Good morning Lord Jesus, fill me completely so I can love today deeply….
“Therefore, holy brothers and sisters, partners in a heavenly calling, take note of Jesus, the apostle and high priest whom we confess,….See to it, brothers and sisters, that none of you has an evil, unbelieving heart that forsakes the living God. But exhort one another each day, as long as it is called “Today,” that none of you may become hardened by sinʼs deception. For we have become partners with Christ, if in fact we hold our initial confidence firm until the end.” (Hebrews 3:1,12-15)
You and I in the moment we fell in love with Jesus, surrendered our lives to Him, and exchanged our lives from for His we were in that second justified, made whole, and initially sanctified with the power and presence of Christ and set aside into the family of God for His use and His glory. All that took place in a second. However, though this sure thing and gift of grace we started out in came in a second, we are not in Christ for a second. We are in Christ for the long haul. For how long, for how many days? This passage tells us as long as “today” is called “today.”
Every day we wake up and it is “today” we are to live out our “heavenly calling.” And we are not to do it alone, nor can we do it alone. This passage says we are to “Exhort one another each day.” Everyday we are called to encourage each other, pray for each other, lift up each other, warn each other, have each other’s back, keep each other vigilant and on our toes. We are in this for the long haul and we need each other to encourage one another along every step of the journey. Jesus sent out the 12 and the 70 two by two, side by side. He knew we could not do it alone. He knew we needed a church.
My family, If you are reading this then God gave you this gift you woke up in called “today.” Today you are to live out your heavenly calling. Today you are to exhort, lift up, pray for, and encourage others in their journey. Today I pray as you begin another week of your journey, you will pick up the phone and call someone or text them, or better yet invite them to have coffee or a beer face to face and encourage them to “hold to our initial confidence in Christ firm until the end,” in Jesus’ name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you my friends!
Please share your reflections and prayers in the comment box below with us from todays reading.
Please Partner With Me!
Help Me Share The Gospel and Make Disciples!
I could use your financial support for One Direction Community and my family to jump down into the pits and help lift up those on the margins God has placed in my path I refuse to walk around. Please commitment to partner and support myself and One Direction community through setting up a monthly donation or a one –time gift by clicking the link below. Donation checks can be made out to ODC, PO Box 1293 Madison, Al 35758. Thank You!!
GIVE TODAY, CLICK HERE
Let me help you!
One of my passions is helping churches or small groups understand and embrace their call to be disciples of Jesus in their community.. I offer and lead discipleship trainings in person and on-line. If you are interested I would love to talk to you bout it. I would also love to help you start a simple church in your home. Email me at garyl@onedirection.community.
Good morning Lord Jesus, I am lost without you, please guide me through my day...
“For when he put all things under his control, he left nothing outside of his control. At present we do not yet see all things under his control, but we see Jesus, who was made lower than the angels for a little while, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by Godʼs grace he would experience death on behalf of everyone. For it was fitting for him, for whom and through whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through sufferings. For indeed he who makes holy and those being made holy all have the same origin, and so he is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters, saying, “I will proclaim your name to my brothers; in the midst of the assembly I will praise you.” Again he says, “I will be confident in him,” and again, “Here I am, with the children God has given me.” Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, he likewise shared in their humanity, so that through death he could destroy the one who holds the power of death (that is, the devil), and set free those who were held in slavery all their lives by their fear of death. For surely his concern is not for angels, but he is concerned for Abrahamʼs descendants. Therefore he had to be made like his brothers and sisters in every respect, so that he could become a merciful and faithful high priest in things relating to God, to make atonement for the sins of the people. For since he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are tempted.” (Hebrews 2:8-18)
Here is the reflection on these passages from The Message Bible.
“It makes good sense that the God who got everything started and keeps everything going now completes the work by making the Salvation Pioneer perfect through suffering as he leads all these people to glory. Since the One who saves and those who are saved have a common origin, Jesus doesn’t hesitate to treat them as family, saying, “I’ll tell my good friends, my brothers and sisters, all I know about you; I’ll join them in worship and praise to you…
Since the children are made of flesh and blood, it’s logical that the Savior took on flesh and blood in order to rescue them by his death. By embracing death, taking it into himself, he destroyed the Devil’s hold on death and freed all who cower through life, scared to death of death.
It’s obvious, of course, that he didn’t go to all this trouble for angels. It was for people like us, children of Abraham. That’s why he had to enter into every detail of human life. Then, when he came before God as high priest to get rid of the people’s sins, he would have already experienced it all himself—all the pain, all the testing—and would be able to help where help was needed.”
When I read these verses, there is nothing I can add except Amen! Amen! And Thank you! Thank you!
My family, I pray you will read and let these timely words of God speak into the current situations: of war in Ukraine and now Israel; of the fear, and uncertainty we find ourselves in today and allow them to soak into your hearts and minds. If you are “cowering through life now “scared to death of death.” If you are experiencing pain, trials, testing you have a Lord and savior who is “not ashamed to call you his brother or sister.” And who has experienced everything you are going through, and is there beside you going through it with you, please pray the same for me. God bless you my friends!
What A Friend We Have In Jesus
What a Friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer!
O what peace we often forfeit, O what needless pain we bear,
All because we do not carry everything to God in prayer.
Have we trials and temptations? Is there trouble anywhere?
We should never be discouraged; take it to the Lord in prayer.
Can We find a friend so faithful who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus know are every weakness; take it to the Lord and prayer.
Are we weak and heavy laden, cumbered with a load of care?
Precious savior, still our refuge, take it to the Lord in prayer
Please share your thoughts and reflections in the comment box below.
Please Partner With Me!
Help Me Share The Gospel and Make Disciples!
I could use your financial support for One Direction Community and my family to jump down into the pits and help lift up those on the margins God has placed in my path I refuse to walk around. Please commitment to partner and support myself and One Direction community through setting up a monthly donation or a one –time gift by clicking the link below. Donation checks can be made out to ODC, PO Box 1293 Madison, Al 35758. Thank You!!
GIVE TODAY, CLICK HERE
Let me help you!
One of my passions is helping churches or small groups understand and embrace their call to be disciples of Jesus in their community.. I offer and lead discipleship trainings in person and on-line. If you are interested I would love to talk to you bout it. I would also love to help you start a simple church in your home. Email me at garyl@onedirection.community.
Gary Liederbach- Lead Follower
One Direction Community
Email: garyl@onedirection.community
Website: https://www.onedirection.community
Facebook: One Direction Comm
Yesterday (Wednesday) morning I went into my local Waffle House (WH) and sat at the low bar. I had been out of town Friday through Monday so it was the first time I had been there since last Thursday. I was talking to the waitresses and cooks catching up on life when an elderly lady walked in. Her and her husband are regulars at the WH. This was the first time I had seen her walk in by herself. The waitress whispered to me as she walked in that her husband had passed away on Sunday and they had his funeral Tuesday. My heart sank into sadness and I said, ‘Oh No!” I got up from the low bar as she was coming in and walked up to her. She gave me a warm smile and said, “Hello”. I told her I was so sorry to her about her loss and hugged her. As we hugged another waitress came around the bar and hugged her as well and the three of us with tears in are our eyes shared a long hug of love as the waitress and I spoke words of love over the lady. She looked at me with tears in her eyes and said I had to come in this morning and see my family. And I have to try to move on into this new season of my life. We hugged, I kissed ger cheek, and she went and sat down at a booth, for the first time without her husband.
