MONDAY, JANUARY 30, 2012: JOHN 15:12-17 – LOVE
The disciples are to abide in Jesus as a branch abides in the vine. The result of this abiding is fruit, and the most precious fruit of all is love. Love will define the lives of the disciples who stay connected to Jesus and his word. In John 13:34-35, Jesus says this: “I give you … Read more
THURSDAY, JANUARY 25, 2012; MATTHEW 17:1-8 PROXIMITY
Jesus, Peter, James, Moses, and Elijah all in the same place at the same time? When they come into proximity with one another, extraordinary things happen. The second lens for building genuine relationships is proximity. Who are you around on a regular basis? We all have neighbors, but a recent poll reports that less than … Read more
SATURDAY, JANUARY 14 | JOHN 15:12-17 FRIENDSHIP
Over and over again we see this same pattern. Genuine friendship leads to conversation and a sense of community, which sometimes leads to faith. God does all the heavy lifting! We simply serve as the bridge across which God’s love and God’s grace flows into people’s lives. We know this works because we’ve seen God … Read more
FRIDAY, JANUARY 13 | JOHN 3:16-20 INCARNATION
God so loved the world that he gave his only Son. God went on a rescue mission and entered into the mess of our lives. He didn’t just risk his life, but gave his life to save us from our bondage to sin and death. He came among us as a baby and lived and … Read more
THURSDAY, JANUARY 12 | MATTHEW 16:124-28 WITNESS
Evangelism is a very misunderstood word. Some of us have operated with a framework that looks like this: The burden is on us. We have to close the sale. It’s all about information and decision. The focus is on what happens after you die. It proposes a transaction: God will do something if we will … Read more
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 11 | MATTHEW 19:16-22 FOLLOWING JESUS
Negative images of fulfilling the Great Commission are all around us: religious door-to-door callers, bullhorn guy and big tent revivals, to name just a few. But this is a process more often than an event. For many of us, evangelism has generally been understood as inviting people to church. While that’s certainly not a bad … Read more
TUESDAY, JANUARY 10 | MATTHEW 28:16-20 AGAIN AUTHORITY
Matthew 28:18-20 frames the ministry of Jesus’ eleven remaining disciples. Jesus words contain four “alls,” which capture the central message of Matthew’s entire Gospel. All authority: God has now given the resurrected Jesus authority over all of creation, both heaven and earth. We, too, are given this authority. All nations: The disciples are to make … Read more
