week 2 proclaiming the gospel that saves

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2021 Rev. Mike Morgan

Week 2 – Proclaiming the Gospel that Saves

“The Son of Man came to seek and to save that which was lost.” (Luke 19:10)

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Day 1 – What Does It Mean To Be Saved? Today is day one of the second week of our eight-week equipping experience, and this week we are exploring

the first of six priorities for what it means for us to be the Church, the Church at work (Ephesians 4:11-16). All

six of these priorities are essential, inseparable, and equally important.

In the week that follows, we will be specifically looking at our God-given assignment to share the Good News of

Christ’s saving work. At Bel Air Church, we believe that Jesus, by the power of the Spirit, sends us - you and me,

the Church - into the world to share the good news of God’s redemption of all things and people.i

“The Son of Man came to seek and to save that which was lost.” (Luke 19:10)

It is important for us to consider who or what has influenced our understanding of what it means to be “saved.”

For some, we learn about salvation from our parents or our local church. Others of us were influenced by past

leaders like William J. Seymour, Billy Graham, Howard Jones, Henrietta Mears, Bill Bright, and Lloyd Ogilvie. We

owe our faith to women and men who have gone before us, who have shared their lives with us, and who have

tried to faithfully articulate the good news of Jesus Christ.

It’s also because of many of these voices, when we hear the word “save,” we automatically infuse it with

meaning. When you hear the word “save,” what do you think of?

Let’s hold on to this question as we practice our daily rhythm.

As we continue with our new rhythm, let’s pray (P.R.A.Y.) ‘P’: PAUSING to be still. ‘R’: REFLECTING on Scripture

or commentary. ‘A’: ASKING God to help us and others on the journey and ‘Y’: YIELDING to God’s transformative

work in our lives, no matter the cost.ii

P.R.A.Y.

Pause

As I enter prayer now, I pause to be still; to breathe slowly; to recenter my scattered senses upon the presence of

God.

Jesus the Messiah, my Lord and Savior, as I dive into your Word I ask you would soften my heart, open my mind,

and shape my understanding of your saving work today.

Read & Reflect

Jesus said the very thing he came to do was to “save.” For many, the word “save” is already packed full of

understanding and meaning that it might be hard to reimagine "saving" could mean more than we already might

think. Yet, because it was so important to Jesus, it is important that we, as followers of Jesus, explore the

fullness of what Jesus meant when he used the word “save.”

Let’s explore Scripture to see if there is more to Christ’s saving work than we might already understand:

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“On another Sabbath he entered the synagogue and taught, and there was a man there

whose right hand was withered. The scribes and the Pharisees watched him to see whether

he would cure on the Sabbath, so that they might find an accusation against him. Even

though he knew what they were thinking, he said to the man who had the withered hand,

“Come and stand here.” He got up and stood there. Then Jesus said to them, “I ask you, is it

lawful to do good or to do harm on the Sabbath, to save life or to destroy it?” After looking

around at all of them, he said to him, “Stretch out your hand.” He did so, and his hand was

restored.” (Luke 6:6-10)

We often use the English word “save” as a translation for the Greek word “sozo” (pronounced sodzo). This is the

word Jesus used when he said, “The son of man came to seek and to save (sozo)…” (Luke 19:10). It’s this very

word the Apostle Luke uses in his account of the man with the withered right hand.

Let’s take a second look at Luke 6:9-10. “Then Jesus said to them, “I ask you, is it lawful to do good or to do

harm on the Sabbath, to save (sozo) life or to destroy it?” After looking around at all of them, he said to him,

“Stretch out your hand.” He did so and his hand was restored.”

Journal and/or self-reflect:

Based upon the context, how would I explain “save” in the above passage?

How does this inform my current understanding of what it means to be “saved”?

Ask

There once was a woman who was suffering from hemorrhages for twelve years and, after having come in

contact with Jesus, he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace” (Luke 8:48). Having

read this passage, we might be thinking to ourselves, “What does this have anything to do with Christ’s saving

work? The word “save” isn’t even in this passage.” Or is it?