They were a wonderful, sweet, elderly couple who were so in love with each other. Her husband had Parkinson disease and it sadly slowly deteriorated him. He would sit at the booth and his leg would shake all the time. They used to laugh with me as my shakes all the time when I sit down. They always had a smile on their face and I was blessed to share life with them and pray with them. They were members of our WH congregation, they were family.
As I sat at the low bar and drank my coffee and talked with the staff and those patrons around me, I watched the booth the lady was sitting at. Throughout my time there someone would continuously sit in the booth in the bench across from her. A waitress would sit across from her and they would hold hands across the table and share. After five minutes of so, the waitress got up and walked around and hugged her. When the waitress got up, a regular patron walked over and took the seat across from her and this process repeated. Before I left, I took my turn in the seat across from her and held her hands across the table. In our conversation I told her I loved her, loved her husband, and if there is anything she needs help with to please give me a call. After we finished talking, I prayed over her, then walked around and hugged her again, kissed her forehead, and left for my day.
As I reflect on the morning, I loved the fact that the morning after she buried her husband, she wanted to come to the WH. It was her family, it was her “small group”, it was her church. And that morning even though her heart was broken with the loss of her life-long soul mate, it was a place where her heart received love, support, compassion and healing.
As a simple church planter, I have always said that if you start by trying to plant a church, you may end up with some form of community, However, if you start by forming and entering into a community, a church will always come out of it. The mornings this couple spent at the WH, they were with out labeling it, attending their small group, band group, or accountability group. It did not have those labels, it did not meet at a church or because of a sign up sheet passed around at a church, it did not look like what you would picture a small group would look like, but it felt like one more than ever. And it was real, and it was beautiful. And I am blessed to be a part of it. And it continues every morning I walk in the door and hear “Welcome to Waffle House” and sit down and love and receive love from those I sit down and share life with. Again, it is what legacy churches are trying to recreate, it is organic, it is beautiful
My family, I pray you will find your WH, your place where you can enter into the life and simply love your neighbors as yourself. As in doing so you will receive amazing love in return, in Jesus name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you my friends!
Please share your thoughts and reflections in the comment box below.
Please Partner With Me!
Help Me Share The Gospel and Make Disciples!
I could use your financial support for One Direction Community and my family to jump down into the pits and help lift up those on the margins God has placed in my path I refuse to walk around. Please commitment to partner and support myself and One Direction community through setting up a monthly donation or a one –time gift by clicking the link below. Donation checks can be made out to ODC, PO Box 1293 Madison, Al 35758. Thank You!!
GIVE TODAY, CLICK HERE
Let me help you!
One of my passions is helping churches or small groups understand and embrace their call to be disciples of Jesus in their community.. I offer and lead discipleship trainings in person and on-line. If you are interested I would love to talk to you bout it. I would also love to help you start a simple church in your home. Email me at garyl@onedirection.community.
Gary Liederbach- Lead Follower
One Direction Community
Email: garyl@onedirection.community
Website: https://www.onedirection.community
Facebook: One Direction Community-ODC
Good morning, Lord Jesus. In these first moments of my morning, I lift up my eyes and open up my heart to deliberately, intentionally begin my day in the deep Presence of God. ...
"But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, He saved us, not because of any works of righteousness that we had done, but according to His mercy, through the water of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit. This Spirit He poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by His grace, we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life" (Titus 3:4-7).
Father God, pour out Your Spirit upon me today through Jesus Christ my Savior. Let me live into the fullness of my inheritance as a son of God, now and forever. Let the understanding and the experience of the fullness of my salvation by true in the thoughts of my mind also in the nature of my heart.
I've been reborn and I'm being renewed -- all by Your mercy and grace, all by Your goodness and loving kindness. Father, Son and Holy Spirit, You've done a deep work in me; and "I am confident of this, that the One who began a good work (in me) will bring it to completion by the day of Jesus Christ (Philippians 1:6). In Jesus' name pray. Amen.
My family, I pray you may desire, seek, and be renewed by the Holy Spirit as you begin your day, and every moment of every day, as the One who began a good work in you is faithful to complete it. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friends!
I would love for you to please share your reflections with myself or others using the comment box below.
Please join me in prayer over the horrific attacks on Israel, the victims, families of victims, and the country as it works through this tragedy. Please keep those residents in Palestine in your prayers who are victims and pawns of Hamas presence among them, Lord Have Mercy, Christ Have Mercy, Lord Have Mercy.
Please Partner With Me!
Help Me Share The Gospel and Make Disciples!
I could use your financial support for One Direction Community and my family to jump down into the pits and help lift up those on the margins God has placed in my path I refuse to walk around. Please commitment to partner and support myself and One Direction community through setting up a monthly donation or a one –time gift by clicking the link below. Donation checks can be made out to ODC, PO Box 1293 Madison, Al 35758. Thank You!!
GIVE TODAY, CLICK HERE
Let me help you!
One of my passions is helping churches or small groups understand and embrace their call to be disciples of Jesus in their community.. I offer and lead discipleship trainings in person and on-line. If you are interested I would love to talk to you bout it. Email me at garyl@onedirection.community.
Gary Liederbach- Lead Follower
One Direction Community
Email: garyl@onedirection.community
Website: https://www.onedirection.community
Facebook: One Direction Community-ODC
Good morning, Lord Jesus. Help me hear Your voice and listen for Your leading, as I begin this day in the communion of prayer with You, my God -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. ...
"For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all, training us to renounce impiety and worldly passions, and in the present age to live lives that are self-controlled, upright, and godly, while we wait for the blessed hope and the manifestation of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ. It is He who gave Himself for us that He might redeem us from all iniquity and purify for Himself a people of His own who are zealous for good deeds" (Titus 2:11-14).
Lord Jesus -- "our great God and Savior" -- manifest Your glory today. I know one day You will return in a spectacular, indescribable, world-wide manifestation of Your glory for all to see (1 Thessalonians 4:16). But at the same time, I know You also desire there to be a manifestation of Your glory here in my heart and in here through my life every day. "Christ in (me), the hope of glory" (Colossian 1:27).
You forgive my sins and purify my soul. You fill me with Your Spirit and anoint me with Your presence and power and purpose (1 John 2:17). And You send me out into my world, zealous for You with a passion for my Father's kingdom to come and will to be done, here on earth and here through my life, "to display (Your) glory" as one of those "called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the Lord" (Isaiah 61:3).
When You walked this earth to show us the way to honor God with our lives, You said, "If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask for whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit and become My disciples" (John 15:7-8). So Father God, in Jesus' name, I embrace Your Holy Spirit to manifest the glory of Christ through my life in my world today. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
My family, I pray you will be continually filled with the Holy Spirit of the Living God, abiding in Jesus and His word, that your life may be a manifestation of the glory of Christ in your world every day, in Jesus' name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friends!
Please share your reflections and prayers in the comment box below with us from todays reading.
Gary Liederbach- Lead Follower
One Direction Community
Email: garyl@onedirection.community
Website:https://www.onedirection.community
Facebook: One Direction Community-ODC
Help Us Help Them!
I could use you’re the gift of your financial support for my family and those on the margins God has placed in my path I refuse to walk around. Please partner and support my family and ministries through setting up a monthly donation or a one –time gift by clicking the link below. Donation checks can be made out to ODC, 102 Champions Green Drive, Madison, Al 35758.
Thank You!
Good morning Lord Jesus, I rest in your love so I can give out your love.
