Posted on April 9, 2023 Posted By: HCCCategories: journey
Heartland Community Church
THE JOURNEY
Making Sense of the Good Life
By Molly Fisher
Happy Easter: He is Risen!!! What Jesus said before going to the cross was true. Because Jesus rose from the grave, everything changed! Those who knew him best went from dejected and afraid to overjoyed and began to change the world. The good news is that Jesus not only came and died for our sins but that he rose again. He came so that we would have abundant life and enjoy life. The good life.
I read a book a few years ago called, Not A Fan by Kyle Idleman, which basically asks if you are a fan or a follower of Jesus? Does Jesus fall into the fan category for you? Do you know more about him, even as an enthusiastic admirer, than you actually know him? Jesus wasn’t looking for fans, and he never cared about the size of the crowds. He was looking for individual, deeply committed followers. When he rose from the grave, that’s who he went to, those followers who were incredibly sad and confused, even disillusioned, because days ago, they were all-in but could not understand the turn of events. He could have gone to the crowds, appeared to the Roman rulers, or the chief priests, but those are not the people Jesus wanted to impress, to restore. He came to those who already knew him, even if they didn’t understand his promises before. He went to the grief-stricken, disappointed followers to show them what he meant when he said he’d rise on the third day, restore them, their joy, their hope, and remind them of the life they were promised – abundant life.
There is a very funny thread going on among the women in my book club, based on a story in Beth Moore’s new book about how as children, they would (often) pretend to be married to specific members of the Beatles,, the Monkeys, The Beach Boys, even Herman’s Hermits (which probably ages me/us) – these girls are true fans. Who or what are you a fan of today: Chiefs, Royals, KU, K-State, other teams, movies, actors, singers, groups, or sports figures? Who do you have posters of hanging on the wall (or saved on your phone)? Can you list a player’s stats and quote every line from a movie or movie franchise? How deeply do you care about teams you’ve never played on or people you’ve never met?
Jesus wants to KNOW us and for us to KNOW him. We have a risen Lord that wants to walk with us, talk with us, have a relationship with us, and for us to experience his plans and purposes for us. That kind of relationship takes time and commitment, but it is GOOD! As Dan said today, Easter’s story is really about finally grasping that the life we’ve always wanted exists on the other side of the words, "It’s true! The Lord has risen!"
One of the beautiful results of the resurrection is that Jesus walks besides us on our road too. Jesus meets us where we’re at even if it’s in our own grief, disillusionment, and disappointment. He comes alongside us to restore our hope and joy, even though sometimes our vision is blurry and we fail to recognize him. In hindsight, can you identify times that Jesus was walking alongside you, even it you couldn’t see it at the time? Hopefully this reminds you/us to start expecting Jesus to be there.
The Journey through Luke
Join us in these daily reflections from the book of Luke in the New Testament. This book was written after Acts for a non-Jewish friend to help give historical context to what was going on in the church at the time. We are like Theophilus (most of us) – we did not grow up steeped in Jewish traditions, the Old Testament, and the prophecies. So Luke writes to people like us to make sense of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. For more background, check out these short videos from our friends at The Bible Project:
The announcement of two babies is delivered by the Angel, Gabriel. One is met with disbelief, the other in humble belief. God works despite human unbelief. Faith hears and trusts God’s Word. When is your faith tested? Are you more apt to humbly believe and trust God, or is doubt your reaction?
For those that believed, the Holy Spirit was fully present. They experienced supernatural joy. Worship is the response to God’s actions in our lives. What brings you joy? How do you worship/express joy for what God has done for you?
The Christmas Story (my personal favorite gospel account.) Notice who God chooses to witness this event. God uses unlikely people; the people society ignores. Consider how inconvenient Jesus’ birth was to many: his (unwed) parents during the census, chief priests and rabbis, really anyone who liked things as they were. Will you let God inconvenience you?
Jesus grew in stature, in wisdom, in favor with God and men – the grace of God was upon him. Last week Dan defined grace as supernatural kindness. Jesus sought to learn, and healthy things/people grow. Are you growing in your faith, in wisdom, in favor with God and people for the right reasons?
John’s ministry and baptizing Jesus. John took no credit, only pointed people to Jesus and God’s plan which included repentance. Repentance changes attitudes and actions. As you read about Jesus, does it bring you to your knees, to repent, to change?
The temptation of Jesus. Temptation is individualized. It offers good, quick, in place of best. It attacks your basic desires and/or asks God to act your way instead of his. Jesus was tempted when he was physically weak. When does temptation come to you? When is your guard down? When do you lose your resolve and compromise?
{extra journey resources}
CLICK HERE to visit The Bible Project site and explore their super simple, super informative Bible videos (and other resources). You can also download The Bible Project App HERE.
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 the free YouVersion Bible for your phone, tablet, or computer. Experience the Bible anywhere, with options to highlight, save notes, and share what you are reading with others.
The Bible App For Kids YouVersion partnered with OneHope to develop the Bible App for Kids, designing it specifically to engage children with Bible stories on an age-appropriate level. The Bible App for Kids is a free app for Android, Apple, and Kindle devices, available in over 60 languages.
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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