The problem is, when we read Scripture in English, we often don’t see it. Here, sozo is translated into English as

“made well.” All throughout the Gospels and the Book of Acts there are a variety of different ways to translate

what it means to be "saved" - to protect, preserve, heal, comfort, deliver, restore, forgive, make whole…

The truth about salvation is that YES, Jesus is concerned for our spiritual well-being, AND our physical,

emotional, relational well-being as well. With these new eyes, reconsider what Jesus meant in Luke 19:10 when

he said, “The Son of Man came to seek and to save (sozo) that which was lost.”

It would be appropriate to say “The Son of Man came to seek and to…Restore the withered (Luke 6:10); Forgive

the sinner (Luke 7:50); Deliver the captive (Luke 8:36); Make Well the sick (Luke 8:48)…” Are we beginning to

see it? Is our understanding of Jesus’ “saving” work being expanded in any way?

Pause and Pray

Jesus, reveal to me all the ways you seek and save that which is lost. Expand my understanding of what you

came to do so that I may join you in your work. Reimagine in me all the ways in which you have “saved” me.

Reinforce my confidence in the abundant life you revealed to me today.

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This understanding of Jesus’ saving work shouldn’t come as any surprise to us. It is what Jesus said he came to

do from the very beginning:

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,

because he has anointed me

to bring good news to the poor.

He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives

and recovery of sight to the blind,

to let the oppressed go free,

to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” (Luke 4:18-19)


Watch Gospel of the Kingdom by The Bible Project (5:47)

What does it mean to “bring good news” or “proclaim…the Lord’s favor”?

Why do I think Jesus’ saving work was so multidimensional?

In what ways was/am I in need of “saving” that goes beyond the spiritual?

Yield

The truth is, we all need “saving” in all its numerous multifaceted ways. This isn’t a “one and done” thing. We

can continue to cry out “Jesus Save!” (Matthew 14:30) on a daily, hourly, minute-by-minute basis. Jesus came to

save. This is what Jesus longs to do in us!

Yielding Prayer

Jesus, I open myself up to you again – my heart, my mind, my soul and my strength. All that I am, and all that I

have I reveal it all to you, and ask that you save me. Restore, release, heal, forgive and in all manner of ways,

save me so that I might experience the abundant life that can only come from following you every day, and

everywhere, with everyone.

Father, help me to live this day to the full, being transparent before you, in every way. Jesus, help me to give

myself away to others, proclaiming your saving work to everyone I meet. Spirit, help me to live by your power,

witnessing as one who follows Jesus through all I do and say. Amen.

Scripture Memorization

Over this next week, we will memorize Romans 10:14 (NLT) together. This passage will help frame the ongoing

conversation throughout the week. To begin our practice, let’s write or text the following verse verbatim in a

journal, notecard, on a post-it note, or make a note in your smart device:

“But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they

have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them?”

Spiritual Practice Over the following week, we will continue developing certain spiritual practices or habits that are essential to a

life of following Jesus. Over the next five days we will specifically develop a habit of ‘witness.’ By the end of this

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week you will recall stories and experiences of God in your life that, when shared appropriately, may benefit

someone else. Begin by:

1. Briefly review your “Personal Lifeline” from day five of last week.

2. Write out your answers to the following questions as spontaneously and bluntly as you can (don’t filter)

I have come to experience God as…

I seldom, if ever, experience God as…

I feel more “in touch” with God when…

One moment in my life when I was most aware of God’s power working in me beyond my limits

was…

We will continue to build upon these questions and your testimony in the days ahead.

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Day 2 – What does it mean to be a Witness?

“This Jesus God raised up, and of that all of us are witnesses.” – Acts 2:32

In the Bible, a witness is basically someone who sees something amazing or important. If this person begins to

share what they’ve seen, we call this “bearing witness.” Basically, a witness is someone who sees something

and talks about it. But here’s what’s really fascinating. The word and theme of witness can actually become a

lens for understanding the entire storyline of Scripture, especially the role of God’s people. iii

Let’s hold on to this thought as we practice our daily rhythm.

Pause


God.

Jesus, my Lord and Savior, as I engage with your Word I ask that you would reveal to me your heart, inform my

mind, and reform my life by your love.