Halloween is coming upon us. I am getting my Halloween decorations out of my attic and decorating my yard for our 10th annual Halloween yard party. It’s interesting to me that for many Christians this is a “hot button” topic to discuss. I posted an event for our Halloween Gathering to invite our neighbors on our Nextdoor App. A lady who claimed she was a Christian posted a comment that was really long and really antagonistic and un-Christian that basically said that I am a devil worshipper and all who celebrate Halloween worship Satan and are going to hell. Even a member of our ODC House Church said they do not know if they will come because thier mother told him it was wrong.
So as I did last year, I want to address the question: “Should we as Christians engage in Halloween or should we abstain?” In actuality if you start reading about Halloween’s roots, it’s hard to find an answer of where it came from. But, regardless of where it comes from, the question at hand should be: Why is Halloween celebrated today? For most of us, Halloween isn’t a time where we celebrate the dead, go and skin a goat and sacrifice it to Satan. For most of us, it’s a time to dress up our kids as a super hero and send them to strangers’ houses to get free candy.
It has become just part of our culture in the West and has very little to do with the “darkness”…it’s not good, it’s not evil…it’s just something we celebrate, like the 4th of July. I know we might have stories of darkness, but there are also many stories of overdrinking and evil happening on our other holidays as well.
The whole of the Bible talks of God bringing reconciliation and redemption to all things back to himself. That Jesus is Lord of everything and everyday. He bring peace to all things. Not only that but Paul speaks (1 Cor 8) to us about pagan festivals and says that there is nothing in them that is powerful, because there is only one God and everything and everyone comes through Him and have their being because of him.
Paul then talks about eating food sacrificed to idols…saying…it’s no big deal, unless you have a brother who would be deeply hurt by it because they struggle with the idol and eating of that meat because they actually used to worship that idol and eat those things.
Here’s how to contextualize Halloween: If you have a brother who used to worship Satan and they used to sacrifice goats and drink its blood, then it might be a good idea to walk through Halloween with them, guiding them so it would make that brother stumble. This does NOT mean, if you have a brother who merely thinks as his opinion it is wrong to celebrate Halloween that you should put it to the side. That’s never the intent with any of the passages of making a brother stumble…if that was the case, many of us would be in sin because of all the things we do that make other Christians merely uncomfortable. Jesus was not about making people comfortable.
And Jesus would have been in sin and made many people stumble with the life that he led around sinners as he ate and drank (yep wine) with them. Again…making a brother stumble and making a brother uncomfortable are completely separate issues.
With all that said, what are we to do with Halloween? If we are to look to redeem Halloween, what does that mean? If we are to do all things to the glory of God, what does that look for Halloween?
First, a few things you should probably STOP doing:
1. Dressing your kid up as St. Paul or Moses to try to prove a point.
2. Calling the Halloween Party at your church building a “Harvest Festival.” It is like an atheist calling a “Christmas Party” a “Holiday Party” and instead of saying “Merry Christmas saying “Happy Holidays” which seams to upset so many Christians. It’s just calling the elephant in the room a squirrel and it’s weird and disconnects The Church from the society around it.
3. Taking all your people away from being out in their neighborhoods and putting them into your building.
4. Wrapping a tract around an apple and handing it out to the kids who are trick or treating and calling it “evangelizing”
None of these things redeem anything, but just add to the notion that Christians want to be apart from the world and create their own subculture. Instead, let’s be like Jesus and celebrate it like he would have.
When we look at the life of Jesus and our God, we see that they always pursued the sinner and the world. They loved us right where we were and engaged us in the ways that we’d understand who God is and what He has done.
Not only that, but Jesus used the everyday celebrations as a way to build relationships so he could speak into the lives of those around him. He was continually at parties. So much so, that when Matthew was called to follow Jesus, it seemed normal to Matthew to invite Jesus and all the apostles back to his house to party with all his “sinner” friends. (Matthew 9:9,10; Mark 2:14-17) People knew that Jesus was about celebrating, he was about truth, he was also about pursuing and about building relationships with people. With that in mind, how can we then show people THAT Jesus to our communities during Halloween?
1. Be THAT House
You know “that” house. When you were a kid and you went to a house and said “trick or treat” and the person came to the door in a costume and smiled at you, complemented your costume, and they handed you a full size candy bar; it was like winning the lottery. You’d walk away from the house telling your friends, “They were really nice.” It was such good news, you’d tell strangers dressed up like a clown zombie where to find the goods. Everyone knew that house in the neighborhood and if you didn’t have one in your neighborhood, you’d travel what seemed to be miles to get to that house. Be THAT house. We have been blessed by God to be a blessing to others. Think about how this shows people the Father. Everyone is expecting to get a small fun size bar. It’s what they’ve earned by dressing up and having the courage to knock on your door and say “trick or treat.” What they know they haven’t earned is a full size candy bar…it speaks to this idea of grace and blessing.
You don’t need to tell the kids this, but it starts to tell the story of what your house is about to the neighborhood. It tells a different story than what they expect or are used to and this is exactly the story of the gospel. Spend the extra cash to make that happen. If you can’t afford it, get your Missional Community to all pitch in. Ask your church to put it in the budget for next year. As weird as that sounds your churches goal should be to reach it’s neighbors. Do whatever you gotta do…be that house! You’ll be amazed at what doors that opens with your neighbors to share The Gospel.
2. Be a Welcoming Presence
If our God is about pursuit, blessing and welcoming then what would it look like to be about pursuit on Halloween? How about instead of staying inside your house, be in the driveway or front porch. I know this isn’t available for everyone because of weather, but what would it look like in your neighborhood for people to feel welcomed to come to your house and feel blessed by it?
For The Liederbach's, we are have our 10th annual neighborhood Halloween gathering. We are going to have fire pit in our front yard where our neighbors will be cooking hot dogs over the fire and making s’mores. We have coolers of drinks, bags of chips and snake cakes; and of course, LOTS of candy! For our 10th annual party I even rented a mechanical bull for trick or treaters to ride. In the weeks leading up to Halloween, we will prayer walk our neighborhoods and personally invite or put invitations in 450 of our neighbor’s mailboxes. Last year we had over 350 kids trick or treat our house plus I don’t know how many adults that accompanied them come and hang out and cook a hot dog or s’more. It’s a way for us to come together and hang out and bless our neighborhood. It shows that we are more than about handing out candy, but we are here to bless their entire family and in a sense, welcome you into our lives.
Again, it shows something quite different than every other house. Last year a father with three young kids came up with them to our front porch to get candy. The father said, “The kids all discussed before we headed out they wanted to go to this house last. Save the best for last! Plus once we come here we always hang out awhile.” I put candy in his kids bags then they headed towards the fire pit and fun. We have been doing this for 10 years and the neighborhood now expects it and people come and hang out and have a great time meeting their neighbors.
If you can’t be outside, how can you bless the families that are walking around your neighborhood? Maybe offer coffee, tea, hot chocolate, etc. to the parents and trick or treaters that come to your door. Again…think, “How can I be a blessing and show that we are a welcoming and pursuing people like our Dad?”
Every year we have reached more non-Christians and have baptized more people we connected with who attended our neighbor Halloween Party than who attended any other of our other gatherings throughout the year including our Easter and Christmas gatherings!
3. Celebrate
It is not secret that Jesus loved to party. So much so, that people kept inviting him to parties. Pretty amazing to think about. If we have a Dad in heaven that loves us and accepts us, not for what we do or have done, but because of what his Son has done for us and now we are heirs to the throne of heaven…don’t we have the most to celebrate?
