Living on Mission – Time to Eat

Living on Mission – Time to Eat

In John 4:27-38 we discover that it’s lunchtime. Jesus was hungry. My guess is that they didn’t have the discussion that often happens at my house to figure out what to eat. “Ok, what sounds good?” There were no drive-thru’s to choose from, no lunchables to pick up, no Little Debbie’s for a treat. The disciples didn’t go grab a bunch of junk food at the convenience store; they brought back real food. So, imagine their surprise when they gave Him lunch and Jesus said, “I have food you know nothing about… My nourishment comes from doing the will of God, who sent me, and from finishing his work.”

Jesus knew that he needed more than physical food. (He did say that we can’t live on bread alone.) He needed to do the will of God.

What is the will of God? It can be summed up in this: Love God, Love People. There are many expressions, and sometimes God provides specific, detailed instructions about His will – but every single time the result will be loving God with everything we have and sincerely loving all people. THIS is nourishment that truly satisfies.

Can I be really candid? I enjoy junk food. (Give me Wendy’s spicy chicken sandwich and ALL of the Diet Coke.) I don’t crave healthy food. (No sugar? No artificial ingredients? No chemical-filled fizzy drinks?) It’s hard to eat only healthy food. It’s not convenient. It’s not full of gooey yumminess. The reason I feel this way is because I have gotten used to eating things that taste good but are not what my body needs to be nourished and satisfied. I need to train myself to eat healthy food.

Could it be that we have become accustomed to living without nourishing spiritual food? Well, I have good news! There are opportunities every day for a will-of-God-feast. Doing the will of God is like spiritual health food. Are you feeling hungry?

Let’s practice Living on Mission and allow our hunger drive us to do the will of God. Just like Jesus, this is our food. This is our nourishment. This is our satisfaction. This is what makes us strong and healthy. It’s time to eat!

Pastor Angela

FAMILY IT! — Wednesday Family Devotional — “Thirst Things First”

I love my cooking shows!  Truly, when I watch TV, it’s about all I watch, and my favorites are the competitions.  The mix of new cooking techniques, suspenseful judgings, and delicious end products ticks every box for me.  I am especially drawn to contestants with interesting stories.  

One of my favorites is a twenty-something who still lives with his mom, and eats nothing but grilled cheese, plain hamburgers, boxed mac n’ cheese, and pepperoni pizza.  That’s. It.  That may sound like a fabulous diet to some of you, but even as young as twenty-five, this guy has figured out that trying to live on these foods alone has had a negative impact on his health and therefore his life.  He confesses that he doesn’t want to eat like a five year old anymore.  (Hey, my five year old eats way better than that!) His purpose for coming on the cooking show was to try to learn how to cook and improve his quality of life.  

What about you?  Do you enjoy eating unusual food or are you a plain hamburger kind of person?  What’s the most unique thing you’ve ever eaten?  

In John 4:27-38, Jesus talks with the disciples about food.  After a day of traveling, the disciples ran into town to try to find a drive-thru while Jesus rested at the well just outside of town.  This is where Jesus met the Samaritan woman and had a great conversation about living water.  But now the guys are back with burgers and fries and are a little confused to see Jesus chatting up this lady.  They wait a little awkwardly for her to leave, wanting to give Jesus the food they know He’s been waiting for.  

After she returns to town, however, the disciples are shocked when Jesus refuses the to-go bag.  Instead, He says, “The food that keeps me going is that I do the will of the One who sent me, finishing the work he started.” (v. 34 Msg)  Um…what?  Did someone already bring Him food?

What Jesus means is that doing what God wants (“the will of the One who sent me”) is what really fires Him up.  His drive, His inner fuel and motivation is knowing the Lord’s will and getting it done, like sharing God’s grace with the Samaritan woman.  It’s what fills Jesus up inside and makes Him happy and content.