Read & Reflect

From the very first books of the Bible, we learn that God wants a group of witnesses––people who see and

experience God––who then bear witness and represent God to the world. And God typically appoints a chief

witness among the people to help them do this.

We see this pattern begin to take shape in the book of Exodus. When God spoke to Moses on Mount Sinai, God

appointed this one nation to bear witness about what they have seen and experienced, calling them a “kingdom

of priests” (Exodus 19:4-6). In other words, they are to mediate and connect the nations to Yahweh.

“You are my witnesses, says the Lord, and my servant whom I have chosen, so that you may

know and believe me and understand that I am he. Before me no god was formed, nor shall

there be any after me. I, I am the Lord, and besides me there is no savior. I declared and

saved and proclaimed, when there was no strange god among you; and you are my

witnesses, says the Lord.” (Isaiah 43:10-12)

Moving forward, the Torah and Moses became chief witnesses to the people, so that the people could be

witnesses to the nations. Unfortunately, the Israelites fell short and were prone to worship other gods. So God

rose up prophets and prophetesses as chief witnesses to Israel. These women and men saw and experienced

God as King and bore witness to Israel of what it means to once again follow after God (Isaiah 6, 2 Kings 17:13).

In the New Testament, we see this idea of a chief witness being carried forward. When Jesus comes on the

scene, we find him claiming to be the chief servant and witness spoken of by Isaiah.

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and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah [61] was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it

was written:

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,

because he has anointed me

to bring good news to the poor.

He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives

and recovery of sight to the blind,

to let the oppressed go free,

to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

And he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of all in the

synagogue were fixed on him. Then he began to say to them, “Today this scripture has been

fulfilled in your hearing.” (Luke 4:17-21)

Here, we see Jesus as the ultimate witness, declaring who he is and that God’s Kingdom is here, right now,

through him. Crowds of people were witnesses to his words and his works. Many responded to his message, but

others refused to truly believe his testimony. We know Jesus was put to death for faithfully declaring the truth

about who he is, but it is through Jesus’ death and resurrection that his followers, you and me, become

witnesses to the rest of the nations, just as God had intended (Luke 24:44-48).

Ask

Pause and Pray

Holy Spirit, speak into my life that I might make you King of my life once again. Bring to light the false gods that I

am prone to follow. Reinstate me as a witness of your love and power as I seek to follow Jesus again today.

Then he said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you—that

everything written about me in the law of Moses, the prophets, and the psalms must be

fulfilled.” Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures, and he said to them,

“Thus it is written, that the Messiah is to suffer and to rise from the dead on the third day,

and that repentance and forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed in his name to all nations,

beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. (Luke 24:44-48)

Jesus’ disciples carried his baton and bore witness to what they had seen and experienced: Jesus’ life, ministry,

death, resurrection, and promise of newness of life.

Journal and/or Self-reflection:

Watch Witness by The Bible Project (4:27)

Consider looking back at Week One – The Spiritual Practice of Remembering

What have I seen or experienced in my relationship with Jesus?

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How have I given witness to the newness of life in me?

Yield

The message of Jesus as King and rescuer of all humanity is shared all around the world, even to this day. So

when we experience the power and love of the risen Jesus and talk about what we’ve seen, we join this long

history of God’s people who bear witness.

Yielding Prayer

Jesus, my Savior and my King, I am reminded of your love and power in my life once again. I remember all the

ways you have brought new life to my heart, my mind, my soul and my body. I yield myself to your charge to be

your witness. Lead me in your love and power as I recommit to following you as chief witness every day, and

everywhere, with everyone.

Father, help me to live this day to the full, sharing my experience of being loved by you. Jesus, help me to give

myself away to others, modeling your way of witness with everyone I meet. Spirit, help me to live by your power,

filled with courage to reveal Jesus in all I do and say. Amen.


As we memorize Romans 10:14 (NLT) this week, once again let’s write or text the following verse verbatim in a

journal, notecard, on a post-it note, or make a note in your smart device. However, this time say it out loud as

well:

“But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they

have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them?”

