Our devotions this Lenten season have been written by members of Faith Lutheran Church. Today’s devotion is by Laura Espinoza. Also, if you would like to join our staff in praying the liturgy for Responsive Prayer/Suffrages just click here.
And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:18-20
What is Christian discipleship? According to the scripture, being a Christian disciple involves personal growth characterized by the following: placing Jesus first in all things (Mark 8:34-38); following Jesus’ teachings (John 8:31-32); fruitfulness (John 15:5-8); love for other disciples (John 13:34-35); and evangelism (making disciples of others) (Matthew 28:18-20).
Today at Church I introduced myself to someone I had not seen before. She told me her name. I told her my name and asked if she would like to sit with us while she drank her coffee. She smiled and agreed. She had a community newspaper in her hand and said that she came to our church today because she was interested in “Financial Peace” and the “Enough” sermon topic.
This was proof to me that our weekly ads do reach potential visitors. She also shared with us that she used to attend a church but currently did not belong to a church. We discussed the focus of the sermon to maintain our faith and experience joy despite daily struggles. I invited my new friend to a learning group after the service. I just knew we would both be welcomed in Kathy Patrick’s Learning Group. At the close of our conversation, she said she felt very welcome at Faith and would think about returning.
Evangelism is sharing our faith with outsiders about how Jesus Christ works in our lives. The most exciting part for me is that no matter what our maturity level in the Christian life, we have something to offer. Too often, we believe Satan’s lie that we don’t really know enough or haven’t been a Christian long enough to make a difference. Not true! Some of the most enthusiastic representatives of the Christian life are new believers who have just discovered the awesome love of God. They may not know many Bible verses or the “accepted” way of saying things, but they have experienced the love of the living God, and that is exactly what we are to share.
Let us pray: Dear God, thank you for everything we have. We are blessed and even though we might not think we have the exact right words to say, a simple “hello,” “welcome,” or “please come sit with us” seems good enough. And just sharing our thoughts is good enough for a stranger. I pray that every visitor to Faith feels warm and welcome. I pray that my new friend felt warm and welcome at Faith today, that she may find peace with our family, and that she comes back to worship with us. Amen.
Daily Devotions 
March 7, 2013 at 4:46 pm |
This was an excellent devotional. I do not attend church on a regular basis at this Time. I read scripture and pray often.