What has been the highlight of your week?
What has been the low of your week?

Who did you serve this week?

Into this world we are born,
Into the beauty and sorrow of everyday life.
Into this day we awake,
Into possibility and the unknown.
Into this church we are welcomed,
Into God’s grace and each other’s truth.
So let us worship our God this day, we who are called and loved.

Written by Beth Merrill Neel.

I will bless the Lord at all times;
his praise shall continually be in my mouth.
My soul makes its boast in the Lord;
let the humble hear and be glad.
Oh, magnify the Lord with me,
and let us exalt his name together!?
I sought the Lord, and he answered me
and delivered me from all my fears.
Those who look to him are radiant,
and their faces shall never be ashamed.
This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him
and saved him out of all his troubles.
The angel of the Lord encamps
around those who fear him, and delivers them.
Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good!
Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!

–Psalm 34:1-8 (ESV)

In Luke’s sequel to his biography of Jesus called the Acts of the Apostles, Luke details Jesus' final instructions to his disciples; “you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and to the end of the earth.” Moments before ascending to the Father's right hand, Jesus entrusts his ministry to his disciples. Their task was to proclaim the Gospel of the Kingdom to the ends of the Earth, armed with nothing more than His Spirit and a story. 

Throughout this 6-week journey, you may be surprised to know that we have been learning how to share the gospel with other people. And it’s much easier than many of us think. A helpful acronym to summarize what it means to reveal the Kingdom of Jesus is B.L.E.S.S– 

B- Begin in Prayer. Pray for people. Be a consistent and missional person of prayer. Ask God to highlight 2-3 people  in your life, those who seem receptive to a friendship with you but may not know Jesus. Pray specifically for those individuals.

L- Listen. Stop speaking so much and learn to listen. The best evangelists are not those who speak well but rather those who excel at listening and asking questions. Find people’s interests and look for opportunities to engage in thoughtful conversations. Make space and time to be around others so you can actually hear them.

E- Eat. One of the most practical ways to spend time together is by eating and drinking together. Invite people over for dinner, grab a coffee, or take a lunch break.

S- Serve. What practical needs arise in your friendship with these individuals? How can you meet these needs?

S- Story. How are you sharing your story? Are you able to speak about your nearness to Jesus in everyday topics of conversation? When the time is ready, invite them to study the bible with you. Engage with one another by telling your story and story of Jesus.

This week is focused on story. So let’s read Luke 24 and discover how Jesus shared his story with two disciples.

That very day two of them were going to a village named Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, and they were talking with each other about all these things that had happened. While they were talking and discussing together, Jesus himself drew near and went with them. But their eyes were kept from recognizing him. And he said to them, “What is this conversation that you are holding with each other as you walk?” And they stood still, looking sad. Then one of them, named Cleopas, answered him, “Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?” And he said to them, “What things?” And they said to him, “Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, a man who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, and how our chief priests and rulers delivered him up to be condemned to death, and crucified him. But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things happened. Moreover, some women of our company amazed us. They were at the tomb early in the morning, and when they did not find his body, they came back saying that they had even seen a vision of angels, who said that he was alive. Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but him they did not see.” And he said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?” And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.

So they drew near to the village to which they were going. He acted as if he were going farther, but they urged him strongly, saying, “Stay with us, for it is toward evening and the day is now far spent.” So he went in to stay with them. When he was at table with them, he took the bread and blessed and broke it and gave it to them. And their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And he vanished from their sight. They said to each other, “Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the Scriptures?” And they rose that same hour and returned to Jerusalem. And they found the eleven and those who were with them gathered together, saying, “The Lord has risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!” Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he was known to them in the breaking of the bread.

–Luke 24:13–35

The Message Paraphrase

1. What thoughts do you have after reading this scripture? 

2. Jesus listens to the disciples before he talks. What does this reveal about how we have shared the gospel in the past and what we should do in the future?  

3. Jesus shares his story of suffering and God’s victory. What is your story of suffering and God’s victory? And who could you share that with?

As followers of Jesus, we are being sent into the world in the power of the Holy Spirit, armed with our story. Our calling is to be storytellers. We patiently collect and mine the stories of others as they look for meaning, purpose, and beauty in the world. And we offer up our own story of spiritual exploration, transformation, and healing in Jesus. We offer these not as a sales pitch or a high-pressure conversion but as a testimony from one pilgrim to another. 

So this week, as you have regular, day-to-day conversations with people, 

1. Ask questions: You don’t need profound or unique questions; everyday questions will do. Through them, you will learn about people’s priorities and hopes. With some, you will need to ask follow-up questions, but do not be deterred; be tenacious to learn about others. 

2. See opportunities: See opportunities to serve, counsel, pray, and even tell your story. Bear in mind the nature of your relationship with individuals, what you know of their religious history, and how much influence you have in their life. The only thing worse than missing an opportunity is exploiting one. Prioritize being gentle and loving over all else. 

3. Share your story: The Gospel of the Kingdom is the best news the world has ever known, but do you know how to describe it that way? Take some time to mine the story of your life. Think about themes like beauty, acceptance, forgiveness, freedom, restoration, justice, victory, hope, and love. Find new ways to articulate this ancient story.

Look for an opportunity to share your story with someone this week.