We should be defined as Jesus was defined: a glutton and drunkard. He was celebrating so much that the religious saw him as a glutton and drunkard but the sinners and the world saw him as a dude that they’d like to hang with. Where have we gone wrong here? Christians shouldn’t be the ones avoided for parties, but should be the ones that people are most excited to have come around because they bring the “better wine.”
We made it almost a rule in our house that if we are invited to a party…we are going and we are going to think through how we can bless that party as much as possible. We are always invited to parties because of this. People know what Nancy and I are about, they know we love Jesus. But they also know that when we enter a party we won’t make it weird, but we hopefully make the party more enjoyable by us being there. We have literally had people say, “if Jesus is like this…he was a lot different than we’ve ever been told.”
If you aren’t invited to parties…this Halloween is a great time to throw one. Throw a costume party, a pumpkin carving party, a cookie decorating party, have a photo booth at the party, have a party with games for kids. You can do all kinds of things for Halloween…it’s a party holiday. By doing this, meaning throwing an awesome party, you start to show off something different about you as a follower of Jesus and showing off who Jesus was and what he was about. And do this at your home in your neighborhood, don’t simply rely on your church to do this for you.
He was about parties because that’s where people were and that’s where people connect and share stories and start and continue relationships. Halloween is a really funny holiday when we think about it. But, it’s a holiday that is so easy to build relationships and bless the community and start (or continue) to show off what our Dad is like.
If instead, to “protest” against Halloween we turn off our front porch lights, lock our front doors, go to our church buildings and we have a “harvest festival” on Halloween, we show the world exactly what they’ve always seen about our God. He is closed off, judgmental and waits for us to come to him. This isn’t our Dad…he is quite different. He is welcoming, he is gracious and merciful and he pursues us and can’t wait to celebrate with us. Don’t use this holiday to make a point. Use this holiday to point to the true reason we all get to celebrate and bless…Jesus.
If Jesus was still walking the earth in the flesh this Halloween evening he would not be attending a “Harvest Festival” in a church. He would be out in the neighborhood streets interacting with his neighbors and looking for the lost sheep. .This is what we read of about Jesus in the Gospels. Deep inside we know as His followers and His church this is true, so why do we behave the opposite? My guess is that if Jesus lived in our neighborhood, everyone couldn’t wait to go to his house to see what he was going to hand out this year. Everyone would be excited to go to Jesus’ Halloween party and couldn’t wait to invite him over to their party. My only question I wonder is “Who would Jesus dress up as for Halloween?” Who knows…but you know it’d be a killer costume.
My daily prayer is, “Lord send us the ones no one else wants.”
I would love for you to please share your reflections with myself or others using the comment box below.
Please Partner With Me!
Help Me Share The Gospel and Make Disciples!
I could use your financial support for One Direction Community and my family to jump down into the pits and help lift up those on the margins God has placed in my path I refuse to walk around. Please commitment to partner and support myself and One Direction community through setting up a monthly donation or a one –time gift by clicking the link below. Donation checks can be made out to ODC, PO Box 1293 Madison, Al 35758. Thank You!!
GIVE TODAY, CLICK HERE
Let me help you!
One of my passions is helping churches or small groups understand and embrace their call to be disciples of Jesus in their community.. I offer and lead discipleship trainings in person and on-line. If you are interested I would love to talk to you bout it. Email me at garyl@onedirection.community.
Gary Liederbach- Lead Follower
One Direction Community
Email: garyl@onedirection.community
Website: https://www.onedirection.community
Facebook: One Direction Community-ODC
Good morning Lord Jesus, this morning I open my Bible on my lap to Romans 8 and soak in its words to soak in you…
“There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set (us) free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit” (Romans 8:1-4 ).
The same power of Your grace that saves us and sets us free from the law of sin and death is the same power of Your grace that empowers us to “walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit” (v. 4). In that place of growing in spiritual maturity -- not settling for merely our salvation, as wonderful and as essential as that is -- we also begin to experience the deeper life and fuller peace that’s now available to us through life in Your Spirit:
“For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God's law; indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God” (Romans 8:5-8).
Praise You, Lord, for setting us free for life in You! We have life in You because Your very Spirit lives in us!
“(We), however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in (us). Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to Him. But if Christ is in (us), although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. If the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in (us), He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to (our) mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in (us)” (Romans 8:9-11).
Thank You for this grace! Thank You for this power of God abiding in us to walk in Your ways as You live out Your ways through us:
“So then, brothers, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. For if (we) live according to the flesh (we) will die, but if by the Spirit (we) put to death the deeds of the body, (we) will live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God” (Romans 8:12-14).
All by the power of Your grace that saves us and is maturing us, we are sons and daughters of God, set free to live by the Spirit, as we are led by the Spirit to walk in Your ways by Your Spirit. And in this, we are truly blessed.
“For (we) did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but (we) have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, ‘Abba! Father!’ The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs -- heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with Him in order that we may also be glorified with Him” (Romans 8:15-17).
What is to “suffer” is not our true identity as children of God in You. What is to “suffer” is our flesh -- that part of us that wants to be Lord ourselves instead of yield to Your Lordship, wanting to walk in our own ways apart from Your ways. It’s our flesh that needs to suffer and die by the mercy of Your grace so that we can truly live our life in Christ, as we allow You to live Your life in us.
That’s the blessed life! That’s our best life now! -- to borrow a phrase from a famous preacher and apply it to the will and ways of our even more famous Savior!
So I begin this day thanking You for Your grace to walk in Your ways by Your Spirit in the fear of the Lord. Keep putting Your thoughts in my mind and Your desires in my heart all day long. Keep filling me up with Your Spirit all day long (Ephesians 5:18). And I thank You now that it will be another good day in Christ. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.
My family, I pray you may be empowered by God's grace to walk in His ways, with the Spirit of Christ living His life in you, in Jesus' name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you my friends!
Please share your reflections and prayers in the comment box below.
Please Partner With Me!
Help Me Share The Gospel and Make Disciples!
I could use your financial support for One Direction Community and my family to jump down into the pits and help lift up those on the margins God has placed in my path I refuse to walk around. Please commitment to partner and support myself and One Direction community through setting up a monthly donation or a one –time gift by clicking the link below. Donation checks can be made out to ODC, PO Box 1293 Madison, Al 35758. Thank You!!
GIVE TODAY, CLICK HERE
Let me help you!
One of my passions is helping churches or small groups understand and embrace their call to be disciples of Jesus in their community.. I offer and lead discipleship trainings in person and on-line. If you are interested I would love to talk to you bout it. Email me at garyl@onedirection.community.
Gary Liederbach- Lead Follower
One Direction Community
Email: garyl@onedirection.community
Website: https://www.onedirection.community
Facebook: One Direction Community-ODC
“Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.” (Matthew 25:34-36)
On Sunday mornings I pick up baked goods from Publix grocery store and take them to the Waffle House. I park my car by their kitchen back door and give out the baked goods to the WH employees and some customers in need. A waitress named Michele always gets baked items from me and is very grateful. Michele has been a waitress there for many years and I know her well. She is in her mid-fifties, has many tattoos, and a quiet personality. When I share my faith at the bar to waitresses and customers, she always stands and listens, however she rarely says anything. This past Sunday I asked her how was she doing. She said not very good at all. I asked her what was going on and she got quiet and began sharing.