Spiritual Practice As we seek to develop a habit of ‘witness,’ we need to recall stories and experiences of God that, when shared

appropriately, may benefit someone else. Let’s continue developing our testimony by writing answers to the

following questions as spontaneously and bluntly as we can (don’t filter)

For me, Jesus is…

The most significant difference that Jesus has made in my life is…

I have experienced the Holy Spirit active in my life when…

What I want most to share with someone about my experience of God is…

Well done! Your testimony is beginning to take shape. We will continue to build upon these questions and

your testimony in the days ahead.

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Day 3 – Why Witness?

“It is no use walking anywhere to preach unless our walking is our preaching.”

– St. Francis of Assisiiv

For many, few practices contribute more significantly to the ongoing aliveness and growth of one’s faith as

sharing one’s personal experience with Jesus. Learning how to share our faith will stretch our thinking,

challenge our lifestyle and deepen our dependence upon the Holy Spirit. This ‘sharing’ is not an extra option

one adds to being a disciple, or an activity for only those who are ‘gifted’ as an evangelist – it is intended to be a

natural and normal part of following Jesus every day, and everywhere, with everyone.

But why? Why do it? Why witness?

Let’s hold on to this question as we practice our daily rhythm.

Pause


God.

Holy Spirit, my Source of power and my Companion, as I dive into your Word I ask you would mold my heart,

sharpen my hearing, and fill me with courage to follow you today.

Read & Reflect

Why witness? Jesus did. It’s that simple. We witness because we are following Jesus and Jesus witnessed.

From the very beginning of his earthly ministry, Jesus makes known the incomparable good news that, as those

who are deeply loved by God, we can choose to live with direct access to our infinitely loving Abba Father.v

The realities of God’s love and power enter into our lives as we follow Jesus who is the gateway to abundant life.

This is the message Jesus constantly communicated. Consider the following statement by Jesus,

“I am the gate. Whoever enters by me will be saved…I came that they may have life, and

have it abundantly.” (John 10:9-10)

The Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke & John) make it very clear that the witness by Jesus to this good news goes

far beyond verbal announcement. As we read the story of Jesus’ life, we learn that wherever he goes, and

whatever he does, he makes known God’s love and power.

“The medium is the message.” – Marshall McLuhanvi

When Jesus fed the hungry and healed the sick, he was a witness to the love and power of God. When Jesus

befriended the marginalized and shared meals with the rejected, Jesus witnessed to the love and power of God.

When Jesus welcomed the little children and washed his disciples’ feet, Jesus witnessed to the love and power

of God. When Jesus died on the cross and rose again from the grave, Jesus witnessed to the love and power of

God. His entire life, whether word or deed, was a witness to the Good News of God’s love and power breaking

into our everyday in order to reach us wherever we are and with whomever we are with.

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Jesus witnessed. And his final word to us before he ascended into heaven was, “Can I get a witness?” Ok, that’s

a paraphrase of how Jesus bookends his ministry:

“Let your light shine before others…” (Matthew 5:16)

“You will be my witnesses…” (Acts 1:8)

We come from a long heritage of witnesses. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, this “great cloud of

witnesses” (Hebrews 12:1) has taken the baton of Christ and witnessed to the love and power of God just as

Jesus had done. Every time we share what we have, respond to human suffering, overcome cultural and racial

barriers, stand for the truth, and reveal a contagious aliveness of one being transformed by Jesus, we witness.

As we witness, people take notice. As we earn the right to be heard, people will listen and respond to Christ’s

invitation to “enter through the gate” (John 10:9-10).

Ask

Jesus, reveal to me areas where I have yet to yield in following you. Expose in me the areas where I live and work

that don’t reflect your love and power. Give me courage as I follow you as your witness again today.


How does the good news which I celebrate as a Christian bring healing to my society?

How have I seen or experienced verbal witness foster antagonism or resentment?

How have I seen or experienced physical witness not clearly pointing to Jesus?

Which do I overemphasize in my witness, words or deeds?

