Let Go of the Rat Race of Religion
Throughout this “I Choose” series we have been talking about sacrifice. We’ve talked about when we choose to sacrifice things, God seems to move. It would be easy to associate these sacrifices with religion, but in this final week of the series we will make sure that we all understand that it is not about religion but a relationship with Jesus.
Taking Responsibility for Every Person
Do you remember those school projects where one person took responsibility for it and the rest were along for the ride? Which one were you? What I observe is that in the church today, it is more likely for many of us to be those who are just along for the ride and not the ones who are taking responsibility for making disciples. The apostle Paul challenged Timothy to take responsibility in 2 Timothy 4.
Series of Choices
Life is a series of choices. And the cumulative effect of every smaller, wise choice is a big outcome. Such is our story this week. One man makes the choice to adopt his orphaned cousin. He mentors her, guides her, encourages her. He acts justly and righteously. And the impact? God’s people are spared, and their influence broadened.
Leading from a Second Chair
Leadership does not always mean being in the top position. There is such a thing as leading from the second chair. It means recognizing God’s call on someone else’s life to be in a position we feel we should rightfully have. Are we willing to sacrifice a temporary position for an eternal purpose?
Mediator
Sometimes in marriages or other relationships, God uses one person to protect another from themselves. Or at times they are used to protect or proclaim God’s plan in the life of another. Such is our story this weekend. A wise woman makes a sacrificial choice that results in far more than diffusing an immediate conflict.
God’s Intentions
“I Choose” is the title of our new series. Ever have someone hurt you deeply and then you get into a circumstance where you have the power to pay them back for what they did? Then what? It is a moment to choose. But we must choose wisely because every choice carries an outcome, for good or for bad. This week we look at a familiar story to find how our choices are not always easy and they are not always isolated. Life, and eternal life, is a series of choices.