We humans all desire to be pursued, to be wanted in one way or another. We long to be part of something important and meaningful. However, frequently, we find ourselves on the wrong side of that desire—where we aren't pursued by a significant other, selected for a job, or given a chance for our participation to matter.
At times, if we're honest, we may feel as though God treats us the same way: that God doesn't love us, want us, or include us. When we succumb to this temptation, we can end up distancing ourselves from God and the abundant life He has for us. The good news is that the word of God — through the lens of the life of Jesus — reveals God differently.
Below, you'll find the two parts of a visual that I shared this past Sunday, illustrating how God is different — how God pursues us, and how he calls us to pursue others to be disciples of Jesus. Take a look…
Below are some practical ways that you can respond to God’s pursuit of you; and your pursuit of others to be disciples of Jesus…
Ways to encounter God's pursuit of you through His Word at CCC:
- Weekly/monthly groups: Men's group, Flourish, Ladies Bible study, The Chosen Group
- CCC Connection and social media posts
Other ways to encounter God's pursuit of you through His Word:
- Establishing a regular rhythm of meditation on God's Word
- Developing a regular rhythm of listening to God in prayer
- Reading about those a step ahead of us in the faith to spark our imagination of how God might be pursuing us
- Being with those a step ahead of us in the faith, seeking their presence and guidance
- Listening to worship music to hear the testimony of how God is pursuing you
How are you pursuing others for Jesus, following His example of pursuing you? Who are you actively pursuing for Jesus? Are there individuals in your life currently turned away and disconnected from God, or those who are behind you in following Jesus?
One biblical example of this pursuit is seen in the relationship between Paul and Timothy and the churches they served: God pursued Paul > Paul pursued Timothy > Timothy pursued the people of the church in Ephesus.
Who are those a few steps behind you in following Jesus, whom you can actively pursue to help them mature in their faith?
Ways to pursue others for Jesus through CCC:
- Engage with guests during Sunday gatherings
- Volunteer for kids/youth gatherings
- Reach out to guests or those a step behind you in the faith during weekly/monthly groups: Men's group, Flourish, Ladies Bible study, The Chosen Group
- Share CCC Connection or social media posts with those a step behind you in the faith
- Join the Prayer Team to pursue the needs and concerns of others for Jesus
- Contribute to the Mission's team to initiate resources and missionary presence for those disconnected from Jesus
- Participate in the Finance team to initiate resources for those a step behind you in the faith through the church
- Consider being a ministry leader to actively serve the church
Other ways to pursue others for Jesus:
- Pursue your spouse for Jesus
- Pursue your kids, family, boss, teacher, co-workers, classmates, and people of peace for Jesus
- Pursue unreached people with whom you have a relationship for Jesus
- Pursue "Unclean," "untouchable," and "undesirable" people in your life for Jesus
Pursue others for Jesus like Jesus pursues you.
Below you will find other CCC updates and resources for participating in the body of Christ over the coming weeks.
See you Sunday if not before then!
Read and begin reflecting on Luke 5:17-32 before the sermon on Sunday
This Sunday we will conclude the series of messages from the Gospel of Luke, focusing on reframing/refocusing on the life, ministry, and mission of Jesus as the standard for our own lives. This Sunday, Mitchell Knight will be helping us reflect on our orientation to Jesus as healer and restorer of life. May God guide us in taking steps of obedience toward becoming more like Jesus this Sunday.
Merge Madness 2024, March 22nd-23rd.
Everything around us is changing so fast that it can be hard to keep up. Our jobs, relationships, and life circumstances are constantly changing. However, God is our rock throughout time because ‘he is the same yesterday, and today, and forever.’ God remains unchanged in a changing world. His love and faithfulness to us are Timeless!
MERGE Madness is a youth event for 6-12th grade students at the Clarence Church of Christ. Kids will have the fantastic opportunity to stand alongside other students from our sisterhood of churches in worship, praise, and fun!
We would love to have you here on March 22nd-23rd!
CCC members have a terrific opportunity to serve and make this an awesome event for students to encounter the timelessness of God in a fun environment. To help meet these needs, contact Mitchell Knight.
During the first four Sundays of March, the sermons will center around Psalms 1-4, prompting reflection on the influence of sin and its extensive effects on our lives. Because of sin (humanity’s separation from God), we find ourselves living in darkness. To complement this series, a prayer guide is being offered to facilitate a deeper engagement with these psalms beyond the Sunday sermons. The guide will be released weekly, with both physical and digital copies accessible each Sunday, starting March 3rd.
What does being “baptized” mean?
(maybe more than you think)…
To baptize means to immerse into, so as to take on the nature or identity of the immersion. For example, in those days [the first century] you would baptize a piece of fabric in red dye, and the fabric would become red. One would then say that the fabric had been baptized in red and therefore into red. It had taken on the very substance of what it was baptized into. This concept of baptism was representative of a new identity. To be baptized in (and into) the name of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is a visible picture of a new reality. Your new baptismal identity is a child of God the Father, born again by the Spirit; a servant of King Jesus and an extension of his servant-like rule and reign on the earth; and a sent one, empowered by the Holy Spirit to be a witness to the world of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection. A disciple of Jesus is a changed person with an entirely new nature and identity, which leads to an entirely new way of living.
Jeff Vanderstelt, from the free book, One-Eighty: A Return to Disciple-Making, get a free copy of the book here: https://exponential.org/product/one-eighty-book/