OK , I expect to hear from everyone on this subject.
As you know Tom has started a new series with Sunday night clinics based around this subject. We are exploring the opportunities and giftings that God has placed within our lives. Now I was greatly moved and encouraged by those of you there that the Lord has spoken something into your lives. As you friend and as your home group leader I am not going to allow you to give me superficial answers here. I really feel strongly that a couple of you already know what the Lord is telling you to do and you are apprehensive for one reason or another. I can fully understand and relate to that, but, you must know that I will do my best to keep you accountable to what the Lord has spoken into your life. We (as a home group and church) will not let you go thru this alone and we will be with you every step of the way.
As most of you know my heart is in missions. I am talking about cross-cultural missions (is there any other kind???). I have for a couple of years now had this vision that at some distant "family reunion" there would be a gathering of people from around the world that would reunite at this church for that occasion. Now I fully realize that not everyone is called to missions. Let me rephrase that, not everyone is called to GO, everyone is called to missions!!!!! With that stated I want you to earnestly seek the Lord in what it is He would have you do, do not be afraid to fail. If God is calling you to do something He will both make a way and equip you for that.
With that I hope to see a lot of activity on this thread. Thank you and God bless.
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I feel like my activity calling right now (not my life calling) is to get you guys to move home group to Thursdays, Tuesdays, or Mondays, and to have it at my apartment so I don't have to worry about how to get there.
Hahaha...If I've never told you this before, I believe the world revolves around me (it's my worst attribute)...and this is just further proof of it.
Awesome post, Craig. As a tag-a-long to this blog, I'm interested to read what is written.
Therefore, I, as a prisoner of the Lord, implore you to live in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called. (Ephesians 4:1)
We've all been called with the same calling (Craig's right!!); it's the word of God. How worthy of that calling is the way in which we live?
Craig: I feel like everyone has just been waiting for permission from someone to start dreaming about their activity calling, and to actually believe that the can DO what is God has put in their hearts to do at this point in time (myself included).
I think that all of the crew knows (for the most part) the "way in which they're supposed to be living" reflective of the manner that they were called...(if that makes any sense...I think Tom would call that your LIFE calling as opposed to your activity calling)...but what I'm seeing in everyone lately is this coming alive into their activity calling. It's cool. People starting to say "Ok - I've known for sometime what I was made for - now what do I DO with that. What now?" and not just idle talk about it, but people starting to take real steps towards steps doing something about it.
Last night at 208, we talked through 1 Thess. 5 as it related to our upcoming trip to Nicaragua, and found this warning:
Brothers and sisters, we urge you to warn those who are idle. Encourage those who are timid. Take tender care of those who are weak. Be patient with everyone.
I told the kids that most of them fell into one of those four categories. Either they're idle: they haven't given the trip a second thought, and idleness in the Christian faith gets you nowhere. They're timid - just plain scared, and God's love can cast out that fear. They're weak - not sure of how they're going to get where they feel God is calling them to go. Again, GOD is the one who is calling them and GOD is the who has the repsponsibility to figure it out. OR they KNOW they're going, and they need to be patient with those who are still figuring it out - and even begin praying, interceding and encouraging those who aren't quite there yet.
Anyway - just thought I'd share. God's doing big stuff through the hearts of our people right now, young and old right now, huh?
Great start to the topic! Angie I know you were kidding about moving the group night but I have no qualms about doing that if it would benefit the overall group. I think I would get some push back from Tom on that? There has been others that said they would come if it were on a different night. Maybe I should take this seriously and start praying about it.
Robert, that is exactly what I miss about not having you physically here for home group, (Not that you agreed with me- all though that is nice) but the depth of knowledge that you provide to this group.What a great passage!
Angie thank you for that insight. I believe everyone falls into one of those categories from 1 Thess..
What I am not sure of however is are they waiting for some sort of permission or are they using that excuse as a kind of crux? Maybe it's a combination of the two, but if that's the case then really only the latter applies. I speak this as much to myself as to anyone so I hope I am not hurting any feelings. It would be great to hear everyones opinion on this subject. Are we afraid to dream the activity calling and if so, why? Then what about our LIFE calling, do you all know what that is and how that looks in your life TODAY.
If the answer is yes to knowing what your life calling is what steps are you currently taking to further that? Now I realize that all steps don't look the same and some manifest themselves physically while others are more introverted in nature.