Yield

As followers of Jesus, we believe that Jesus is the revelation of God’s Way of life, life to the full. As Christ’s

disciples, we learn from him how to live, to know and do what is best – for both ourselves and for the well-being

of those around us. This is the good news that will, when backed up with God’s action and our lives that reflect

Jesus, remedy the soul-sickness of the world around us. If we believe this to be true, we have only one option.

When Jesus asks, “Can I get a witness?” We respond with, “Here I am…send me!” (Isaiah 6:1-8)

Yielding Prayer

Jesus, I surrender myself to you again – my heart, my mind, my soul and my strength, my work life, my home life,

who I am with my friends and my neighbors. All that I am, and all that I have I give to you, and ask that you use

me as your witness. Reveal through me the way of perpetual life that can only come from following you every

day, and everywhere, with everyone.

Gracious God, help me to live this day to the full, being available to you, in every way. Jesus, help me to give

myself away to others, revealing your love to everyone I meet. Spirit, help me to live by your power, filled with

courage to follow Jesus in all I do and say. Amen.

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As we continue to memorize Romans 10:14 (NLT) this week, write or text the following verse while filling in the

missing words by memory:

“But how can they ________ on him to ________ them unless they __________ in him? And how can they

believe in him if they have never __________ about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone

__________ them?”

*Look back to Day 1 and see how you did. We don’t want to simply get through Scripture, but we want

Scripture to get through us.

Spiritual Practice Up to this point we have sought to remember our ‘personal lifeline’ and responded honestly and candidly to

many prompts throughout this week.

Now, let’s take some time (18 minutes) and watch the following video in preparation for writing your testimony

tomorrow.

Watch Training Video https://vimeo.com/524104401

Well done! Your testimony is almost complete. Tomorrow’s practice will be a time of putting this all together.

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Day 4 – Can I Get a Witness?

After John was arrested, Jesus went to Galilee preaching the Message of God: “Time’s up!

God’s kingdom is here. Change your life and believe the Message.” (Mark 1:14-15)

Faithfully (notice I didn’t say perfectly) sharing the Good News is one important purpose of every follower of

Jesus. As we reflect on our own stories, it’s likely that we received this good news through the testimony of

someone else whom Christ sent. As disciples, we now get to be this “sent one” for someone else. We get to be

sent into the world by Jesus to witness to the truth that Christ’s new creation has begun, and that God who

creates life also frees those in bondage, forgives sin, reconciles brokenness, makes all things new, and is still at

work in the world.vii

Let’s hold onto this thought as we continue our daily PRAY(er) rhythm.

Pause


God.

Jesus, my Savior, as I say ‘yes’ to your invitation to follow you today, I ask you would fill my heart with your love,

open my mind to your good news, and give me the opportunity to join You in your good work again, today.

Read & Reflect

"But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my

witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." (Acts 1:8)

I wonder what it might be like if we took this passage and applied it to our own context. At Bel Air Church, God

has uniquely placed our campus at the intersection of the 405 and 101 freeways at the border of Encino and Bel

Air, California. Imagine being on our patio, overlooking the San Fernando Valley, hearing again the words of

Jesus,

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem

(Bel Air), in all Judea and Samaria (Brentwood & Encino), and to the ends of the earth.

Burbank…Thousand Oaks…Santa Clarita…Long Beach…

“You will be my witnesses.”

No one lives where we do, has the friends we do, goes to school or works where we do. It should go without

saying, no one is me…but me and no one is you…but you! God has placed us in all these circumstances on

purpose. One of the main purposes God intends for us is to be a life-giver to those we meet. We can give life in

many ways: acts of kindness, encouragement and through introducing others to the Source of all life who is

Jesus.

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This is Witness…This Work of Witness is for us, right where we are!

Ask

Our life history is really “His-Story” (See what I did there?). What God has done in our lives and the world

around us is God’s story and God’s story is never boring! It doesn’t matter if we were “new to the church” or

have “gone to church all our lives”…witnessing is not a story about our “church experience,” but rather a story

about our “Jesus experience.” Every time we’ve encountered Jesus, seen God at work in the world, or observed

the Holy Spirit do a restorative work in a person’s life, whether someone else’s or our own, that is a story worth

talking about.

