Posted on January 20, 2019 Posted By: HCCCategories: journey
Heartland Community Church
January 20 – 26, 2019
Walk This Way: Power
By Adam Pontier
Until Dan’s message I really had not thought much about power in terms of my faith. Power is not something that I consciously seek. I’m not trying to rise to the top of a corporate ladder. Thinking deeper about it in terms of my faith and day to day life, power does make a larger impact in my life than I would think.
About 3 years ago I was in my 3rd year of running a business with two partners. Those partners were family and we had a client from California that was the bulk of our business. Initially it all seemed to be going well. Like any business there were going to be conflicts . . . and where there are conflicts, you can bet there is a power struggle.
Every way I turned I had a vendor, client, partner or employee edging for more power. This is not something I enjoy and frankly it made the job miserable. I was miserable for the majority of time I was involved. Even thinking about the business makes me annoyed.
The power struggle ruined relationships and definitely hurt some feelings. Fortunately my partners (family) and I were able to come out of the back side with stronger and better relationships.
I look back now and wonder what drove me to fight so much for power I wasn’t sure I even wanted. Something about me just wanted to be right and win. I could have walked away and avoided all the stress. I did walk away for about 5 months at one point because the stress became too much. I eventually went back and picked up right were I left off.
This power struggle consumed me. It consumed my thoughts and feelings. My family could feel it at home. I felt trapped in all of it until eventually we fired the client and shut the entire business down. Initially it was a bit nerve wracking to walk away from a business that provided a large portion of my income. Three years later I can tell you it was the best decision we made that entire time.
I was fighting for a power that I never wanted or needed. It did not better my life and honestly did not serve Jesus in any way. I look back on this experience as something to grow from and mistakes that I can learn from. It’s a place I never want to end up again.
Where does power show up in your life? Is it something you fight for? Is power something you don’t have, or is it something that you need to reclaim?
Observe, Reflect, Apply: Where does bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor and slander show up in your life? Share this with a trusted friend and discuss a plan on how to eliminate it from your life.
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: How do you see Paul and Barnabas using their power and influence in these passages? Part of their usage involved encouraging believers, and sharing the news of Jesus with gentiles (non Jewish people), inviting them to follow him. How can we use our power and influence in similar ways this week? How can we make sure we are both encouraging those who believe and inviting along those who don’t yet?
Observe, Reflect, Apply: In these passages several of the apostles speak with the elders of the church, explaining the new way of life Jesus introduced, where all who believe in and follow him will enter the kingdom of heaven. How are they speaking in power? How do you think this comes across to those in power? How can we, in our daily lives, speak and act in the power of Jesus . . . even to the point of introducing new thoughts (or challenging) those in power?
Observe, Reflect, Apply: “And so my judgment is that we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God." How can we seek to not make it difficult for those who don’t believe (but are curious and considering God) in our time?
Observe, Reflect, Apply: What do you observe in these passages? Why do you think they saw it important to revisit the new believers in each town? How can we make this kind of spiritual investment a priority in our time?
Observe, Reflect, Apply: Take a moment to observe and consider the methods of travel the apostles had to use in their time. And yet, they remained dedicated to sharing the good news in all the places they were called to serve. How can we, in our time, seek to live with the same level of dedication to sharing what Jesus is doing in our lives?
Observe, Reflect, Apply: Retell this story in your own words, as if you were present. What do you see happening? What can we take from this story for our lives this 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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