What about you?  To be honest, most of us find our inner fuel in “five year old” things: playing, hanging with friends, sports, job success.  The food that keeps us going is having fun doing what we want.  Eventually, however, we figure out that trying to live on these things has a negative impact on our hearts and therefore our lives.  Jesus is showing us that focusing on God’s mission—being missional—is way better.  It’s so much more fulfilling to care for someone in need, the way Jesus would, than it is to simply care for ourselves.  It improves someone else’s quality of life…and after life…and it makes us better, too.  Win-win!

What can you and your family do to live on mission?  How can you focus your time on God’s will?  What will help you make that a priority over some of the others fun things in life?  Think of one thing you can do this week to be missional.  Put it on the calendar or make a big sign to remind everybody and get excited about it!  Then pray and ask God to fuel you all with his mission.

Living on Mission – Thirst Quencher

Living on Mission – Thirst Quencher

The Samaritan woman at the well was thirsty. What was she thirsty for? She was thirsty for the same things we all thirst for: love, acceptance, provision, peace, security. She might have thought a husband could quench her thirst – but she actually had five of those (plus another that wasn’t a husband) and still she was parched.

So, Jesus showed up and asked her for a drink. What?!? Ok, so it was His way of striking up a conversation with her. He then tells her that if she asks she can have living water that will completely quench her thirst – forever! She immediately said, “Gimme some of that!”

Oh, to never thirst again!

We encounter people every day who are thirsty. Think of your family. Think of the people you work with, the people who take care of your children, and the people who work at your favorite shops and restaurants. They are all thirsty for something. Many of them don’t know what they are truly thirsting for, though. They are probably trying various things in an attempt to quench their thirst. They are likely tired of searching.

Isn’t it great that we have Good News to offer? Jesus will satisfy all of the longings. He will quench all of our thirsts – even those we don’t fully recognize.

Let’s practice Living on Mission and freely share the Good News that Jesus is the real (and only) Thirst Quencher.

Pastor Angela

Living on Mission – Going Out of Our Way

Living on Mission – Going Out of Our Way

Jesus went through Samaria. It was not a popular “must see” tourist destination. It wasn’t efficient. It wasn’t convenient. Even though it was the most direct route, it was to be avoided by Jews. However, for Jesus, it was necessary to go there.

John 4:4 says that Jesus had to go through Samaria. Why? Because Jesus had an appointment with a Samaritan woman. She wasn’t aware of the appointment, but He knew where to find her. He knew that her place in society would dictate her location. He knew her guilt and shame would drive her to that place at a time nobody else would choose to go there. He knew her circumstances in life. He knew her past. He knew her and loved her and set out to meet her.

We will look more into the meeting between Jesus and the Samaritan woman in the coming weeks, but today let’s focus on Jesus going out of His way. Jesus was on His way from Judea (Point A) to Galilee (Point B.) The trip from Point A to Point B does not lead through Samaria if you are a Jew because Samaria was filled with half-breeds who were considered “not cool.” This place was to be avoided; it was the bad part of town, the wrong side of the tracks, so to speak.

Jesus was led there by the Holy Spirit to demonstrate the Kingdom of God and to declare the Good News to this woman. This is what happens with Missional Impulses – the Holy Spirit leads us to do and/or say things that may not seem logical to us.

How do we react when we are prompted to do something that would be less convenient than we would like? How willing are we to give a word of encouragement to a stranger? How often do we go the extra mile to show love? How much scorn and judgment are we willing to endure for choosing to do the right thing? How far out of our way will we go for that divine appointment?

Let’s practice Living on Mission and surrender ourselves to His promptings no matter how far out of our way we must go.

Pastor Angela

Living on Mission – Going Out of Our Way

Living on Mission – Going Out of Our Way

Jesus went through Samaria. It was not a popular “must see” tourist destination. It wasn’t efficient. It wasn’t convenient. Even though it was the most direct route, it was to be avoided by Jews. However, for Jesus, it was necessary to go there.