We now know that our story matters and that it isn’t boring. We know that God has distinctively placed us in

environments and with people to be witnesses of God’s love and power. Why then are so many of us still

reluctant to witness? What are we afraid of?


What are some images I associate with the word "Witness"?

What are some of my fears or “hang ups” I might have regarding witnessing about Jesus?

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my

witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. (Acts 1:8)

Continue to journal and/or self-reflect:

As I consider the phrase “you will receive power.” What would it be like if I inserted my name after ‘you’

and re-read the sentence out loud? Try it.

As I consider the phrase “you will be my witness.” What would it be like if I inserted my name after

‘you’ and re-read the sentence out loud? Try it.

What is stirring in me as I read these phrases out loud?

As I process Jesus’ invitation for me to continue on my discipleship journey, I will take a moment and

vulnerably share my excitement, concerns and questions with him.

Yield

As I return to the invitation to follow Jesus as a witness every day, and everywhere, with everyone, Holy Spirit,

open my heart to yield to your call in my life. I recognize I am not sent as a witness alone. You are with me and

you empower me. You’ve surrounded me with sisters and brothers who are witnesses to your kingdom work as

well. I invite you into my fears, my concerns, my inadequacies and hang ups. Jesus, you love me. I live as a

witness to your love. As one who is deeply loved by you, I yield my life to you once again. Today marks a new

day in a lifelong journey of following you.


As we continue to memorize Romans 10:14 (NLT) this week, write or text the following verse while filling in the

missing words by memory:

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“But how can ______ ________ on ______ to ________ them unless they __________ in him? And how can

they ___________ in him if they have never __________ about him? And how can they _________ about him

unless someone __________ them?”*

*Look back to Day 1 and see how you did. Remember, we don’t want to simply get through Scripture, but we

want Scripture to “get through” us.

Here we are, the moment we’ve all been waiting for. Now is the time where we get to put our ‘God Story’

together. It’s a moment where we get to find our unique voice and witness to Jesus’ saving work in our lives.

Now is the time we get to put it all together. As we are about to write our testimony, it’s important for us to

heed the following advice by Trevor Hudson when he says,

“Overwhelming the other person with our entire testimony will most likely only foster

antagonism and resentment toward the Good News.”viii

Remember, this isn’t our whole life story, but rather a snapshot or a highlight reel of Jesus’ saving work in our

lives. Let’s make it honest, personal, and relational and let’s NOT make it more than five minutes long ;)

Using our ‘personal lifeline’ from Week One, the prompts we’ve responded to in this week, as well as the video

we watched in yesterday’s reflection, let’s take the next ten minutes and write our testimony.

If it is helpful, use the following outline as you write:

Me - “Witness starts with ME” - Courage to be vulnerable with my story

You - Write with a person in mind - Relate to their life

We - We ALL “struggle” – You and Me together

God - The HOPE Jesus offers regarding this shared issue

You - The HOPE this person can have through Jesus

We - The HOPE we can live into together

Congratulations! You have the beginnings of your own personal testimony. Remember, your faith history is

“His-Story.” Don’t knock it, don’t judge it, rather, pray for God to use it

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Day 5 – How Do I Witness Faithfully? Here we are at day five of week two and many of us might be thinking that this work of witness isn’t for us. If

this resonates, don’t worry, witnessing is intimidating for many. There are four common reasons we may be

hesitant to engage others with our faith story: 1) We are unconvinced that our story matters, 2) We think our

story is boring, 3) We have major fears or ‘hang ups’ when engaging relationally with others regarding our faith,

or 4) We simply don’t know how to witness.

Yesterday, we addressed the first three roadblocks that hinder many of us from being witnesses. As we enter

into our daily rhythm, let’s hold onto this fourth obstacle and see if the Holy Spirit might further equip us as

witnesses of God’s Good News.

Pause


God.

Jesus, my Savior, as I engage with what it means to be a witness of you, thank you that you are already active in

the lives of everyone I will meet today. You desire that every person might hear and respond to your good news.

Help me to discern the right time to speak about you. Grow within me your gifts of insight and wisdom so that I

possess your sense of timing in all I do and say. Amen.

