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Re:Verse passage – Luke 6:12–16; 8:1; 9:1–6; 10:1–17 (day seven)

And He called the twelve together, and gave them power and authority over all the demons and to heal diseases. And He sent them out… Luke 9:1-2a

He draws us in to send us out. As Jesus called his disciples, as well as the others who closely followed Him, He drew them to Himself. They walked with Him, and talked with Him, and He called them His own. Can you imagine the insight and experiences they got from being with Him face to face? Yet, the purpose of drawing them to Himself was not for them to stay there forever. They were drawn in to be sent out ahead of Him and for Him.

It is important for us to be drawn in. There is a personalness to this, but it is also corporate. He frequently called his disciples and sent them out in groups. We were never intended to walk this road alone. He draws us and calls us to a group that is bigger than ourselves. It is there where we learn to walk and talk with Him along with other like-minded people. It is in these moments when we are feeling like we never want to leave His side, that He sends us out to help others discern the calling in their lives. He draws us in to send us out to draw others in.

Re:Verse passage – Luke 6:12–16; 8:1; 9:1–6; 10:1–17 (day six)

The Lord now chose seventy-two[a] other disciples and sent them ahead in pairs to all the towns and places he planned to visit. Luke 10:1

Christian faith is personal, but it was never meant to be private. Jesus called disciples to himself, formed them into a community, and then sent them ahead into towns he intended to visit. They were emissaries of the King: announcing that God’s kingdom had drawn near (Luke 10:9) and making that kingdom visible through healing, peace, and hospitality.

The same movement continues. Jesus gathers us, not as an end in ourselves, but as emissaries sent into the world. Karl Barth wrote, “Christians are messengers in Christ’s stead.” We go because the crucified King is risen, present through his Spirit, and coming again.

Our acts of mercy and healing signal to the world the renewal Jesus brings. But signs need interpretation. Our lives display the writing on the wall; our words (the good news)  explain what it means: Jesus is the risen Lord, his kingdom has come near, and everyone is invited to receive his gracious reign.

Re:Verse passage – Mark 1:4-5, 9-11; Acts 8:9-13, 34-39 (Day Six)

One of the most surprising things about Jesus’ baptism is that He says almost nothing. Instead, the Father speaks: “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” Before Jesus preached a sermon, performed a miracle, or called a disciple, His identity was declared over Him.

Perhaps that’s one of the greatest gifts of baptism. We often think of it as our public declaration of faith, and it certainly is; but first, it is God’s declaration of our adoption as sons and daughters. In baptism, God reminds us whose we are before He reminds us what to do. We are welcomed as sons and daughters, united with Christ, and received into His family.

Discipleship doesn’t begin with striving to earn God’s approval. It begins by receiving what God has already declared in Christ. Identity comes before mission. Grace comes before obedience. That’s good news for every disciple.

Re:Verse passage – 1 Corinthians 12:4-11, Romans 12:4-8 (day six).

(Sorry for the late post! I’ve been at All-Church Retreat enjoying a little “community.”)

The Spirit of God gives gifts in the context of Christian community. Scripture is clear: Jesus didn’t just redeem individuals, He redeemed a people. In a world marked by division, separation, and rivalry, the church bears witness to a different reality. In Christ, we are one body. We are family, not because of shared background, ethnicity, economic status, gender, or season of life, but because of what Jesus has done.

That’s why spiritual gifts never exist in isolation. Their place and purpose are always within the body. This reframes an important question. The primary question is not, “Do I know my spiritual gift?” but “To what degree am I participating in the community Jesus has already secured for me?”

Historically, the church understood this well. In the early centuries, discerning spiritual gifts was not an individual project but a communal one. Gifts were named, affirmed, and stewarded together.

My conviction, more and more, is that we must get back to that kind of community, or as Pastor Chris would say, “deeper relationships.”

Will you join me?

Re:Verse passage – Nehemiah 10:28-30 (day two)

“…we will not give our daughters to the peoples of the land or take their daughters for our sons.”

When African-American students gather to proclaim certain areas as Black spaces, or when marginalized groups of any ethnicity make attempts to recover and reclaim heritage by emphasizing achievements or accomplishments in music or other fields, it’s not uncommon to hear complaints of “reverse discrimination” or bigotry. When one’s ethnicity does not feel minimized or diminished for most of one’s life, it’s hard to imagine how deep the fears of disappearing really go. How much more so here in this passage when a people – who have a heritage of God’s activity in their midst through generations and who sense that they have been on the brink of perishing after their neglect of the scriptures – see a way back from despair? Racist? Or revived?

