A description of the course that explains what you will learn and how it will help you grow closer to Jesus
4 lessons
4 lessons
4 lessons
God invites ordinary people into his extraordinary story
In college, I played ultimate frisbee. When our club team went to tournaments, sometimes we lost games because the other team had one Olympian player who dominated the game. Other times, we lost because the other team had average players, but they seamlessly worked together.
At Advent, we focus on the arrival of our Savior, Jesus. He's the undisputed hero of the story. He's the King of Kings and Lord of lords. He won the battle against sin, death, and Satan. Or consider the Apostle Paul, who wrote important New Testament books and established churches under intense persecution. Compared to Jesus and the spiritual heroes of the Bible, do we have anything significant to offer to God?
So I love that Matthew and Luke record the genealogies of Jesus. Who would have expected Tamar, Ruth, and Bathsheba to be named as part of this story? And even more ordinary characters are listed, with tongue-tying names: people like Naggai, Serug, and Arphaxad.
The Advent stories include unnamed shepherds in a field, an otherwise unknown man from Jerusalem named Simeon, and Anna the prophetess, who had been a widow for eighty-four years.
Like you and me, all of these ordinary people were chosen by God. Our lives are not random accidents or meaningless sparks in the night. God names us holy and beloved. In God's story, we are forgiven, clothed in love, and united to the Body of Christ.
The Incarnation uniquely reveals God's love, but it's neither the start nor the end of the story. For generations, God's love has transformed the lives of people and they have gained a role in sharing his love with their communities.
Yes, Jesus is the unique Savior and Lord—no one compares to his contributions. But he didn't come to do it all by himself. He invited fishermen and tax collectors to follow him, and he empowered them to continue his mission after he left.
As we wait for Jesus to return, God has commissioned us to love as he loved us.
Colossians 3:12-15
Therefore, as God's chosen ones, holy and dearly loved, put on compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, bearing with one another and forgiving one another if anyone has a grievance against another. Just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you are also to forgive. Above all, put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity. And let the peace of Christ, to which you were also called in one body, rule your hearts. And be thankful.
Do you feel undeserving to participate in God's mission?
Discuss what God has done to empower you to share his love.
Ask God to show you someone whose contributions might go unnoticed. Sincerely and specifically write a note to them, sharing why they matter to you.
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