Are you a loving person? Are you OUTRAGEOUSLY LOVING? As a church family our goal is to be OUTRAGEOUSLY LOVING people who PASSIONATELY PURSUE the Lord with IRRATIONALLY GIVING lifestyles as we CONSISTENTLY SUBMIT to God’s desires and EFFECTIVELY DISCIPLE others to do the same.
It is difficult to be outrageously loving when you’ve been painfully rejected at times in your life. We’ve all tasted the bitter taste of rejection at various times.
If only dealing with rejection were as easy as one man’s response. After the exhausting pursuit of his doctorate desiring to teach at a University was met by a stream of standardized rejection letters, he finally wrote back to one of those rejecting him:
Dear Professor Worthington,
Thank you for your letter of March 23. After careful consideration, I regret to inform you that I am unable to accept your refusal to offer me an assistant professor position in your department.
This year I have been particularly fortunate in receiving an unusually large number of rejection letters. With such a varied and promising field of opportunities, it is impossible for me to accept all refusals.
Despite Whitson University’s outstanding qualifications and previous experience in rejecting applicants, I find that your rejection does not meet my needs at this time. Therefore, I will assume the position of assistant professor in your department this August. I look forward to seeing you then.
Best of luck in rejecting future applicants.
Sincerely, TJ Baggins
Rejection is a normal part of living in a fallen world. Rejection commonly releases deficiency, but you do not have to allow deficiency to produce dysfunction. God’s purposes for you are more powerful than other people’s opinions of you.
When you settle the issue of God’s love for you then you will finally stop living for the praise of others. The disapproval from your critics will no longer slow you down.
To love God is to devote your life to experiencing and enjoying God’s Love. In doing so you become loving. This is what it means to be transformed into God’s image. God is inviting us into a place of deep fellowship with Him in this season of the church.
Jesus walked in such a deep place of fellowship with the Father that he didn’t even speak from His own initiative. No matter the circumstance, He could respond rather than react.
John 12:49-50 I have not spoken on My own, but the Father who sent Me has commanded Me what to say and how to say it. 50 And I know that His command leads to eternal life. So I speak exactly what the Father has told Me to say.” NIV
Hanging on the cross suffering pain beyond our wildest imagination he remained under full control all the way to the end when he released his Spirit from his agonizing body.
John 3:16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. NIV
Aren’t you thankful? But what is eternal life?
John 17:3 Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. NIV
God reveals his love to us by giving us more of himself. Clearly God’s desire is to have deep and meaningful fellowship with us on a daily, ongoing basis.
Parents can give their children everything and totally miss giving them the most important thing, themselves. Our heavenly Father never misses an opportunity to be with us in moments of celebration and in moments of suffering. He is with us!
Learning to live in God’s presence as a way of life will transform everything about your heart, your home, your workplace and your world.
If you are loving others by gritting your teeth then you are starting at the end of the equation. Trying harder is missing the point.
You were created with all these internal mechanisms that are activated in the presence of God’s Love. God’s presence awakens the human heart to a deeper capacity of love. You sense his love when you experience his presence and it activates something deeper in your existence.
A child does not know how to put it into words but when mom and dad come into a room in front of them and are exchanging in the spirit and attitude of love the child feels good about life in general. There is a sense of strength and confidence that results. The atmosphere of love changes our perspective.
Serving Jesus isn't a mere conversion. It's conversation! Walk out your living relationship with Jesus every single day you live.
Philippians 3:10 [For my determined purpose is] that I may know Him [that I may progressively become more deeply and intimately acquainted with Him... (AMP)
Where are you on this progressive journey of knowing Jesus?
We Bring GP2RL Action Point:
Purpose to go deeper in your pursuit of God this week. Share the what, when and where plan to pursue God with somebody you trust encouraging them to go deeper as well.
40 DAYS: OUTRAGEOUSLY LOVING
DISCUSSION GUIDE
Click here for a downloadable pdf file of this guide.
2021 is a year of faith and action. This is a year where we learn that we are the move of God in the earth.
We must stop waiting for a move of God and become the move of God everywhere we go.
We bring God’s presence to real life in every realm of society and on every level of community.
We are the gates through which Jesus breaks into the earth!
Psalm 24:9 Lift up your heads, O gates, and lift {them} up, O ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in! (NAS)
You were born to be a gateway for the King!
As a church family we want to be OUTRAGEOUSLY LOVING people who PASSIONATELY PURSUE the Lord with IRRATIONALLY GIVING lifestyles as we CONSISTENTLY SUBMIT to God’s desires and EFFECTIVELY DISCIPLE others to do the same.
This requires that we put into practice a personal pursuit of God. This year in our Community Groups we want to start each group with the first and primary question of where are you reading in your Bible and what are you sensing from God? This will help us as a church family to explore with expectation how conversations are
becoming confirmations that God is speaking to us all.
DISCUSSION QUESTION:
1. Where are you reading in your Bible and what are you sensing from God?
John 3:16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. NIV
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
2. Share how you came to receive Christ?
3. When most people think of this gift of eternal life what do they commonly believe that is?
Jesus makes it very clear what eternal life truly is.
John 17:3 Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. NIV
God reveals his love to us by giving us more of himself. Clearly God’s desire is to have deep and meaningful fellowship with us on a daily, ongoing basis. Learning to live in God’s presence as a way of life will transform everything about your heart, your home, your workplace and your world.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
4. What would your life look like if Jesus had it for the next year?
5. How can you live in such a way that Jesus actually does have your life for this next year? What are some specific things you plan to do to walk more intimately with Him?
We Bring GP2RL Action Point:
Purpose to go deeper in your pursuit of God this week. Share the what, when and where plan to pursue God with somebody you trust encouraging them to go deeper as well.