Happy New Year!
As 2023 joins the history books and our year of intentional focus upon HOSPITALITY comes to a close, our attention turns to another crucial aspect of our church's mission: EXTENDING.
Extending God's love to those around us means many things.
It means we have received something from God that we can in turn give to others.
It means that we must fully accept what God has offered, so that our extending it to others is genuine.
It means that we have been invited by God to be part of His mission in the world, that He wants to include us in what He is doing.
It means that what we have been given is worth sharing.
So as we explore together the gift we have been given over the course of this coming year, we want to hold one concrete challenge/mission/objective in mind: That this year, we want to be intentional about extending God's love to one person or family in our lives.
Christian faith can often be muddied with all sorts of overwhelming expectations or guilt-inducing "oughts," "shoulds," and "musts." However, the truth is that God has come near to us, not to burden us with a bunch of rules and regulations for how to live, but to give us life in its most abundant form. As we experience this life for ourselves through relationship with Jesus, we want to share it with others.
And rather than feel overwhelmed by that task, what if we were each intentional about sharing God's love and blessing with just one other person this year? Not to try and convert them or get them to come to our church or condemn them for what we think they're doing wrong; simply to let them know that they are loved by God. Imagine what a beautiful difference that might make in our community!
So if you're up for the challenge, start with prayer about who God wants to show His love to through you. Pray that He might go before you, convict your heart toward that person, and give you courage to reach out in some simple, but meaningful way.
May God be praised for His infinite love and never-failing goodness!
May God be with me as I extend and I pray for my friend and her son as they are facing a medical test I pray the lord will bless her as life’s trials are coming I know God is good and I trust what He is doing. Please help her to feel the love, and bless me to be a friend in her time of need I’m very grateful to know you’re my friend and Lord I rest in your power in Jesus name I pray amen❤️🙏🏻