Read & Reflect

Over this past week we have discovered that we come from a long line of witnesses, sent by Jesus, to live and

proclaim the good news of the King and Kingdom of God. We’ve come to realize why and how Jesus came as a

witness and that he has sent us, with our unique stories and in our unique environments, to be witnesses as

well.

Listen to the heart of God toward those we encounter:

For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him

may not perish but may have eternal life. Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to

condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. (John 3:16-17)

God gives and sends first and foremost out of a place of love. God so loves…the world. It’s this same God who

loves everyone we’re in relationship with, whether longtime friends or recent acquaintances. Have you ever

heard of the phrase “Divine Appointments”? These God orchestrated encounters may or may not be with those

we already know. What we do know, however, is that God loves this person and has gone before us, is with us,

and will be with this person long after we are gone.

Let’s take this idea and apply it to the biblical story of a disciple named Philip who serves as an example of a

faithful witness. Philip, upon receiving an inner nudging from the Holy Spirit, immediately gets up and goes

toward what’s known as the Gaza highway. On this very road, riding home after a visit to Jerusalem, is a highly

placed Ethiopian official reading about the chief witness and suffering servant from the Hebrew Scriptures.

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Once Philip arrives at this desert road, he receives a further prompting – this time to go, run up, and join the

chariot. Again, Philip obeys. As he is running alongside the chariot, he overhears the traveler reading from the

book of Isaiah and asks a simple question, “Do you understand what you are reading?” Listen in on their

conversation:

He replied, “How can I, unless someone guides me?” And he invited Philip to get in and sit

beside him…The eunuch asked Philip, “About whom, may I ask you, does the prophet say this,

about himself or about someone else?” Then Philip began to speak, and starting with this

scripture, he proclaimed to him the good news about Jesus. (Acts 8:31, 34-35)

This was a Divine appointment both for Philip and for the Traveler. Both were transformed by this encounter.

These same God moments continue to be organized by the Holy Spirit today. The question is whether we are

able to hear the Spirit’s prompting and when we are invited to speak, are we ready?

Here are some helpful instructions we can learn from Philip as we prepare to be witnesses:

1. Respect the listener’s personhood (1 Peter 3:16)

2. Use the first-person singular (John 9:25)

3. Be Relevant (Acts 8:35)

Ask

Many sincere followers of Jesus resist the verbal dimension of witness. Some associate the practice of sharing

one’s faith with boastful claims, superior attitudes, heavy-handed selling tactics and empty Christian clichés. It’s

no wonder some of us might want to distance ourselves from talking publicly about our faith.

As understandable as this may be, this is not what witnessing is all about. Witnessing is all about love, sharing

good news and offering hope. If we embody the love and hope of Jesus, we cannot go wrong.


1. What do I notice about Philip’s approach to witness?

2. How did Philip respect the Traveler’s personhood?

3. How was Philip’s witness relevant to the person he was with?

Pause and Pray

Holy Spirit, I hear your invitation to get up and go be a witness to those you place on the road before me. Thank

you that you offer me the opportunity to say, “Yes!” to you. I confess that I often don’t pay attention to your

nudging and remain immobile and silent. I open myself up to be used by you once again.

Yield

Being a witness requires that we courageously face our fears. It’s also important to recognize that it’s not our

job to convince or convert. As witnesses, we simply need to “Be ready to speak up and tell anyone who asks

why you’re living the way you are, and always with the utmost courtesy.” (1 Peter 3:15-16a)

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Witnessing, that’s our job. Convincing…converting…that’s the Holy Spirit’s job. But, we do have a job to do. In

order to do it well, we must prepare. We must be ready. This work of witness is essential to what it means for us

to be the Church, the Church at work.

Yielding Prayer

Jesus, my Savior and my Lord, I choose to follow your witness through my life once again. All that I am, my heart,

my mind, my soul and my strength, and all that I have, my ambitions, goals, dreams, agenda - I entrust it all to

you, and ask that you use me to reveal your love and power to save. I join you in the long list of witnesses and

recommit to following you in all I do and say.