She said she was having a sore throat, pain and having trouble swallowing. She said she finally went to the doctor a couple weeks ago (WH does not offer great health insurance) to have it checked. They found a large mass in her throat. On return visits and biopsy they confirmed it was cancer and it has began to metastasize into other areas of her body. She said she was going to have to receive both chemo and radiation treatments. She was going Tuesday (yesterday) to get a feeding tube inserted, as when they start the treatment her throat will be to sore, she will not be able to eat, and will be sick. She was scared and tearing up as she talked. She said today (this past Sunday) was the last day she will be able to work for a long time and she did not know how her and her husband were going to make it with loss of her income and medical bills. ( Her husband works at Walmart. ) For the first time in the years I have known her she asked me to please pray for her, and so I held her hands and I did.
I texted her yesterday evening and asked her how inserting the food tube went. She said it hurt way more than she thought it would, but she survived it.
Besides her husband George, Michele has no other family or support to help her or drive her to treatments and doctor visits. Her husband has to miss work to do this.
I love Michele. She is different, an outsider, one of the least of these. So I am going to do something I never have done in a morning devotion before, ask you who are reading this to help, encourage, and bless her. Here is her address:
Michele Jackson
2716 Monticello Drive NW
Huntsville, Al 35810.
(Her husband’s name is George)
What I am asking is that you take the time, go “old School”, buy a stamp, and mail her a card. Michele has been told she has stage 4 cancer, which is devastating. She is afraid, depressed, has anxiety, and unsure of her future both financially and physically. I can only imagine the surprise, hope, joy she would be blessed with by walking to her mailbox and receiving cards of prayers and encouragement from people she does not know. Maybe ask your small group, family members, or others to write her. She is facing financial hardships, so any financial support you want to include in your card of any amount I know she would appreciate. But simply receiving cards letting her know she is not an outcast, not alone, and loved would be such a blessing. And her experiencing the outpouring of “The Church” may help open the door of her heart where I can lead her into salvation of Jesus Christ.
My family, We all have busy agendas. I pray you may take the time to write Michele a letter or card, and be led by the Holy Spirit to see the other “Micheles” around you who are going through some kind of hell you be a source of light in their darkness and pain. In Jesus’ name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you my friends!
Please share your reflections and prayers in the comment box below.
Please Partner With Me!
Help Me Share The Gospel and Make Disciples!
I could use your financial support for One Direction Community and my family to jump down into the pits and help lift up those on the margins God has placed in my path I refuse to walk around. Please commitment to partner and support myself and One Direction community through setting up a monthly donation or a one –time gift by clicking the link below. Donation checks can be made out to ODC, PO Box 1293 Madison, Al 35758. Thank You!!
GIVE TODAY, CLICK HERE
Let me help you!
One of my passions is helping churches or small groups understand and embrace their call to be disciples of Jesus in their community.. I offer and lead discipleship trainings in person and on-line. If you are interested I would love to talk to you bout it. Email me at garyl@onedirection.community.
Gary Liederbach- Lead Follower
One Direction Community
Email: garyl@onedirection.community
Website: https://www.onedirection.community
Facebook: One Direction Community-ODC
Good morning, Lord Jesus. I speak out Your name and listen for Your leading to start my day following You. ...
“The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep hear his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. They will not follow a stranger, but they will run from him because they do not know the voice of strangers” …..“I am the good shepherd. I know My own and My own know Me, just as the Father knows Me, and I know the Father. And I lay down My life for the sheep” (John 10:2-5; 14-15).
Lord Jesus, You’re the Gate and You’re the Good Shepherd. By the power and grace of Your Spirit, open my eyes to see where You’re leading me and open my ears to hear where I’m to follow.
I know Your name and You know mine (v. 3). Help me Jesus hear when You’re calling my name, when You’re stirring in my spirit, when You’re moving in my heart. Help me discern Your voice from the voice of the stranger, the voice of the enemy of my soul. Your voice leads to life, but the stranger’s voice leads to death (v. 10). Your voice leads to abundance, but the stranger’s voice leads to destruction (v. 10).
Align my spirit with Your Spirit, my heart with Your Heart, my thoughts with Your Thoughts, my words with Your Word, so that my ways will follow Your Way. For You are “the Way and the Truth and the Life” (John 14:6).
All these things must be spiritually discerned, with my spirit seeking the leading of Your Spirit, abiding in the fellowship and communion of Your Spirit:
“But, as it is written,
‘What no eye has seen, nor ear heard,
nor the human heart conceived,
what God has prepared for those who love Him’ --
“God has revealed to us through the Spirit, for the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. For what human knows what is truly human except the human spirit that is within? So also no one comprehends what is truly God’s except the Spirit of God. Now we have received not the spirit of the world but the Spirit that is from God, so that we may understand the gifts bestowed on us by God. And we speak of these things in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual things to those who are spiritual…“But we have the mind of Christ” (1 Corinthians 2:9-16).
To have “the mind of Christ” is have “the Spirit of Christ” (Romans 8:9). To have “the mind of Christ” is to abide in communion with Christ -- seeking Your face, following Your voice, filled with Your Spirit. “Anyone united with the Lord becomes one spirit with Him” (1 Corinthians 6:17).
By Your grace Jesus, keep me close, keep me in the holy communion of intimate fellowship with You. Keep me going through the Gate of the Good Shepherd into the abundance of Life in You that You desire for me. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.
My family, may you keep going through the Gate of the Good Shepherd, seeking His face and following His voice in communion with His Spirit, in Jesus' name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you my friends!
Please share your reflections and prayers in the comment box below.
Please Partner With Me!
Help Me Share The Gospel and Make Disciples!
I could use your financial support for One Direction Community and my family to jump down into the pits and help lift up those on the margins God has placed in my path I refuse to walk around. Please commitment to partner and support myself and One Direction community through setting up a monthly donation or a one –time gift by clicking the link below. Donation checks can be made out to ODC, PO Box 1293 Madison, Al 35758. Thank You!!
GIVE TODAY, CLICK HERE
Let me help you!
One of my passions is helping churches or small groups understand and embrace their call to be disciples of Jesus in their community.. I offer and lead discipleship trainings in person and on-line. If you are interested I would love to talk to you bout it. Email me at garyl@onedirection.community.
Gary Liederbach- Lead Follower
One Direction Community
Email: garyl@onedirection.community
Website: https://www.onedirection.community
Facebook: One Direction Community-ODC
Good morning, Lord Jesus. Your name be lifted up, Your Spirit come fill me up, as You lead me in the way of life and truth today. ...
“Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we aree in. Jesus did this because he never lost sight of where He was headed--that exhilarating finish in and with God--He could put up with anything along the way: Cross, shame, whatever. And now he’s there, in the place of honor, right alongside God” (Hebrews 12:2 The Message).
As I begin another week Jesus, help me keep my eyes on You, Lord. Both by Your Word and by Your Spirit, help me keep my eyes on You. Concerning every Word of the Scriptures of the Bible, You said “it is They that testify on My behalf” (John 5:39). Concerning the coming of the Holy Spirit to lead us and guide us, You said, “He will glorify Me” (John 16:14).
With my eyes on You, I can “run with perseverance the race that is set before (me), looking to Jesus (for You are) the Pioneer and Perfecter of (my) faith” (Hebrews 12:1). Even through there are challenges every day, hurdles to overcome every step of the way, You give me grace to keep looking to You, to keep following You, even to keep becoming more like You (1 John 4:17). For that’s the very purpose of my race, that I would be conformed into the image of the Son of God (Romans 8:29). And You’re causing everything I go through and overcome on my race to work together for the good that ultimate goal (Romans 8:28).
