Posted on January 13, 2019 Posted By: HCCCategories: journey
Heartland Community Church
January 13 – 19, 2019
Walk This Way: Honesty
By Adam Pontier
I had suspicion that everybody lies to an extent before the sermon, but now that has been confirmed. I trust nobody now! Just kidding…
Personally, I’m a compartmentalizer. I’m much more aggressive in business than what you would see at Heartland. I don’t act the same around non church friends as I do church friends. I don’t hide that I’m a “church person” from non church friends, but my conversations and thoughts about Jesus are not really represented to them either. I always thought of myself as a chameleon socially. I’m not pretending to be someone else but I felt it advantageous to relate to others. A piece of who I really am does get left behind though. I’ve been working on this and writing for the Journey helps with that.
Now let me give you a real example of what I mean…
I was working one day and the topic of church came up with someone I see professionally and personally on occasion. They were really negative about the church community in our neighborhood and school. They felt SUPER comfortable about the situation and let it fly. I mentioned that I’m a “church guy”. They said, “Yeah, but that’s because your wife makes you go.”
I was shocked, and tempted to let it go. I thought this person really knew me. I wasn’t offended, so I explained that this was not accurate. I may have made a few jokes about how my wife is the real heathen in our relationship and I make her go to church. It’s possible I did that. Nope… I’m being honest, I really did do that!
In case you’re wondering, my wife hates it when I do that! (I would normally tell her I’m sorry and I won’t do it anymore, but for the sake of honesty, I know it will happen again at some point.)
Back to the story. I explained to them the personal passion I have for Jesus in the best way I could without making it too weird. I definitely did not use the words “passion for Jesus” in this scenario. That can come off as really WEIRD!
It dawned on me afterward that in the attempt to be a chameleon, I had perpetuated a belief about me that was not true. I was dishonest. I can’t be a bridge between this divide in our community if people don’t take my faith seriously.
The shock some people would have if they knew I wrote questions for the Journey daily scriptures or for reflections such as this might send them to the hospital. In all seriousness, it would shock them and they would question what they really do know about me and if they could trust me as a friend. I need to be honest.
Observe, Reflect, Apply: Reflecting on this teaching and the scripture reading, where do you find yourself not being honest?
NEW RESOURCE: Our own Seth Davidson has begun a Journey Vlog that you can subscribe to. Each week he offers an 8-10 minute overview about the scripture reading for the day. Simply follow along, listening to the corresponding date. CLICK HERE to check it out. Be sure to click "subscribe" on the page to follow him on YouTube!
{personal reflection and bible reading plan}
As you read the verses each day, make notes of questions you have about what you’re reading as well as answering the reflection questions below. Grab a friend or two to discuss what you are learning and what God is doing in your lives.
Observe, Reflect, Apply: We have two scenes today. In the first, the King receives the adoration of a crowd and is struck ill and dies because he didn’t point them to God, who actually provided for their needs. When do you find yourself forgetting to include God in the credit for the things you do? In the second scene, Paul and others are sent out to teach God’s word to people. There were many false teachers rising up and we can see they had their work cut out for them. If you are a follower of Jesus, how do you handle situations where someone is speaking or teaching falsely about Jesus? Where do you go to deepen your understanding of God’s word?
Observe, Reflect, Apply: As you read these verses, what are your observations? Who is involved in this passage? If you were present, what would you think, feel, and ultimately believe?
Observe, Reflect, Apply: What are your thoughts about this retelling of the good news that was Jesus? If you were present, what would you think, feel, and ultimately believe?
Observe, Reflect, Apply: Paul and Barnabas taught with clarity and authority, yet the Jewish leaders became jealous of them…and the following that was growing. Paul turning his attention on the gentiles–people not born into the Jewish faith–is how the truth about Jesus made it’s way to us today. Have you considered the impact this word of mouth teaching had as it spread to the ends of the earth, for all people, for all time? Take some time to ponder that today, and to form a prayer of gratitude for Jesus’ life and resurrection, and his followers teaching of this good news
Observe, Reflect, Apply: How confident are you in your own faith to share it with others, regardless of their response? Would you continue in persistence sharing what you had sene and experienced of Jesus as these men did? How can we develop a confidence in our own stories to share them with grace and boldness today?
Observe, Reflect, Apply: Can you even imagine witnessing these events? Miraculous signs and wonders were being performed by ordinary men. What would you believe had you been present? What would you question? How would you sort it out? What is one area of your faith today that you want to wrestle with, and deepen your understanding and commitment in? Join us as we pray for all of us to pursue such a deep, rooted faith in the coming week!
{community discussion questions}
We weren’t meant to experience the life of Jesus alone, so we encourage you to rally a few others to discuss what you are hearing, reading, and reflecting on together. Whether you are meeting as a Journey Community group, talking with a few friends throughout the week, or bringing up spiritual conversations around your table at home, feel free to use some of these questions as conversation starters on your journey.
Can you name a takeaway or challenge from the Sunday message?
How has that been relevant, challenging, or meaningful to your life this week?
What have you observed about God, Jesus, yourself, others, or God’s plan for you from these readings?
Where do you need a breakthrough from God this week?
Who do you need to share what you’re learning about God with?
{extra journey resources}
NEW RESOURCE:CLICK HERE to follow our own Seth Davidson on YouTube. He has begun a Journey Vlog that you can subscribe to. Each day he offers an 8-10 minute overview about the scripture reading for the day. Be sure to click "subscribe" on the page to follow this YouTube channel!
CLICK HERE to visit The Bible Project site and explore their super simple, super informative Bible videos (and other resources).
CLICK HERE to get the Read Scripture App, from our friends at The Bible Project.
CLICK HERE for more on how to use the observe-reflect-apply approach to getting the most out of your Bible reading.
The Bible App Get a free Bible for your phone, tablet, and computer. Experience the Bible anywhere, with options to highlight, save notes, and share what you are reading with others.
Bible Gateway Provides advanced Bible searching capabilities, which allow readers to find passages in scripture based on keywords, phrases, or scripture reference.
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