A Daily conversational relationship through prayer, God’s Word and gathering as God’s family awakens new levels of conversation for new levels of life!
There have been some really cool conversations that have been confirmations of how God is speaking to us all in this season. Do you ever wonder, “Is this just me or is it the Lord?”
In this season of my pursuit of God I’ve started asking God for a specific word for the day before I get out of bed every morning. Last Sunday morning as I was lying in bed listening and waiting I sensed the Lord speaking a very uncharacteristic word to me. All the other words have been encouraging words like awareness, certainty, rebound, perseverance, etc. On that particular morning the Holy Spirit spoke, “suffering” to me. I laid there wondering, “Am I just making these words up or are you really speaking to me Lord.”
I got up and wrote the word in my Bible early that morning right next to the date and asked God to give me wisdom about what it meant. That afternoon after church Kayla Martinez sent me this message, “As service was concluding I got a really random word for you. It was “suffering.” I'm not sure if it was in reference to a time of suffering you have gone through or that the Lord was hinting at a time of suffering to come, but the impression was that the Lord brings maturity through suffering. It’s kind of a random weird word. I'm not aware of any particular suffering you’re going through, but thought I'd share.”
This was a huge conversation for both her and for me. I sent her a picture of my Bible page I’d written that word on early that morning sharing. It was just so encouraging for both of us to know we are sensing what God is saying. This is the season God is drawing us all into as we pursue him.
When you became a Christian, supernatural abilities from God were unlocked in your life. Practicing and growing in these abilities is the spirit-led life.
John 1:12 But as many as received him, to them he gave power to become the sons of God. KJV
This really comes down to a lifestyle of growing in constant submission and communication with God.
Acts 15:28 “It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us…” NIV
Clearly God is all about conversation. Jesus, the Word, made flesh and came to the earth. God was saying, “I’d like to have a word with you.” It was this loving conversation of God that drew you in. Going deeper in conversation with God involves others. When we move from being a reservoir to a river more is unlocked in our lives.
Philemon 1:6 I pray that you may be active in sharing your faith, so that you will have a full understanding of every good thing we have in Christ. NIV
Evangelism is natural! This is what the church was doing as a Jesus movement from the beginning. Emperor Constantine legalized Christianity in Rome and 25 years after his death Emperor Julian took over deciding to return the Roman Empire to paganism. He began to fund the construction of pagan temples and pagan worship, but the culture wasn’t shifting for him. He wrote a letter complaining “These Galileans support not only their poor, but ours as well. He goes on to say how difficult it would be to get control of society when Christians have been so generous.”
Early Christians understood their role was to actively establish God’s Kingdom of love and compassion in the earth. God is love!
God’s not trying to draw people into our beliefs. God’s trying to draw people into His love.
Here is the video we watched in service demonstrating the power of simply participating in the conversation of God even in what seems to be small details.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pp98cK4YIoM
2 Corinthians 13:14 “ May the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you all.” (NAS)
Our job is to love people not to change them! To genuinely love people is the deepest expression of Jesus in our lives.
We Bring GP2RL Action Point:
Listen and respond to the supernatural conversation of love all day every day this week. We are believing for many stories of transformation to emerge.
Discussion Guide for Community Leaders
DEEPER: SUPERNATURAL CONVERSATION
Click here for a downloadable pdf file of this guide.
UNDERSTANDING THE SEASON: We are designed to live in the deeper reality of God.
Isaiah 33:5-6 The LORD is exalted, for he dwells on high; he will fill Zion with his justice and righteousness. 6 He will be the sure foundation for your times, a rich store of salvation and wisdom and knowledge; the fear of the LORD is the key to this treasure. NIV
We want to start our group meetings making room for conversation that brings confirmation that God is speaking to us all as we discuss what we are hearing from the Lord as a family:
DISCUSSION QUESTION:
1. Where are you reading in your Bible and what are you sensing from God?
When you became a Christian, supernatural abilities from God were unlocked in your life. This happened when you responded to the conversation God desires to have with us. Jesus, the Word, was made flesh and came to the earth.
God was saying, “I’d like to have a word with you.”
A daily conversational relationship through prayer, God’s Word and gathering as God’s family awakens new levels of conversation for new levels of life!
The loving conversation of God is what drew you in.
DISCUSSION QUESTION:
2. Share your salvation experience.
You are now an active part of God’s loving conversation with the world around you! When you participate in that conversation more is unlocked in you.
Philemon 1:6 I pray that you may be active in sharing your faith, so that you will have a full understanding of every good thing we have in Christ. NIV
DISCUSSION QUESTION:
3. What does it mean to be active in sharing your faith?
Evangelism is natural! This is what the church was doing as a Jesus movement from the beginning.
Emperor Constantine legalized Christianity in Rome and 25 years after his death Emperor Julian took over and decided to return the Roman Empire to paganism. He began to fund the construction of pagan temples and pagan worship but the culture wasn’t shifting for him. He wrote a letter complaining, “These Galileans support not only their poor, but ours as well. He goes on to say how difficult it would be to get control of society when Christians have been so generous.”
Early Christians understood their role was to actively establish God’s Kingdom of love and compassion in the earth. We are not called to introduce people to Faith we are called to introduce people to love.
Misguided evangelistic efforts say we should love people before sharing Jesus with them. Love is not bait. The Bible doesn’t say love people so you can gain entrance and be known by what you believe. It simply says we are to be known by our observable love.
If you feel you need to love people before having a conversation about Jesus you’ve missed the point that your love is that conversation.
We Bring GP2RL Action Point:
Listen and respond to the supernatural conversation of love all day every day this week. We are believing for many stories of transformation to emerge.
DISCUSSION QUESTION:
4. Take a few moments to share names of people to pray for that you might be able to love specifically this coming week.