Today, I don’t yet see everything in my world or in my soul as it will be one day at the end of my race, but I do believe the Promise and Truth of Your Word at work in me by Your Spirit:
“Beloved, we are God’s children now; what we will be has not yet been revealed. What we do know is this: when He is revealed, we will be like Him, for we will see Him as He is. And all who have this hope in Him purify themselves, just as He is pure” (1 John 3:2-3).
So by Your Word and by Your Spirit, I press on to run my race so as to win the prize every day (1 Corinthians 9:24). Embracing Your Word, being filled up and formed by Your Spirit to make me more like You every day is the course of my race; and becoming more like You is the prize. As Your Holy Spirit expressed through the heart and words of the Apostle Paul so powerfully:
My family, I pray as you begin a new week that you may be consumed by the Word and filled with the Spirit, running your race with your eyes on Jesus, allowing Him to make you more like Him each day, in Jesus' name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you my friends!!
Please share your reflections and prayers in the comment box below.
Please Partner With Me!
Help Me Share The Gospel and Make Disciples!
I could use your financial support for One Direction Community and my family to jump down into the pits and help lift up those on the margins God has placed in my path I refuse to walk around. Please commitment to partner and support myself and One Direction community through setting up a monthly donation or a one –time gift by clicking the link below. Donation checks can be made out to ODC, PO Box 1293 Madison, Al 35758. Thank You!!
GIVE TODAY, CLICK HERE
Let me help you!
One of my passions is helping churches or small groups understand and embrace their call to be disciples of Jesus in their community.. I offer and lead discipleship trainings in person and on-line. If you are interested I would love to talk to you bout it. Email me at garyl@onedirection.community.
Gary Liederbach- Lead Follower
One Direction Community
Email: garyl@onedirection.community
Website: https://www.onedirection.community
Facebook: One Direction Community-ODC
Jesus, I am in no hurry as I wait here in your presence and seek to hear your voice.
“Just as Jesus was getting out of the boat, a man with an unclean spirit came from the tombs and met him. He lived among the tombs, and no one could bind him anymore, not even with a chain. For his hands and feet had often been bound with chains and shackles, but he had torn the chains apart and broken the shackles in pieces. No one was strong enough to subdue him…..For Jesus had said to him, “Come out of that man, you unclean spirit!”…. people went out to see what had happened. They came to Jesus and saw the demon-possessed man sitting there, clothed and in his right mind….Jesus did not permit him to do so. Instead, he said to him, “Go to your home and to your people and tell them what the Lord has done for you, that he had mercy on you.” So he went away and began to proclaim in the Decapolis what Jesus had done for him, and all were amazed.” (Excerpts from the story found in Mark 5:1-20)
The verses above are part of the passages in Mark’s Gospel about a demon possessed man in chains . I read through the story of the demoniac again this morning and these last two verses in the story stood out to me. They tie in with and build upon my posts this week reflecting on serving with Kairos in prisons. The cause of Christ and are calling to bear witness to the world the truth of Jesus.
The man in the story was broken and controlled by, and identified by the evil inside of him. When he encountered Jesus, he was free of all that bound him, he was no longer recognized by those who knew him by his past, and given an amazing new life and future. Jesus then told him to tell his family and friends what He did for him.
When all of us encountered Jesus we were in some form of brokenness and bondage, and when we did Jesus set us free as well. In the same way as the demoniac in the story in Mark, we are called to share with others what Jesus has done for us. Paul tells us, “Be conscientious about how you live and what you teach. Persevere in this, because by doing so you will save both yourself and those who listen to you.” (1 Timothy 4:16) We all have a testimony to share. When we share it with someone wether we are in prison or our place of work, those listening to it always have one question they want to hear an answer to, “What difference does my relationship with Jesus make in my life?” They want to hear the tangible truth of who Jesus is to you and in you, how it affects the way to live today, and how that truth then can be applied to them.
When you came to Christ and were baptized the Holy Spirit fell upon you and you were filled with his presence and power. Your filling with the Holy Spirit has a purpose, a “Because” by God and that is, “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn; “ (Isaiah 61:1-2)
My family, I pray today you will share what Jesus has done for you in your home, and then to the people you encounter today. I pray over you Paul’s words, “Pray for me also, that I may be given the message when I begin to speak - that I may confidently make known the mystery of the gospel…Pray that I may be able to speak boldly as I ought to speak. “ (1 Corithians 6: 19-20) Please pray the same for me, God bless you my friends!!
Please share your reflections and prayers in the comment box below.
Please Partner With Me!
Help Me Share The Gospel and Make Disciples!
I could use your financial support for One Direction Community and my family to jump down into the pits and help lift up those on the margins God has placed in my path I refuse to walk around. Please commitment to partner and support myself and One Direction community through setting up a monthly donation or a one –time gift by clicking the link below. Donation checks can be made out to ODC, PO Box 1293 Madison, Al 35758. Thank You!!
Let me help you!
One of my passions is helping churches or small groups understand and embrace their call to be disciples of Jesus in their community.. I offer and lead discipleship trainings in person and on-line. If you are interested I would love to talk to you bout it. Email me at garyl@onedirection.community.
Gary Liederbach- Lead Follower
One Direction Community
Email: garyl@onedirection.community
Website: https://www.onedirection.community
Facebook: One Direction Community-ODC
On a Kairos weekend a team goes into a prison for four days to share the Gospel of the love and grace of Jesus with the inmates inside. Thursday evening, he first evening after all the inmates who will be participating have gathered and introductions are made, the weekend begins with a quiet time of reflection and meditation in the prison chapel. I have been asked a few times to give the first mediation of the weekend. The meditation hopes to begin to open the inmates up to self -examination and prepare them for the talks and discussions to come. The first meditation is titled “Knowing Yourself”. I have included the meditation here today as my post. Set aside some quiet time to meditate on how well you know yourself?
The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, “Follow me.” Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found him of whom Moses in the Law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.”
Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!” Nathanael said to him, “How do you know me?” Jesus answered him, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.” Nathanael answered him, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!” Jesus answered him, “Because I said to you, ‘I saw you under the fig tree,’ do you believe? You will see greater things than these.” And he said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.” (John 1:43-51)
I want you to think for a moment about what’s going on with Nathaniel in this story. As the story begins, we have Philip bringing Nathaniel to Jesus. At that point, Jesus has seen Nathaniel before, but Nathaniel had not yet seen Jesus.
Where had Jesus seen Nathaniel before? All we really know about that is that when Jesus saw him, Nathaniel was sitting under a fig tree, apparently by himself. I like to think he was meditating… getting to know himself.
That seems terribly unimportant, doesn’t it? But it was important enough for Jesus to have made a mental note of it. There was something about the fact that Nathaniel was just sitting quietly there by himself that got Jesus’ attention. We know from many occurrences in Jesus’ later life that he considered time alone to be very important.
When was the last time you tried to get off to yourself just to think?
Especially to think about yourself, take some time now and slowly, quietly meditate:
about who you are?
about how you feel?
about what’s important to you?
and about who is important to you?
think about what makes you happy?
and what makes you sad?
About what things make you feel good about yourself?
And what things make you feel bad?
About what you like?
And about what you don’t like?
In short, you need to think about who are you?
Do you know yourself?
How well do you know yourself?
Well, when Nathaniel was seen by Jesus, he was just sitting and perhaps thinking. And Jesus turned in to his thoughts and knew him.
And when Jesus greeted Nathaniel, Nathaniel knew that Jesus knew him. In that moment he thought of himself in a new way. Under the fig tree he had looked at his life from the inside. Now it was like he was seeing his life through the eyes of Jesus. It was like he was another person looking at his life from the outside.
