SS10: Looking for Jesus

The story of the Lost Sons and their Father tells of one son who wandered far but returned to his father, another son who stayed home but had a heart far from his father's, and a father whose heart and gaze were always turned toward his sons. I encouraged you last week to consider seeking God's heart rather than just his will and to pay attention to your own heart as well, whether it is turned toward or away from your Heavenly Father. (Sadly, it is possible to work hard - even "slave away" - for God and still have a heart that is hardened toward Him because of hurts and bitterness we may carry. Lord, help us!)

As I read the last chapters of Luke, I was amazed all over again at Jesus. He was laser focused and completely aware of everything that was about to take place - from how his disciples would know where to prepare the Passover supper ("a man carrying a jar of water will meet you") to Peter's denial ("the rooster will not crow today until you have denied three times that you know me.") Nothing surprised Him, yet He still was eager to share His last earthly Passover supper with his disciples, even though He knew what was coming next.

Everything I see in Jesus during the most difficult hours of his life on earth makes me love Him more. His determination to obey the Father, His restraint, and His forgiveness are breathtaking. But what brought me to tears this morning was this thought.

Even Judas knew where to find Jesus. 

Do you know where to find Jesus? Because while God is always pursuing us like the father in the parable last week, it is a glorious truth that we get to look for and find Him as well. Let me share with you some of the places where I find Jesus...

I find Jesus on the pages of Scripture, where He heals and sets free, restores and redeems. He is there.
I find Jesus in my sisters when they listen to me and pray for me in His name. He is in them.
I find Jesus when I sit and marvel at the wonders of creation, knowing His hands formed it all and He holds it together. He is everywhere.
I find Jesus on my knees or simply closing my eyes, when I remember by faith He will never leave me and He wants me to come find what I need in Him. He is here.
I find Jesus in the preschool class at church, laughing and playing with such sweet little ones. He is joyfully there!
I find Jesus when I sit in silence or surrounded by music glorifying His name. He is there.
I find Jesus when I look in the mirror and remember I am made in His image and carry His Spirit in this jar of clay. He is here.

Similar to how the season of Advent helps us prepare our hearts for celebrating Christ's coming during Christmas, since around 325AD, the Church has observed a season called Lent to prepare our hearts for celebrating Christ's death and resurrection. Lent begins this week on Ash Wednesday (and continues til Palm Sunday or Easter, depending on how you count.) Logistics aside, what matters most is that we are seeking Christ. Because we are promised that when we seek Him, we will find Him.

Even Judas, the disciple who betrayed Him, knew where to find Jesus. And we do, too.

During the weeks between now and Easter, instead of beginning the book of Acts like previously planned, we are going to return to Christ's birth and read along through the book of Matthew. At 4 or 5 chapters a week, it will take us exactly up to Palm Sunday and Easter, so even if you haven't been reading along before, I would love to invite you to join us now as we walk with Jesus through the gospel of Matthew up to the cross.

Jesus is with us. When we are lost, He stays with us and rejoices when we find our way home. Let's seek Him as He seeks us.

Bless you, sisters!
Love,
Melissa ♥️

Sister Studies

Bible Reading Plan

Tuesday 3/5 - Matthew 1

Wednesday 3/6 - Matthew 2

Thursday 3/7 - Matthew 3

Friday 3/8 - Matthew 4

Saturday 3/9 - Matthew 5

Sunday 3/10 - Reflect/Review

Monday 3/11 - Reflect/Review

SS9: The Lost Sons & Their Father

Hello, again! We're looking at Luke 15 this week, spending some time with "The Lost/Prodigal Son" and his father, as well as his older brother (who I think was another kind of lost.) I hope you enjoy the video study. In it we'll consider God's will for us in a way that's different than the way we usually think about it, reflecting on why our hearts and God's heart are maybe more important than what we usually think of as "God's will."

Click here to open the video in a new window.

Click here for the audio only if you'd like to listen instead of watch.

In case you don't have time to watch the video, here are the most important points.

Even if we are in the right place, our hearts can be far from God.
We can be in the wrong place and still get right with God.
Our Father knows where we are and will never give up on us.
He will meet us where we are and always allow us to come home.

Survey?

Thank you so much to those of you who filled out the survey I shared last week. Your input has been very helpful! If you haven't had a chance to fill out the survey, guess what! You still can. JUST CLICK HERE! Thank you!

Reading Plan Update!

For those of you who are reading the New Testament with me, I wanted to let you know I'm going to shift the reading plan slightly. Instead of reading a chapter everyday (including the weekends) I'm going to slow it down so there are closer to 5 chapters per week. This will give us a little more breathing room and time for extra reflection or catching up - whichever you need! This week we're finishing Luke. Next we'll be starting the book of Matthew and it will take us almost up to Easter, which I think will be just perfect.

What do you think?

Do you worry about knowing God’s will?
Could it help to focus more on your heart than his will?
Would it make a difference to focus more on seeking God’s heart than his will?

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts... (Colossians 3:15a NIV)

Love,
Melissa ♥️

Are you still there? (Checking in!)

Hello, Sisters! Imagine we were hiking in the mountains, following a trail guide. If the guide never looked back to see if we were still there, that wouldn't make much sense! A good guide stays in communication with the group and adjusts according to their needs. They don't just keep running ahead on their own.

Photo by Holly Mandarich on Unsplash

Similarly, I want to check in with you so I can be sure I'm not just running ahead all alone! I'm pushing pause this week on our Bible reading plan and regular study sharing so I can get some feedback that will help me as we keep moving forward from here.

(This will also give you a week to get caught up on the Bible reading if you need it. If you don't need the extra time, you can keep reading or go back and review some of what you've read so far.)

Would you take a couple of minutes and fill out this survey for me? Your HONEST feedback is super valuable to me. It shouldn't take long at all and as a thank you, I'll send you a beautiful Bible verse you can print or use as a lock screen on your phone.

CLICK HERE TO START THE SURVEY.

Thank you!!!  See you next week!

Melissa 🎔