Bold and Ready

ALL – Psalm 71:1-24
ALL – Proverbs 24:9-10
OT – Isaiah 57:15-59:21
NT – Philippians 1:1-26

Interesting passage for the day: For I live in eager expectation and hope that I will never do anything that will cause me to be ashamed of myself but that I will always be ready to speak out boldly for Christ while I am going through all these trials here, just as I have in the past; and that I will always be an honor to Christ, whether I live or whether I must die. – Philippians 1:20, The Living Bible

Thought: Do you notice what would make Paul feel ashamed? He would feel ashamed if he were not ready to speak out boldly for Jesus at any point, no matter what trials he was facing.

Easy to say.

But for Paul, it was serious. He meant business.

Would I feel ashamed if I weren’t ready to boldly speak up for Jesus? Do I? I think I’m pretty sensitive to my opportunities to speak for Jesus. But when I’m faced with the choice—to speak up or not to—do I speak up?

It’s one thing to be sensitive enough to our opportunities to speak up for Jesus that we feel ashamed when we miss our chances. It’s another thing to get to the point where we don’t need to feel ashamed, where we gently, passionately and boldly point people to Jesus instead of passing up our opportunities and walking away with our shoulders hanging.

Question: How do you develop a sensitivity to openings for sharing about Jesus? What helps you to be bold when you need to be bold?

To review the Bible reading plan options, please visit http://tinyurl.com/yj2o7jz.

The Family that ... Together

ALL – Psalm 36:1-12
ALL – Proverbs 21:21-22
OT – Esther 4:1-7:10
NT – 1 Corinthians 12:1-26

Interesting passage for the day: If one part suffers, all parts suffer with it, and if one part is honored, all the parts are glad. – 1 Corinthians 12:26, The Living Bible

Thought: Have you ever tried to send just a part of your body to play a game or do a job?

“Hey, feet, go play soccer for me.”

“I don’t want to stay up late tonight. Hands, do you mind just typing out this paper for me?”

We don’t say, “My feet played soccer today,” or, “My hands were on the computer all day.” We say, “I played soccer,” and, “I was on the computer.” Why? Because if one part of our body is involved, we ourselves are involved. Our entire body shares life’s experiences, even if different limbs get used more than others. When I’m typing at the computer, it means my fingers are working wildly. But it also means that my feet are resting, my back and stomach are working to keep me sitting upright, my heart and lungs are working to keep me alive, my eyes are watching the computer screen, and my brain is directing my thoughts through the whole process.

Christ’s church is Christ’s body. We are one. We share life. One life. Jesus Christ’s life. If one of us gets a promotion at work, we are all happy. If one of us falls into sin, it shames and hurts all of us. If one of us introduces a friend to Jesus, all of us share in the celebration and all of us feel like we’ve succeeded in making progress towards fulfilling Christ’s Great Commission. You can pretend to be a loner Christian, but the truth is that you’re a part of a community—like it or not. And even your attempts to disassociate yourself from the church affect the rest of God’s people. You’re simply that connected because of Jesus Christ.

Question: Since Jesus has joined all us believers together, what could you do to make our experience as a family, community and body the best possible experience on earth?

To review the Bible reading plan options, please visit http://tinyurl.com/yj2o7jz.

Weekly Sermons in Swanton: The Advent and Joy

The message covered Luke 2:1-20, and it can be heard via streaming audio at http://www.swantonalliance.org. Follow the shepherds' journey of joy, from hearing to experiencing to sharing the joy burning within them. Note: Past sermons can be accessed through the resources page.