Connection Problem

Jesus was so focused on his mission that he wasn’t ever stopped by human opinion or offense. Jesus wasn’t easily offendable because he knew who he was and what he came to do. He knew he was the Son of God, and he came to give us eternal life. If you stand firm in your identity and keep your eyes focused on your mission, you will not be moved. In order to get to this place, we must know the truth so deeply that lies are completely ludicrous when we hear them. If we know that we are chosen, we will scoff at anyone who tries to tell us otherwise. If we know that we are loved, we will pay no mind to someone who tries to convince us we are not. If we stay focused on the mission, we will ignore anything that tries to derail us. Followers of Jesus are marked by their focus on Jesus. If we focus on the light, everything outside of Jesus will grow dark. The enemy will try to derail us from the mission of loving people one at a time and making disciples by distracting us with human opinions and filling us with doubt about who Jesus says we are. If we can distrust our identity, we will drop the mission. If we drop the mission, we will cease to bear fruit.  But God gave us everything we need in order to accomplish his mission on earth. He gave us Jesus who made us new. He gave us a new identity. He calls us his sons and daughters. Jesus calls us his friends. God then gives us everything we need to accomplish his mission of growing his Kingdom. If we can remind ourselves of who God says we are, what he has given us to do, and how his power can equip us, we will be unshakeable. Reflection/Discussion Questions: If you find yourself easily offended, what are you struggling to believe God says about you? If not, what has God done in your life to give you freedom from what people think or say?

When we feel the rejection of the world, we can remember that Jesus chooses us. When we believe the lie that Jesus is on the sidelines, we can remind ourselves that he is chasing us. He initiates a relationship with us. He invites us to experience his grace. We are the ones who sideline him, forget about him, run away, try to hide, and ignore him.  He is the only one in our lives who will consistently pursue us even when we reject him. Jesus’s love for us compels him to pursue us to no end. So, while it may feel trite at first to hear that Jesus is always reaching out when everyone else has rejected us, this truth actually carries an incredible weight. After all, when we die, it won’t be the people in our lives that testify to who we are in front of a holy God—it will be Jesus. And Jesus won’t tell God how awesome we are, he will show God how sufficient he is to make us holy. The Creator of the Universe, the King of Kings, the nothing-is-impossible God actually pursues us. I think you’d be surprised if your favorite celebrity called you up and asked you to have lunch. “What? Me? You’re choosing to have lunch with me of all people?” But it is even more shocking that the Great I Am would do everything in his power to have an intimate relationship with us. Famous people are made famous by their fans, God has been great for all of eternity.  When we grasp the weight of being chosen, we can unite with our brothers and sisters who are also chosen. We could have nothing in common with them, but the thread that unites us all is that the God of the Universe has chosen us. We can unite under that identity and in the purpose he has given us to love one another. This is enough to sustain us when we get caught up in human rejection. Reflection/Discussion Question: How does being chosen create unity among us as believers?

I pray to God to start and end my day but often forget to seek him throughout my day unless I’m having a very difficult day. This past Sunday before I heard this message I had a moment where I didn’t know the right thing to do so I stopped I prayed and let God lead me to do his will .. and of course he showed up and guided me as he always does when I take the time to listen ..and then I came to service early to look at the book store where I purchased the very book Sunday’s message was about! God connects with me when I need it when I don’t want it and when I don’t slow down to see it he’s always next to me guiding me and places struggles before me to help me grow. This week I’ve been extremely intensional on accepting his guidance and trying to do the same for everyone I come in contact with. If I can show up for others as God does for me I hope that they can feel his grace and presence through me. That’s what I got out of this challenge anyway ❤️