Have you ever tried that: looking at your own life sort of from the outside? You should try it.
Try a game of imagination with me for just a little bit. Imagine that you are sitting quietly under a tree somewhere just thinking about your life. Now imagine that your mind can move somewhere outside of yourself and you stand off to the side looking down at yourself, at your own life.
There is no one else around. There is nothing there to distract you, so take your time. Take a good close look at yourself…at your life. What do you see? Whom do you see? What’s that person like when you look carefully? What mood can you read from the face… the eyes? Can you look into the heart? The soul? What do you see there?
When we are honest with ourselves, we may be surprised to find that we have many more good qualities than bad. When was the last time you have thought about your good qualities… the special gifts you have that no one else has?
We will also discover some qualities we wish we did not have. Yet, it is important that we be honest with ourselves and accept ourselves as we are, including our weakness. The first step toward overcoming our weaknesses is to admit that they exist.
It is very important that we know our condition if we hope to model our life after that of Jesus. This means being humble. The word humble comes from the Latin word humus, which means earth. To be humble is to be like the earth, open and receptive. The foundation upon which discipleship builds upon is honest self-knowledge which comes through humility and openness the Holy Spirit.
My family, I pray you will take time to now begin to know yourself. I pray you will continue to reflection this throughout your day, in Jesus’ name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you my friends!
Please share any reflections or insights you have gained from this meditation in the comments box below.
Please Partner With Me!
Help Me Share The Gospel and Make Disciples!
I could use your financial support for One Direction Community and my family to jump down into the pits and help lift up those on the margins God has placed in my path I refuse to walk around. Please commitment to partner and support myself and One Direction community through setting up a monthly donation or a one –time gift by clicking the link below. Donation checks can be made out to ODC, PO Box 1293 Madison, Al 35758. Thank You!!
TO GIVE CLICK HERE
Let me help you!
One of my passions is helping churches or small groups understand and embrace their call to be disciples of Jesus in their community.. I offer and lead discipleship trainings in person and on-line. If you are interested I would love to talk to you bout it. Email me at garyl@onedirection.community.
Gary Liederbach- Lead Follower
One Direction Community
Email: garyl@onedirection.community
Website:https://www.onedirection.community
Facebook: One Direction Community-ODC
“The one who offers thanksgiving as his sacrifice glorifies me;
to one who orders his way rightly
I will show the salvation of God!” Psalm 50:23
I have been spending much time praying and reflecting on the Kairos team I served on this past weekend. One thing serving inside a prison does is instills gratitude into your life. It make you remember how thankful you are for all the simple things we take for granted that we have living free in our daily life.
On this past weekend serving in Tutwiler women’s prison, we make and serve the inmates fruit trays as part of their meals. A women inmate picked up a strawberry and started crying as it had been years since she saw or tasted a strawberry. Another woman inmate when she saw the salad that was served with a meal asked my wife, “Is that Romain lettuce?” When my wife said yes, tears came to the woman’s eye as she told my wife ”I Love romain lettuce” and then filled her plate with it and cherished every bite wile eating it.
On a Kairos weekend, the inmates are served lunch and dinner. Woman back at our team location cook home-made dinners for the inmates and runners bring them into the prison. At St. Clair Prison, all the inmates have long sentences. Most 40 years or more, 70% have life without parole sentences and are never getting out. For these men, it has been years since they had a home cooked meal, and the ones they receive on this weekend will be the last ones of their life.
I remember one Kairos I served on inside St. Clair prison for men.. One of the team members I served with owned a McDonalds restaurant. He donated hundreds of quarter pounders with cheese for a lunch meal. I was sitting at a table with 6 inmates eating, and one of the inmates asked if he could have my quarter pounder. I said' "Sure, I can stop on the way home and get one if I want, you can’t." As I slid the burger across the table to the inmate he said “Thank You.” I told him, “Your welcome.” He said, “No really, I mean thank you. You see I have a life without parole sentence and it has been 23 years since I last had anything from McDonald’s, and this burger you gave me will be the last one I eat before I die.”
We bring in metal folding chairs for the inmates to sit on. Folding metal chairs are far from a “luxury” item to you and II that we are thankful to have, and actually we usually hate sitting in them for an extended time period. However, to the inmates they are something special. At St. Clair, none of the places they sit have a back on them. The cafeteria and common areas where guys watch TV have tables with those built-in round seats with no backs. Out in the yard and other areas of the prison are picnic tables and benches. Except for the one or two times a year they get called into a prison administrators office, for the inmates this weekend will be the first time, and possibly last time they sit for an extended time in a chair with a back on it. They say it makes them feel like men.
There are so many things we receive a during every minute of every day we eat, use, wear, own, and experience in our day to day life we do so thanklessly and without gratitude. I am sure everyone of these men or women in prison did so as well. Until these things were taken away from them. The ability for me to sit here in my recliner and write this blog post, and you read it wherever you are sitting now, and to communicate on a cell phone is one I do daily without thinking about it. Cell phones are not allowed in prison.
Read Psalm 50:23, 60:30, 95:2; 1 Cor. 1:4; 2 Cor. 2:10-12; Philippians 4:6 Then take time to reflect to on all the things you have to be thankful for today.
My family, I pray as you go through the day today as you eat, wear, use, experience everything that is available to you, after reading this post, you will do it with a greater appreciation and a heart of thanksgiving and gratitude, in Jesus’ name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you my friends!
Post any reflection, questions, words of thanksgiving in the comments section below.
Please Partner With Me!
Help Me Share The Gospel and Make Disciples!
I could use your financial support for One Direction Community and my family to jump down into the pits and help lift up those on the margins God has placed in my path I refuse to walk around. Please commitment to partner and support myself and One Direction community through setting up a monthly donation or a one –time gift by clicking the link below. Donation checks can be made out to ODC, PO Box 1293 Madison, Al 35758. Thank You!!
TO GIVE CLICK HERE
Let me help you!
One of my passions is helping churches or small groups understand and embrace their call to be disciples of Jesus in their community.. I offer and lead discipleship trainings in person and on-line. If you are interested I would love to talk to you bout it. Email me at garyl@onedirection.community.
Gary Liederbach- Lead Follower
One Direction Community
Email: garyl@onedirection.community
Website:https://www.onedirection.community
Facebook: One Direction Community-ODC
Lord God, I thank you for your love, grace and mercy.
“yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we live, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we live.” (1 Corinthians 8:6)
I have been blessed to serve on many Kairos weekends of going into prisons for four days like the one I served on last week. During this time we spend in the prison it includes sharing meals, our life stories, listening to those of the inmates, sharing our love for them and sharing the love of Jesus. All the men or women in the prison are suffering the consequences of bad decisions they made in their life.
In the sharing with the inmates, one theme is always the most prevalent in the inmates stories; love, or the lack of love. Almost all of the men or women, with hardened hearts who have built up walls of strength around them as required to survive in prison, end up with tears running down their face said they had never experienced love like this shown to them during the weekend before in their life. Or they said they had forgotten for a long time ago what real love felt like. They also said they wish they had a person show them this kind of love when they were growing up, a mentor, someone to look up to who showed them love and taught them how to model love and Christian values. They probably would not be in prison now if they did.
