Tuesday, March 19 - 40 Days Luke

Tuesday, March 19, 2019 

Shine Your Light

When I was a little girl my favorite Sunday School song was This Little Light of Mine.  I think I liked this song best because of the hand movements that went with the words.  When I started working at New Covenant UMC as their Children’s Director one of my favorite things to do was to sing and dance with the kids on Wednesday at our after-school program.  Now, God has not gifted me with the ability to sing on key or to dance in time with music, but the wonderful thing about children is that they DO NOT CARE! Wednesday afternoon was my day to worship, not just with my mind, or voice, but with my whole body.    One of my favorite songs to sing with the kids was, of course, This Little Light of Mine.  Click on this linkto hear an upbeat version of this classic and maybe in the privacy of your home you might get up and sing and dance for God.    

Read: Luke 8:1-25

Questions to Consider:

1.     If you went to church as a child what was your favorite thing?  What is your favorite thing about church today?  How might you share your favorite things about church with people who don’t go to church? 

2.    Do you find that you are ever tempted to hid your light? Why? 

3.    Pastor Jim says we should fly our Jesus flags everywhere we go.  How might you do this in a natural way?

Activity for the Day:  Do something to purposefully shine your light into the community.  Share your ideas in the Facebook Group. 

Blessings, 

Kristyne

Monday, March 18 - 40 Days Luke

Monday, March 18, 2019 

Forgiveness 

The founder of the Methodist movement, John Wesley, had a habit within his own small group, The Holy Club, of having the members ask self-examination questions.  There were 21 questions and one of the questions was: Do I thank God that I am not like others?  This can be a challenging question because it demands that we recognize in ourselves the habit of minimizing our sins and maximizing someone else’s sins.  As you read today think about how Wesley’s question relates to the passage.  

Read: Luke 7:36-50

Questions to Consider:

1.     Do I thank God that I am not like others? 

2.    Do I need to go to God to ask for forgiveness for something I have been holding inside? 

3.    Do I need to offer forgiveness to someone in my life? 

4.   Am I withholding forgiveness from someone in my life? 

Interested in learning more about Wesley’s 21 Questions?  Click on this linkto preview a great book!  

Activity for the Day:  Forgive someone who you are withholding forgiveness from OR accept forgiveness from someone who has wronged you. 

Blessings, 

Kristyne 

Saturday, March 16 - 40 Days Luke

Saturday, March 16, 2019 

Breaking Barriers

Yesterday we talked about writing a Rule for Life and about how sometimes Jesus asks us to do things that are hard, like love our enemies. In the scripture today we will see how two groups of people, Gentiles and Jew, who are supposed to be enemies, actually get along and love each other.     

Read: Luke 7:1-35

Questions to Consider:

1.     Are there people in your life who you struggle to trust? What can you do to grow in trust for these people? 

2.    Are there people in your life who have been great examples of faith?  

3.    How can you draw your circle wider and get to know new people?  

Activity for the Day:  How are you reaching people outside of your social group?  What habits could you change in your life to expand your social circle to include those who are different?  Post your ideas in the Facebook Group.  

If you have not finished your Rule for Life I encourage you to keep on working on it!  

Blessings, 

Kristyne

Friday, March 15 - 40 Days Luke

Friday, March 15, 2019 

Rule for Life

Friday is here!  For me Friday is the start of my weekend.  In my life, either Friday or Saturday is taken as a Sabbath day.  I have learned that practicing spiritual disciples and care of mind-body-spirit is needed.  One of my favorite quotes about Sabbath is from the book Subversive Sabbathby A.J Swoboda.    He says this of choosing actives for a Sabbath day; “Our family has summed it up like this: Is the activity in question life giving, or is it life taking?  This is, does it bring us life, rest, hope, wholeness?  Or does it drain us, pour us out, stress us, or load us down?”  

Being a Jesus Follower is not for the weak of heart.  Jesus asks us to do things that are hard.  Jesus asks us to love our enemies and to not judge others.  These are two things that do not come easily to humans.  It is important that we practice Sabbath, that we have a Rule for Life, that we participate in activities that are life giving, so that we might be strong enough and bold enough to follow Jesus in the ways we have been asked.   

Read: Luke 6:12-49

Questions to Consider:

1.     What do you do currently in your life that is life giving? Make a list of these activities.     

2.    Do you fill your life with activities that drain you, pour you out, stress you and load you down?  Make a list of these activities     

3.    Do you struggle to love your enemies?  How can you work to become obedient to Jesus in this area?    

Activity for the Day:  The activity for the day is a BIG activity.  It might take you longer then one day.  The activity is to write a Rule for Life.  Visit this linkto learn what a rule for life is and for help writing your rule.  Briefly, your Rule for Life is your plan, with input from God, on how to order your life.  It is important in your Rule for Life to really look at what you are spending time on, to look at what is important to God and to look at what brings you closer to God.  My prayer is that you fully engage in writing a Rule for Life.  It will change your life!

Blessings, 

Kristyne

Thursday, March 14 - 40 Days Luke

Thursday, March 14, 2019 

Fresh Expressions

One of the most exciting ministries of the church today is Fresh Expressions. A Fresh Expression is a form of church for our changing culture, established primarily for the benefit of those who are not yet part of any church. Fresh Expressions often do not look like anything most of us are familiar with when we think about church, but they are very effective at leading people into having a personal relationship with Christ. I am excited that today you are going to be studying a passage that is talking about first century Fresh Expressions, the ministry of Jesus! As you read the passage and watch the video try to put yourself in the place of the church people of the first century and ask how you would have responded to the ministry of Jesus. 

Read: Luke 5:33-6:11

Questions to Consider:

1.     When Jesus is talking about putting new wine into new wine skins, he is saying the ministry of the church is changing and that many in the church will not be able to make the change. Why do you think the people of the established church struggled with Jesus’ ministry?

2.    Right after talking about the new wine for new wine skins, Jesus healed someone on a Sabbath day. As Jesus asked them the question, what he was really asking is, what is essential to the faith and what it not. This is a good question for today. When you look at what we do within the church, ask yourself what is essential? 

3.    After you have asked this question, ask what you would believe to be essential for other people? 

Activity for the Day:  In the coming months we are launching four new Fresh Expressions; A Dinner Church, Yoga Church, Pancake Church and Messy Church. Take the time to learn about these new ministries and then get involved in one of them OR commit to pray for one or all of them for the rest of Lent.  Post about what you decided to do in the Facebook Group.  

Blessings, 

Jim 

Wednesday, March 13 - 40 Days Luke

Wednesday, March 13, 2019 

Who Needs the Doctor? 

The reading for today starts out with a passage of scripture New Covenant UCM has preached on a few times.  If you have been in our community for a while it may be familiar to you.  However, I encourage you to look at it with fresh eyes. In fact, I encourage you to always try and read the Bible with fresh eyes.  Before you read the assigned text I invite you to pray a short prayer that God would open your eyes, ears and mind to what God would have you learn on this day.  You never know what new things you might discover.      

Read: Luke 5:1-32

Questions to Consider:

1.     Have you ever been so desperate to help a friend or for help yourself that you have had to “come through the roof”?  

2.    Can you think of a time when Jesus has changed your heart and life?

Activity for the Day:  Reflect on Jesus saying, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.”  What does this mean to you?  Write about this in your journal.  

Blessings, 

Kristyne