John 4:4 says that Jesus had to go through Samaria. Why? Because Jesus had an appointment with a Samaritan woman. She wasn’t aware of the appointment, but He knew where to find her. He knew that her place in society would dictate her location. He knew her guilt and shame would drive her to that place at a time nobody else would choose to go there. He knew her circumstances in life. He knew her past. He knew her and loved her and set out to meet her.

We will look more into the meeting between Jesus and the Samaritan woman in the coming weeks, but today let’s focus on Jesus going out of His way. Jesus was on His way from Judea (Point A) to Galilee (Point B.) The trip from Point A to Point B does not lead through Samaria if you are a Jew because Samaria was filled with half-breeds who were considered “not cool.” This place was to be avoided; it was the bad part of town, the wrong side of the tracks, so to speak.

Jesus was led there by the Holy Spirit to demonstrate the Kingdom of God and to declare the Good News to this woman. This is what happens with Missional Impulses – the Holy Spirit leads us to do and/or say things that may not seem logical to us.

How do we react when we are prompted to do something that would be less convenient than we would like? How willing are we to give a word of encouragement to a stranger? How often do we go the extra mile to show love? How much scorn and judgment are we willing to endure for choosing to do the right thing? How far out of our way will we go for that divine appointment?

Let’s practice Living on Mission and surrender ourselves to His promptings no matter how far out of our way we must go.

Pastor Angela

Living on Mission – Thirst Things First

Living on Mission – Thirst Things First

“O God, you are my God; I earnestly search for you. My soul thirsts for you; my whole body longs for you in this parched and weary land where there is no water. I have seen you in your sanctuary and gazed upon your power and glory. Your unfailing love is better than life itself; how I praise you! I will praise you as long as I live, lifting up my hands to you in prayer. You satisfy me more than the richest feast. I will praise you with songs of joy. I lie awake thinking of you, meditating on you through the night. Because you are my helper, I sing for joy in the shadow of your wings. I cling to you; your right hand holds me securely.” (Psalms 63:1-8)

I love this Psalm; it reflects my heart and communicates feelings I experience often. How about you? Have you ever been so desperate for God that you search for ways to express your longings to Him? Have you ever cried out a Psalm as a prayer? Have the words ever resonated so strongly that you feel like you could have written them yourself?

What if you’re not that thirsty? (Oh boy have I been there…) What if longing is not really how you would describe your feelings? What if you’re more desperate for daily Starbucks (or Diet Coke) than for Daily Presence with Jesus?

The answer is near the end of the passage and let me tell you, it is really good news! He is our helper. He creates longing in us. (All we have to do is ask!) And even when we think we’re the ones clinging to Him, He’s actually the One holding us.

Mission flows naturally out of our relationship with Jesus; and He’ll even help us thirst for, long for, and desire just that. So, let’s practice Living on Mission and keep Thirst Things First!

Pastor Angela

Living on Mission – The Tenth

Living on Mission – The Tenth

Many things about living missionally go against cultural norms and are sometimes even illogical when looked at through the lens of this world. Jesus teaches us that giving away our life is how we actually find it. He says to pray for those who persecute us, and that forgiving others is what opens the door for our forgiveness. Here’s another one – give a tenth of your income back to God.

Honestly, I’m learning to just go with it. When He says to do something, I need to just do it. I’m learning that His ways are not my ways, and His wisdom is way beyond anything I can understand. So, I’m learning to trust Him in everything.

I’m learning to trust Him with the tithe, too. When we think about it, the truth is that everything we have has come from Him. We like to think that we control our lives, but we don’t. He provides everything – down to each breath we take. When we embrace the fact that He gives us everything, we can learn to look at everything with a radically different view. We don’t feel the need to hang on to every penny when we truly know He is the one who supplies all we need. Our “things” lose value when compared to what really matters – loving God and loving people. When we live according to His ways, we begin to be transformed into the likeness of our generous Lord, so we may find ourselves giving more than a tenth back to Him. We might just come to the realization that it’s all His after all.

Let’s practice Living on Mission and give everything back to the One who supplies it all.

Pastor Angela