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Neighbors and Nations | Week 1, Day 5

by

Lisa Sheffler, author

Happy Friday! On Day 5 we review our scriptures for the week and pray for the Spirit’s guidance on how we should respond.

Reflect

Look back at the verses we focused on this week:

What’s your biggest takeaway from these verses? How do they help you understand why and how to fulfill Christ’s mission at home or at work?

Connect

If your nation calls you to be one of its ambassadors, you are sent to represent your country to another. When you speak to that country’s citizens, you are in essence speaking on behalf of your nation. 

In 2 Corinthians, Paul reminds us that we are ambassadors for Christ and that God has given us a wonderful message of reconciliation to share with the world. 

“And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him.  For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation.  So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!” For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ” (2 Corinthians 5:19–20 NLT).

Reconciliation is at the heart of the gospel message that we get to share! It’s something that those who don’t know God need to hear, and something that those who do know him may need to be reminded of.  “Come back to God!” He is waiting with open arms.

Ambassadors not only share important messages, they are a faithful presence representing their home country. That’s true of us as well. In our words and actions, let’s reflect the character of King Jesus and the values of his kingdom. In our daily conversations, even with those we see all the time, let’s be a faithful presence to the goodness and mercy of God. Let’s love people well, and ask the Spirit to use us to nudge them closer to Jesus.

Respond

  • Think about the people you spend the most time with — family, friends, co-workers, neighbors. If our goal is to nudge them closer to Jesus, we need to know where they are at now. While we may talk to these people all the time, we may not be having many meaningful conversations.

You can have one by asking good questions about what they think and how they feel. What they are passionate about, and what scares them. Don’t assume you already know. Set aside some time and be intentional about having a meaningful conversation.

  • At the end of this series, on November 15,2020, we’ll be asking our Christ Fellowship family to donate to a missions offering. This offering will fund our partnerships with organizations like the ones highlighted this week, Shiloh Place, Emily’s Place, Webb Elementary, and Belle and Sparrows. Begin praying now about how you might participate.