Father, help me to live this day to the full, loving others because you first loved me. Jesus, help me to give myself

away to others, revealing who you are whether in word or action with everyone I meet. Spirit, help me to be

sensitive to your nudging, anticipating a divine appointment as I follow every day, and everywhere, with

everyone. Amen.


As we memorize Romans 10:14 (NLT) this week, are you able to write, text or recite it by memory?

“But how can…..

”

*Look back to Day 1 and see how you did. Remember, this isn’t a competition or a tool to judge your spiritual

maturity. This is a practice to help you get into Scripture and let Scripture get into you.

Spiritual Practice Now that we have our ‘God Story’ or testimony written, it’s time to practice sharing it. This is most likely the

biggest hurdle we will encounter as witnesses. It is easy to reflect, harder to write, and often even harder to

share. All the fear we’ve discussed up to this point begins to bubble to the surface when we are actually asked to

take the next step and witness.

In an effort to make this experience as natural and relational as possible, let’s practice sharing our stories with

one another. As we enter into our life group meetings this week, take some significant time to listen to one

another’s ‘God Stories.’ Reflect back to one another the beauty and significance of each other’s stories. And pray

over one another asking God to use our unique stories to introduce others to Jesus’ Good News that saves!

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Sunday – Sabbath Experiment – Pause, Rest, Reflect (Selah)

“We refuse to rest at our peril. And yet, in a world where overwork is seen as a professional

virtue, many of us feel we can legitimately be stopped only by physical illness or collapse. If

we do not allow for a rhythm of rest in our overly busy lives, illness becomes our Sabbath –

our pneumonia, our cancer, our heart attack, our accidents create Sabbath for us.” – Wayne

Mullerix

It’s often tradition for Jewish Sabbath to begin at sundown and the Christian Sabbath with morning worship. In

both, Sabbath time often begins with the lighting of candles. For many, it’s in this moment, the stopping truly

begins. Here, we take a few breaths, allow for our mind to quiet, and shift the focus of our day. This simple act

of lighting a candle becomes a silent grace, a ritual beginning of rest.

WILL

Three generations back

my family had only

to light a candle

and the world parted.

Today, Friday afternoon,

I disconnect clocks and phones.

When night fills my house

with passages,

I begin saving

my life.

- Marcia Falkx

Find a candle that holds some beauty or meaning for you. When you have set aside some time – before a meal,

or during prayer, meditation, or simply quiet reading – set the candle before you, say a simple prayer or blessing

for yourself or someone you love, and light the candle. Take a few intentional breaths. For just this moment, let

the hurry of the world fall away.

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Week 2 – Discussion Questions How would we articulate this week’s essential priority of witnessing for us as the church at work?

What are some fears or “hang ups” you might have regarding witnessing about Jesus?

How might we engage this work as the church in our workplaces, our neighborhoods, and our homes?

How has your understanding of what it means to be “saved” changed?

How might this week have equipped us regarding our relationships with God, one another and our

church community?

What do you need in order to feel equipped enough to witness for Jesus?

Let’s break up in groups of two or three and practice sharing with one another our testimonies.

Week 2 – Notes

i Book of Order (PCUSA), F-1.0304, The Great Ends of the Church. ii P.R.A.Y. inspired by Lectio 365. iii Excerpts taken from The Bible Project, https://bibleproject.com/learn/witness iv Jamie Arpin-Ricci, Contributor to Huffpost.com, Preach the Gospel at All Times? 07/01/2012, Updated Aug 31, 2012. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/preach-the-gospel-at-all-times-st-francis_b_1627781#:~:text=When%20necessary%2C%20use%20words.%E2%80%9D,Francis%20of%20Assisi. v Trevor Hudson, excerpts from Witnessing to the Good News, taken from Discovering our Spiritual Identity. vi Trevor Hudson, Discovering our Spiritual Identity, pg. 126. vii Book of Order, f-1.03d viii Trevor Hudson, excerpts from Witnessing to the Good News, taken from Discovering our Spiritual Identity. ix Wayne Muller, excerpts from Rest for the Weary, taken from Sabbath. x Wayne Muller, poem from Rest for the Weary, taken from Sabbath, pg. 21.

week 2 proclaiming the gospel that saves

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