to be part of every Christian’s life. “Who is my neighbor?” is a question that transcends time, culture, and self. Threading a parable of unexpected empathy and living a life of real generosity, Jesus demonstrates we are all created in the image of God. Who deserves my compassion…an empathetic connection from God through me? Everyone. #NoExceptions.

The experience of Pentecost is a movement of God’s Spirit among people speaking the language of love. In confirmation of faith, we commit to live a life of faithful service and witness to the world. We’re living in a time and day when love and joy need more air. Let’s live in the promise of our baptism—become the best version of yourself by becoming a clearer reflection of God’s love. You, too, can become a champion joy giver!

A good mother is the model of what a true giver looks like…one of God’s best examples of agape, unconditional love. A caring mother, like God, is always wanting the very best for their child. We need to hear regular reminders we are loved, not just what we should have done. No one likes to be “should on.” On the basis of knowing nothing can separate us from the love of God, we can demonstrate that love extended. Thank you, Mom, for showing the many ways!

God encourages us to store up treasures…not to reject them. But the instructions are clear... relocate these treasures and store them up in heaven. Many of us live, as if, we can take it all with us. The truth about life on this earth is you can’t transport them with you. However, God tells us today about a way we can invest and send treasures ahead for eternity.

Picture in your mind a social scene with a table in it. What memories and events do moments at a table come to your mind? How does it feel to be welcomed to join a gathering of family or friends at the table? Jesus was an ever-welcoming table host. He used the common moments of sharing food and drink to connect all manner of people, undesirable with elites. He especially included the marginalized. It is not enough to greet or welcome people politely. We must move to be more inclusive; let’s add some leaves to our table and pass the peas (peace)!

In good times, I get that God is for us. But when life is tumbling, can I still feel it? Where are you God in my circumstances? In my pain? In my disappointments? Life is not just walking through easy open doors. God works all things together as we climb, crawl, and inch through life’s obstacle course. Apostle Paul understood God’s promise. He reflected on a lifetime where, in retrospect, God obviously knew best. Embrace hope! Nothing can separate us from God’s love. There is no in-between. God is for you!

Jesus offered living water to a woman at the well in Samaria…and to us today-everyone who is parched and thirsty. As we receive this life-giving refreshment, how and where can we share it with others? The need for restoration and water is great among people who for the sake of daily survival have to focus too much on basic, clean, water needs. In this message you'll hear Hillary Mallo a water project manager in Uganda with Water4Kids tell about the restorative power of clean water wells given by our Messiah community in Jesus' name.

It is easy to view ourselves as people who need less help than others. If we have resources and circumstances better than another, we can begin to think we have somehow earned this favor. We are all prodigal people, recklessly taking life into our own hands. When will we notice we have become self-serving and boldly callous to others? God patiently waits…come home my son and daughter, you are living a prodigal life.

Every story is a journey-and the context of it depends on where you begin to understand it. God's story of love and our relationship to our maker begins far before our disobedience, sin, and need for redemption. Focus on a penny held close enough to your eye can entirely block your view of the world? Jesus' death for our sake and his rising from the dead is the heart of an eternal love story of God's pursuit of us. We are restored.

Do you ever wish you or your life could be greater? Maybe we’ve all been striving to become someone else, too much. God made us to be who we are—uniquely. Appreciating the donkey’s role and experience in the Palm Sunday narrative we can discover our often-overlooked purpose in life. A common donkey was personally chosen by God to carry the Messiah. We have been chosen to do the very same thing.

The power of one person's kindness given to another, especially shared in the context of God's cascading love, can open up additional dimensions in someone's life. Serving is a verb—filled with action. Service is propelled and extended by gratitude from grace received. Getting personal with another's need grows our transformational perspective and shapes our heart. Be cheerfully expectant and inventive in your hospitality to others. Remember—love does. (Romans 12:9-21)

One response to God's grace could be a heady, thoughtful, action-free satisfaction. Is it enough to be a receiver and consumer only? From brokenness to hope: how thankful are we really? A deep gratitude bubbles up without containment, it motivates outbound sharing. More than just being humanitarian, we serve from a grace perspective. We spread transformational hope. With Christ as our model, let's serve together with humility; pouring ourselves as a heart shaping force to meet the needs of our community.

We are all born with distinct talents by God's provision. We are called to apply our talents in unique and varied ways. Using our talents to tap into the talents of others is a powerful leverage effect. In the image of a creative God, we are all creative creatures…given permission to follow those things which make us most alive. Agape love and humility kindle generosity and service to others.

It isn't any religious logo, mark, sticker, or label we display that identifies us a Jesus follower. "A new commandment I give you," Jesus said, "love one another as I have loved you." It is our actions that show our allegiance. Our actions may be the only "Bible" that other people see and read. What is my life telling them? Without love, I am noisy and irrelevant…with love, I am serving my highest call.

Acts of service are more than a kindness in the moment. "Whenever you did one of these things to someone overlooked or ignored, that was me—you did it to me," Jesus said. Positive potential is often initiated by very small acts. We were created to serve, not to earn favor in God's eye's, but rather to show a humble response for the love we first received.

Like Copernicus observed, the center of the universe doesn't revolve around us. Seriously? it isn't just about me? "Humility is like underwear; essential, but indecent if it shows." (Helen Nielsen). Likewise, "pride leads to every other vice: it is the complete anti-God state of mind." (C.S. Lewis) Therefore, "do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others." (Philippians 2:3-4)

God's plan for you is a lifetime of joy and peace together; our 40 Days of Living series is a kickstarter for such a journey. We follow Jesus who demonstrated abundant living! Jesus stepped into our world to show us a life shaped and defined by love, full of compassion, connected by prayer, steered by commitment, and open to generous sacrifice for others. "I have come to show you what living is all about."

In every person's life there is a BOB...someone who causes us a Burden Of Bitterness. Oh, the pain and disappointment when we see their face in our mind. We have two choices: living with the bitterness—coping and pushing the pain down, or a journey of forgiveness. Forgiveness? Really? You don't know how much they hurt me. Yes, I do. Listen to hear...through a power which is far greater than our own, we can live to forgive.

It is easy to get confused and lost in life—far easier than we might admit. Sometimes we don’t notice until we are far off course. What is the compass for finding our way in life? God’s word to the world was not just a message for the past, but equally useful for us today. Living in the Word brings purpose, hope, and guidance. It is inspired, practical, and education for knowing our place and our next direction.

#humantrafficking | The power to change the world is HOPE that comes from Jesus. In response to God's calling, Matthew and Melissa Stock serve in Cambodia (stockreplugged.org) to prevent, rescue, restore, and reintegrate children (one-by-one) at peril for human trafficking. A life saving ministry! Inspired, we wonder "What is my call?" God calls us to bloom where we are planted. May we daily be HOPE givers; the people who seek justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with God.