Dear Daily Message Readers,
READ: John 17:6-26
John 17:23 (NKJV) "I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me."
Do you sometimes feel out of place? Do you sometimes feel as if you are being watched, mocked, or talked about behind your back? How about feeling isolated? Have you ever felt that way? Well, if you are a faithful Christian in today's culture, you know exactly what I am talking about.
As someone who has chosen to follow Christ at all costs, you know that you are called to live a different life than those whom you share your life with, including family, friends, and strangers. However, because of the pressures of being a Christian, it is vitally important to remember who you are and how your culture comes into conflict with your mission as Christ's follower, servant, and disciple.
We have to also recall that Jesus and His disciples have already been to the place where faith conflicts with culture. Our Savior gave up His life, suffered the worst torture of the day, and watched and His disciples run away, denying His name and mission until the end. They felt out of place, mocked, and isolated. And the point is that we have all been there. The helpful part, though, is what Jesus said after His resurrection to those who left Him: "'All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age'" (Matthew 28:18-20, emphasis added).
As Christ's representatives, we have a responsibility we can't pass off to someone else. That is why the words of Jesus before His arrest in John 17 are both challenging and comforting. We are challenged by the immensity of what He expects from us as His disciples. The comforting part is that Jesus prayed for His followers. He asked the Father to unify us and to let the world know that He loves us as He loves Jesus.
Ask yourself: Are you making Jesus' divine call to live for Him and spread the Gospel a part of your daily life? Faith Lesson: Each day our mission is clear: We must represent Jesus Christ and His Gospel message to a culture that hates, ridicules, and despises us as Christians.
In Christ,
Darin Smith
READ: John 17:6-26
John 17:23 (NKJV) "I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me."
Do you sometimes feel out of place? Do you sometimes feel as if you are being watched, mocked, or talked about behind your back? How about feeling isolated? Have you ever felt that way? Well, if you are a faithful Christian in today's culture, you know exactly what I am talking about.
As someone who has chosen to follow Christ at all costs, you know that you are called to live a different life than those whom you share your life with, including family, friends, and strangers. However, because of the pressures of being a Christian, it is vitally important to remember who you are and how your culture comes into conflict with your mission as Christ's follower, servant, and disciple.
We have to also recall that Jesus and His disciples have already been to the place where faith conflicts with culture. Our Savior gave up His life, suffered the worst torture of the day, and watched and His disciples run away, denying His name and mission until the end. They felt out of place, mocked, and isolated. And the point is that we have all been there. The helpful part, though, is what Jesus said after His resurrection to those who left Him: "'All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age'" (Matthew 28:18-20, emphasis added).
As Christ's representatives, we have a responsibility we can't pass off to someone else. That is why the words of Jesus before His arrest in John 17 are both challenging and comforting. We are challenged by the immensity of what He expects from us as His disciples. The comforting part is that Jesus prayed for His followers. He asked the Father to unify us and to let the world know that He loves us as He loves Jesus.
Ask yourself: Are you making Jesus' divine call to live for Him and spread the Gospel a part of your daily life? Faith Lesson: Each day our mission is clear: We must represent Jesus Christ and His Gospel message to a culture that hates, ridicules, and despises us as Christians.
In Christ,
Darin Smith
