No Shame in Waning Hope
No Shame in Waning Hope
This past weekend was all about God sending HOPE at Christ Community - particularly through John the Baptist. But as our Community Group gathered last night, we sat down with Matthew 11:1-15 when John's in jail and he sends word to Jesus to ask him "Are you the one who is to come or should we expect someone else?"
Faced with the very real struggle of persecution and hardship, John's hope waned.
But what caught me was Jesus' response. He sends the messengers back not with shame for John's doubt, but rather reports of things that affirm his hope: Jesus is the Christ.
There's no shame in waning hope if we look to Jesus.
Here's some reports of things from this week that remind me of the hope we have in Him.
The Hope of New Life
Kolt Bitzer's Baptism
Watching Kolt's story unfold over the last couple years has been incredible! Yesterday wasn't only awesome because he surrendered his life to Christ publicly, but also because of the evidence of what God has taught him as he shared why he was being baptized. His life is new because of what Jesus is doing! That gives me hope, not only for Kolt, but also his family, our church family, and me! The hope of new life is real!
I also loved that a guy who has invested in and discipled him for a long time came up afterwards and shared that he had been praying for years that God would win Kolt's heart. That reminds me of hope expressed in prayer!
The Hope of Christmas
Music, Advent, and the pursuit of spiritual health
I love Christmas. The older I get, the more it seems to creep up on me, but nonetheless, it's awesome!
There's also no escaping the reality that it can get incredibly busy this time of year for families.
There's 3 resources we're sharing right now that are helpful to my family and yours as we lean into the hope of Christmas..
1) Christmas Music Playlist.
There's tons of them out there, but this one connects with the songs we'll sing together on Sundays! So get familiar and come ready to sing on Sundays because as the movie Elf reminds us, "The best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear!"
2) Family Advent Packets. Krysta always builds great resources for our families and yesterday she started handing these out! Make sure and grab one!
3) Spiritual Health Survey. In December, we encourage everyone at CCC to fill out a spiritual health survey. It not only serves as a way to help you reflect on your spiritual life so that you can make plans for the year to come, but it helps our leadership teams understand how we can lead and serve in a way that puts the primary focus on shepherding your soul. Cut out some time this week, to fill this out!
The Hope of Mission
Lottie Moon Christmas Offering, CCC Shirts
We'll continue to talk about the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering this month, and write notes to our partners overseas, as we head towards December 21 where our goal is to give $15,000. In the meantime, you can get involved by learning more at their webpage. If you have elementary kids, they are also participating all through the month, so check in with your kid about how you can help them engage! Also, all proceeds from the shirts in the lobby go directly to the offering, so grab one for you and a gift for someone else and support missions all at the same time!
In case you weren't with us, catch yesterday's Gathering replay below..
