The Unexpected Encounter (Balaam’s Donkey)
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Each of us carry a certain set of assumptions about how God might encounter us. These assumptions become a box that limit our ability to recognize who God may want to speak through or how he may do it. In order to break this box we need to learn to expect the unexpected. If God can “open the mouth of the ass” then he can surely use anyone and anything to get our attention.
(Numbers 22:15-33)
Easy to Catch (The Parables)
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When we think about what it means for the gospel to go viral in our world, understanding the what isn’t enough, we also need the why and the how. Thankfully Jesus, and the way that he uses parables to connect with his disciples and the crowds, gives us incredible insight as to how we can make the gospel meaningful and memorable through high access and high excellence – even with something like corporate worship. Because if the gospel is going to go viral, then it needs to be easy to catch.
(Matthew 13:34-35)
Make Peace a Priority (Dealing with Conflict)
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When it comes to experiencing conflict, we often find ourselves caught in the middle of two points. One the one hand, we recognize that conflict is present, but if we are honest with ourselves, we are also not ready to forgive. The temptation is to just let the situation drift along, hoping that over time everything will turn out OK.
Jesus, however, demonstrates a better way, a way that protects our heart. Because whether you are the offender or the offended, all conflict has a use-by date.
(Matthew 5:21-24, 43-45)
Shipwrecks in Life (Jesus Calms the Storm)
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A common icebreaker is the question: “If you were shipwrecked on an island, what three things would you take with you?” Whether you believe in God or not, the way you answer this question sheds light on what you think is most important in life. Shipwrecks, whether by circumstance or choice prompt us to think differently, just as Jesus demonstrated in the midst of a storm. Because God uses shipwrecks to clarify what matters most in life.
(Matthew 8:23-27)
Jesus Wept (When Faith and Pain Collide)
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How much time, energy and effort do we spend trying to convince the world that we have it all together? We are all exposed to the reality of pain in a broken world, it can tear us apart, but what we do with that pain demonstrates who we believe God to be. Two of the most powerful words in the Bible are the from its shortest verse, “Jesus wept,” because when we weep, we can be reminded that Jesus wept too. In his tears, Jesus did not demonstrate a weakness of his humanity, but the strength of God’s character.
Bring your pain to Jesus, that he might turn something broken into something beautiful.
(John 11:1-44)
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