A brief prayer is offered that you can add to your daily prayers
this week. The scripture is from our Sunday Service Bulletin for today. We
continue with our sermon series: “The Great Adventure”
Gospel Reading- Mark
2:13-17 [ESV]
13 He went out again beside the sea, and all
the crowd was coming to him, and he was teaching them. 14 And
as he passed by, he saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax booth,
and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he rose and followed him.
15 And as he reclined at table in his house,
many tax collectors and sinners were reclining with Jesus and his
disciples, for there were many who followed him. 16 And the
scribes of the Pharisees, when they saw that he was eating with
sinners and tax collectors, said to his disciples, “Why does he eat with
tax collectors and sinners?” 17 And when Jesus heard it,
he said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but
those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”
Devotion: Make
Disciples
In our sermon today, a metaphor was offered up using
pictures of cacti apparently growing from rocks. What it takes for a plant to stay
alive is some sort of linkage to nutrients, air (carbon dioxide primarily), and
water. [If you are a botanist, you might know about the class of plants which
have readily adapted to this type of existence, called “Lithophytes”. In this piece,
I am talking about just plain old plants which have made some sort of
connection to mother earth to access nutrients]. You may know someone who is
living a “rocky” existence and needs some sort of connection to God and His
comforting promise of salvation. If so, read on. I know it is quite easier to
talk to people about God connections at church on Sunday morning when you are
surrounded by church going people. It is a little different when you are in a
social situation outside worship. That moment when you are talking to someone
who you suddenly realize is not connected with God. Our text today has Jesus
socializing with sinners, and you can do the same and try to be someone’s
connection to God -- the ultimate “nutrient” for sinners. Could 2017 be the
start of your great adventure of making disciples? All it takes is an encouraging
word, an offer of prayer, an invitation to church, or a personal story. God
will do the rest.
We pray: “Lord, help
me recognize and seize an opportunity to share your good news. Amen”