Re:Verse passage – Nehemiah 4:1-8 (day seven)

Now it came about that when Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, he became furious and very angry and mocked the Jews. vs 1

“Sticks and stones may break my bones but words can never hurt me!” Were you ever told that growing up? I understand that the people in my life that tried to get me to believe that really were trying to help, but that may be the biggest lie I was ever told. I have had broken bones. They healed. Yet, all it takes is one negative word and I tail spin into a funk of discouragement, connecting the dots of every other negative word anyone has ever said to me. The sting of words may not hurt as much as the broken bone, but the impact may last longer. Words can hurt!

Discouragement is the devise of the enemy. Quite the opposite of faith which believes the promises and love of God to be true. Faith is hope. Whereas discouragement feeds off negativity and allows us to forget the promises of God. Discouragement believes the worst.

Although it is the opposite of discouragement, faith is also the weapon against discouragement. Just like Nehemiah and the Israelites building the wall, we must press on believing and knowing the promises of God are true. Sticks and stones may break down the walls, but the Word of God has told me to trust in Him. His Word is stronger than any insult or stone that may come flying our way.

Re:Verse passage – Ephesians 2:19-22 (day three)

“[You] are of God’s household, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the corner stone…”

Jesus is so great that he doesn’t feel the need to be the only one doing everything. He actually allows others to matter. Amazingly, Paul doesn’t say that Jesus is the totality of the foundation of God’s work in the world. Rather, he’s the cornerstone, the criterion by which all things are regarded. And simultaneously, he eagerly invites you to come with him – to bring your experience, your skill, your personality, your laughter, your wounds, your beauty, your tears, your voice, your longings near to his side where you belong, expending your energy alongside his to love this world and stay with it. Jesus is making all things new, and he bids you come and make it new with him.

Re:Verse passage – 1 Kings 19:3-8 (day five)

And he lay down and slept under a broom tree. v.5

What a difference a nap and a snack make. I love the fact, here, that God let Elijah sleep. It feels like an epic nap because Elijah was awakened, ate, and then fell asleep again. Elijah had just had a “mountaintop” experience with the Lord, only to be followed by an extreme valley. As Elijah descended into that valley exhaustion, despair, and depression began to set in. But God knew what Elijah needed.

So, he let Elijah sleep. Then, He let Elijah eat. Then, He let Elijah eat and sleep again. Elijah thought that he knew what he needed, and he thought he knew the best way out of the situation he found himself in. We all are guilty of that at times. But God knows best. God knew that there was still work for Elijah to do, and He provided everything that Elijah needed to accomplish the work he was called to.

God knows the work that He has called you to today, so rest in Him to provide you with everything you need.

“And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:19

Jimmy Gunn
Associate Pastor, Preschool & Elementary

Re:Verse passage – 1 Kings 18:30-39 (day seven)

Then Elijah said to the people, “I alone am left a prophet of the Lord, but Baal’s prophets are 450 men.” 1 Kings 18:22

What is a prophet? Put simply, a prophet is God’s messenger. They are given a word from the Lord that is to be delivered to the people. The prophets of Ba’al believed they could summon the power of their god with their own words and actions. They believed their god existed to meet their needs. They were not divinely inspired, nor were they carrying a message. They were false prophets. The prophet Elijah brought a message directly from the Lord: there is only One True God!

Do prophets exist today? Absolutely! Today, you will hear a message directly from the Lord out of the mouth of Pastor Chris or Pastor Danny. These men have been seeking the Lord all week to hear what message they are supposed to deliver to you.

Likewise, false prophets exist in plenty today. Many of whom will tickle your ear. If a prophet/pastor tells you that you that God exists to meet your needs or that you can summon His power to make yourself more financially prosperous, they may be leading you closer to the worship of Ba’al than the worship of Jesus.

Re:Verse passage – Judges 16:15-21 (day seven)  

But he did not know that the Lord had departed from him. vs 20b

There is a little bit of Samson in all of us. Maybe not so much the ability to wipe out an entire army with the jawbone of a donkey, but more so, we are like Samson in the orientation of our priorities. Many people might say that the sin that led to Samson’s demise was the 7th commandment, “You shall not commit adultery.” I would argue that the sin that most immediately led to Samson’s demise was actually the 1st commandment, “You shall have no other God’s before me.” The moment his strength left him was not the moment he slept with Delilah, but the moment he prioritized her above God. He deemed his ungodly relationship as more important than his relationship to God.

We may not be in an ungodly relationship or committing adultery (even though this happen more regularly than we might think according to Jesus) but we do choose ungodly things over God on a regular basis. Just look back over your week. How much time did you spend with the Lord? How much time did you spend on your hobby? How much time did you spend on your phone, tv, computer? Where we spend our time will show us what we prioritize. We are more like Samson than we might think.