Devotional

 By Mitch Davis

For the second week in this series meditating on our church values, we are reflecting on what it means to ‘communicate for life change’. As a Bible believing church, we hold that the Scriptures are God’s direct word for humanity, and address our deepest need - the need for a right relationship with God, by faith in Jesus Christ. We’ve been given the gospel message:  “If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Romans 10:9, NLT). This is good news that the world needs to hear! Communicating this message is one of the key roles of the church - we need to take it seriously. Look a few verses later: “How can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them? And how will anyone go and tell them without being sent? That is why the Scriptures say, “How beautiful are the feet of messengers who bring good news!" (Romans 10:14-15). We live in a world that needs to know Jesus, and that can’t happen unless we, the church, are faithful in sharing the gospel.

Similar to last week, there are three simple things I’d encourage you to consider this week to ensure that your own life and faith are focused on communicating the hope the Bible offers to the world:

1. Partner in a ministry of the church. Church shouldn’t only be a place we come to be fed, but a community of Christians looking to show Christ’s love to the world around us. Get involved in an outward focused ministry.
2. Support our missionary partners. These are our brothers and sisters who have taken this task of sharing the good news to the extreme. Not all of us can uproot our family, learn another language and preach the gospel in a foreign land - but those who do are worthy of our prayers and support. Take an interest in their update letters. Support them financially. Cover them in prayer.
3. Be intentional in our relationships with others - ultimately, we want our friends and family to come to know Jesus. We need to pray earnestly for them. I’d challenge you to think of ways this week you can share your faith to move someone towards a relationship with Jesus.