Posted on May 7, 2023 Posted By: HCCCategories: journey
Heartland Community Church
THE JOURNEY
The Gift of the Holy Spirit
By Sarah Hahs
My dad always wanted a son. Being the first girl had to have been a bit of a letdown. All those romanticized afternoons of playing catch in the backyard were replaced with afternoons of roller-skating to Cyndi Lauper in the basement, which was probably a bummer for my dad. But he kept trying. We quickly found something we both loved in fishing. My dad had an old boat and would pack lunches for us, it always included a blue can of Planters Cheese Curls, and we would get up at 5 AM and on the water by 5:30.
That is what a game of catch with my dad is for me. It’s the stillness of the lake at dawn with the rhythm of two poles casting and setting a line. In those moments, my dad taught me the value of quiet. I wasn’t very good at it, I don’t think any 7-year-old is, but I saw it exhibited, and I knew what it looked like. He taught me patience. “You’re not out there to catch anything besides patience,” he would say. The best part of that whole thing was the invitation. The knowledge that my dad wanted to spend time with me.
What a beautiful picture of what God is inviting us into through the presence of the Holy Spirit. A game of catch, as it was described today. And that we need only to ask to have it. To have this time with our Creator in our lives. For him to intercede with his power in our lives, his purpose for our lives, and his presence in our lives.
It feels daunting…like I’m losing control if I invite that kind of force into my choices, interactions, or relationships. But If I’m genuinely trying to make Jesus first in my life and amplify him so that others see him through me, then I don’t need the control in the first place. Let’s be honest, though; who doesn’t like control? So, I find it so beautiful that it starts with an invitation. The knowledge that Jesus, through the Holy Spirit, wants to spend time with me to help me make hard choices, to go before me in my interactions with others, and to walk alongside me in my relationships.
You need only to ask. That’s what this week will consist of for me. I will ask the Holy Spirit to go before me and guide me in my day. I will also call my dad to see if he wants to go fishing, and I’m sure I have a few more things he can teach me.
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:
Choose one of the parables in this passage and read it through 4 times. In the first reading, what most stands out to you? The second tme through, who do you find most relatable in the story? Why? The third time throuh take notice of how the people in the story interact. Finally, take a moment and consider what you sense God wants you to notice and take into your week?
There are actually a few parables within this story, making it a challenge to reflect upon. One thread that exists throughout is the call to be faithful. Make a list of all the ways you hear Jesus calling us to be faithful and focused on living with him in first place. Choose the call to faith that you have the greatest challenge with and pray over it today. How might God be inviting you to express your faith differently in this area?
What does this parable challenge us to do if we are like the wealthy man who lacks nothing? What is it asking of us in our actions and attitude toward those in great need? Who do you relate to most in this story? How can you have greater empathy for the other side of this story? Do you feel close to the heart of God and how he is calling you to live? Why or why not? Where does your faith need some restoration or renewal right now?
What do you learn about sin, and tempting someone to sin in these passages? What do you learn of forgiveness and the call to continually grant it to others? Is that easy for you, or hard? What do we see the person who is forgiven or the men who were healed doing? Which reaction would best draw us near to Jesus? If you have been forgiven and/or healed of something, how might you express your thanks? If you are seeking healing or forgiveness, how might you draw near Jesus and ask?
If you cling to your life, you will lose it, and if you let your life go, you will save it.Luke 17:33
What does clinging to my life look like? And what would letting go, or an openhanded posture toward my life look like? What questions rise for you about this passage, and who might you talk those questions over with? If you can’t think of anyone, know that we love to talk through and wrangle with questions about faith and following Jesus…reach out to any of our staff at info@heartlandchurch.org and we’ll connect you to someone.
In the first two stories here we see people who have been vindicated, or made right or whole before God. Another word for this is justification. How has your relationship with Jesus made things right in your life? In your relationships? Where do you need to soften yourself and approach Jesus "like a child" to receive forgiveness or vindication?
{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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