Wow. I just realized I have been rambling on for awhile. Angie thank you for your post. I hope it generates as much thought in others as it has in me. You would be a great addition to home group and you are always invited whenever you might be free from you job.
By "everyone" I don't just mean the home group, I mean people, believers... I think believers in general find it hard to believe that God's PLAN is to use them (not that he's settling for using them, but that he intended it from the beginning). It's hard for me to believe sometimes. I mean, geez - you guys know me! How can God use me to do even what he uses me for! Let alone to one day to missions (which WILL be in store for me) and will likely be in store for many of you? But the reality is that it's the very things that make us what we are that QUALIFY us for service in the kingdom.
Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. 27But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. 28He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, 29so that no one may boast before him. 30It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. 31Therefore, as it is written: "Let him who boasts boast in the Lord." (1 Cor. 1:26)
Angie I agree 100% with your statement that most if not all find it hard to understand how or why God would choose them for a certain task, let alone to believe that He ordained it from the beginning. You also have touched on something that is near to my heart. The very thing that makes you who your are is the very thing that qualifies you for service in the kingdom.
I want others to understand that, I will do anything possible to help them come to that realization in thier own lives.That is exactly why I started this thread, I am hoping that people will find encouragement and strength thru the fellowship and experience of others. To be able to work out what God has placed within them and to also encourage others as they themselves were encouraged. I hope God will use this group of believers to become something more than ourselves, that we would continue to decrease so that He may increase.
And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those called according to His purpose. For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.
What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own son, but delivered Him up for us all,how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? Who shall bring a charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written: "For your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter." Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:28-39)
Hey gang, WOW, do I miss these kinds of discussions. At least in English. I don't have a clue if they have these in Portuguese.
Somewhere in Phil 3 (i think v 12) Paul says that we are to PRESS ON to TAKE HOLD of that for which Christ Jesus TOOK HOLD of me. This verse has been one the driving forces for me over the last two years. It involves a knowledge that Jesus has a specific purpose for me, and it involves action.
So, I am so excited to read how you guys are thinking.
I might add that in responding to the calling, we are only accountable to God and are to please Him first. When that contradicts with trying to please others, family, friends, then we should choose God, sometimes (many times)at the cost of other things. See Luke 14:26 about being His disciple.
Thanks, everyone for letting me get preachy.
If you are interested, it got shilly the other night...75 degrees.
Also, our daughter just left after a 2 week visit. We had a wonderful time, but now we have room for more visitors. Hint hint.
Megan I want to thank you for your post and I understand you did not have a lot of time to write on this at work. With that said I want to know what steps you are taking "NOW" for your now calling. As I said from the opening post I feel really strongly that we need to be giving answers with some substance. Knowing you as I do I know there is a lot more there. You have tremendous thoughts and insights that will prove very beneficial to the group. I know your are a very passionate person about certain things and I am asking out of love that you would share with us. You have experiences and knowledge that only you can bring to this conversation. Bring those gifts to this discussion.
Scott (or is it Becky?) I was hoping that you would post on this topic. You bring a insight to this discussion that no one else has experienced. Your advice or insight that you have given should be taken very seriously and applied to the rest of us. For you are and have truly lived out your calling and have stayed obedient to God and God alone inspite of many challenges. You are a living example of what God can and will do thru us IF we will only obey Him. I know you would never take any credit for what you have done and I know without a doubt that you are doing it all for the glory of God, but as your friend I want to let you know what an encouragement you have been to me over the years and you continue to be so, many thousands of miles away.
It was great to hear that you had a such a wonderfull time with Megan. Your hint isn't going unnoticed and I have a few people in mind for that vacancy. As for the weather... well my momma always said if you can't say something nice........
Barb I just want to encourage you that if you know what your calling is then don't allow a discussion like this or a series such as Tom is preaching on to make you doubt that calling. As Scott has stated, we are only accountable to God when it comes to the direction of our calling. If you know that your vocational calling is Nursing then stay strong in that. Use the steps that Tom has outlined in His sermons as a starting point and then take a look at your giftings. If nothing else it will give you a deeper understanding of exactly what kind of Nurse you are and allow you the opportunity to put away any negative thoughts or ideas about the giftings that you may not have and may have thought you needed to do your job. God has created just one Barb Dixon with your special blend of gifts and passion in your calling. Of course your last line is the most important. Keep praying and stay connected to God, then and only then will you be able to recognize His voice telling you that He's ready to do something different. Unless or until that happens stay where you are and never question it.
uh... sure? I'd totally be IN this small group if i could.
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