Unfortunately, there are many children, young men and women, single mom’s, children of single parents, single men in our communities that have not experienced love or have a mentor in their life. You could be that person that “if only someone had shown me love and taught me how to love” that changes the direction of a person’s life. We may not all be called to write letters like Paul, launch a church planting network or lead a church congregations, however we are all called and capable to open our hearts, our homes, and invest margins of time to love and mentor one or two men or women who need role models. The only way we will stop having to spend weekends going into prisons to reach men in women imprisoned there and share with them love and the Gospel of grace in Jesus Christ, is to start spending time on weekends to reach men or women in our community and make time to embrace them, mentor them, and share the Gospel with them, and change the direction of their lives.
My family, I pray for the Holy Spirit to lead you to the one or more persons you can simply love, share life, mentor and intentionally invest time in their life, in Jesus name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you my friends!
I would love for you to share your reflections and prayers with us on this blog in the comment box below.
Please Partner With Me!
Help Me Share The Gospel and Make Disciples!
I could use your financial support for One Direction Community and my family to jump down into the pits and help lift up those on the margins God has placed in my path I refuse to walk around. Please commitment to partner and support myself and One Direction community through setting up a monthly donation or a one –time gift by clicking the link below. Donation checks can be made out to ODC, PO Box 1293 Madison, Al 35758. Thank You!!
Let me help you!
One of my passions is helping churches or small groups understand and embrace their call to be disciples of Jesus in their community.. I offer and lead discipleship trainings in person and on-line. If you are interested I would love to talk to you bout it. Email me at garyl@onedirection.community.
Gary Liederbach- Lead Follower
One Direction Community
Email: garyl@onedirection.community
Website:https://www.onedirection.community
Facebook: One Direction Community-ODC
Good Monday morning!
My wife Nancy and I got back into Madison last night from our time of serving the past four days on the Kairos Prison Ministry team going inside of Tutwiler women’s prison to share the Gospel of the love, grace, and forgiveness found in Jesus Christ. For those four days the 30 women who attended were greeted each day with a welcoming smile of love and respect. They sat at 6 tables with 6 inmates and three team members at each table. They listened to talks and testimonies shared by the team and then at their tables shared their thoughts and personal connections and reflections on these talks. They were led to the prison chapel for times of prayer and meditations. They were led through forgiveness meditations where they were guided through how to forgive those who have inflicted pain and abuse into their lives, and as important, forgive themselves for the bad choices they had made, and receive the freedom and peace that passes all understanding only attainable in Jesus Christ.
The women were given an opportunity to share things and release things in their life that had scared and crippled them emotionally and physically. And for many, they were given a gift that most had not received in a long time if ever, the gift of simply being listened to without judgement, shame or fear of being humiliated or labeled. And this atmosphere led to a place both the listener and speaker entered into their deep brokenness, and through tears, hugs and prayers, release and restoration was made possible.
One women at my wife’s table shared she was caught in an abusive relationship with a man for 17 years. Both her and her children went through the hell of being physically and mentally abused that ended when the man committed suicide and she was placed in prison. The women was so broken she did not trust anyone and hardly talked at all the four days. Yesterday, on the last day of the weekend in a conversation the woman said to my wife in a soft voice, “I think I can trust Him, I think I can trust Jesus.” It was moments like this that made the getting the long days of getting up at 5:30am and getting back to rooms at 10:00pm more than worth it.
Listening = loving. So who do you have in your life to listen to you where you can honestly share the hurts, brokenness, fears, and challenges of your daily life? And who are you giving the gift of simply listening in love and allow them to share? We all need a safe small group of Christian men or women depending on your gender, where in holy confidentiality, honest sharing, encouragement, accountability, and prayer we can receive healing and encouragement on our daily walk with Jesus. No one is self-sufficient. Christianity is not a solo journey. Jesus modeled this for us in his small group of men he journeyed with.
My family, I pray this morning as you sit here and read this, the Holy Spirit will compel and convict you of your essential need to form a Band group, a small band of a few men or women to share, support and encourage each other in their daily walk with Christ. I pray the Holy Spirit will bring the names of those few people into your mind, and give you the courage to call them. Most will be honored that you thought of them to call. So by the end of this week a date and time for your first meeting will be set, in Jesus name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you my friends!
Please share your reflections on this blog post in the comments box below!
Below is an outline you can use for you small group to follow.
Begin with all praying together:
Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of Your faithful and kindle in us the fire of Your love. Send forth Your Spirit and we shall be created, and You shall renew the face of the earth. O God, who by the light of the Holy Spirit did instruct the hearts of the faithful, grant that by the same Holy Spirit we may be truly wise and ever enjoy His consolations; through Jesus Christ our Lord. AMEN
Those in the group then take turns answering these questions.
PIETY:
1.Overall, How is it with your soul?
2. Share one spiritual aid with which you have nourished your vital union with Christ and share how it nourished this union.
A. Personal Prayer B. Meditation
C. Song or music D. Spiritual Direction
E. Family Prayer G. Prayer Group or Church Gathering
G. Retreat or Quiet Day H. Other
3. Share one moment in which you felt closest to Christ, and why.
4. Share one moment in which you felt distant to Christ, and why.
STUDY:
5. Share one thing you have done to increase your understanding of your relationship with God and His Creation. What have you learned?
A. Scripture Readings B. Devotional, Theological, Christian living or other books
F. Group Study H. Other
ACTION:
6. In your attempt to witness or serve the Lord, what apostolic success did the Lord want you to accomplish through you this week?
* in your family * in your neighborhood * in your environment
7. With what failure/challenge did the Lord want to test you this week?
* in your family * in your neighborhood * in your environment
8. What unexpected opportunity to witness has the Lord offered you?
9. How was your plans for last week fulfilled? Plans for this week.
CLOSING PRAYER after all have answered questions and shared:
We give you thanks, almighty God, for all the benefits you have given us. You who live and reign forever and ever. AMEN
Please Partner With Me!
Help Me Share The Gospel and Make Disciples!
I could use your financial support for One Direction Community and my family to jump down into the pits and help lift up those on the margins God has placed in my path I refuse to walk around. Please commitment to partner and support myself and One Direction community through setting up a monthly donation or a one –time gift by clicking the link below. Donation checks can be made out to ODC, PO Box 1293 Madison, Al 35758. Thank You!!
CLICK HERE TO GIVE
Let me help you!
One of my passions is helping churches or small groups understand and embrace their call to be disciples of Jesus in their community.. I offer and lead discipleship trainings in person and on-line. If you are interested I would love to talk to you bout it. Email me at garyl@onedirection.community.
Gary Liederbach- Lead Follower
One Direction Community
Email: garyl@onedirection.community
Website:https://www.onedirection.community
Facebook: One Direction Community-ODC
Thank You!
Good morning Lord Jesus, I begin my day in prayer to allow you to raise me up on wings like an eagle so I can soar with you throughout my coming day…
“Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.” (Matthew 25:34-36)
Years ago I was serving on a Kairos prison ministry team sitting at a table inside St. Clair prison talking with an inmate. The inmate shared with me this story. He and a friend were smoking crack in the living room of his small house. His 5 year old son was sleeping in the back bedroom. They ran out of crack and beer, so he and his friend left to go get more. While they were gone, his son got up and went into the living room. He found the small lighter/torch they were using to smoke the crack. His son started fires in the house, and then got scared and ran into his room and hid under the covers of his bed. The inmate and his friend returned an hour or so later and the house was consumed with flames. As he pulled in he ran to the house and heard his son coughing and calling out “Daddy! Daddy help me!” As he ran around the house trying to get in, the roof fell in from the fire and his son was killed, For the 6 years he had been in prison he had been living in his own hell. He could not get the sound of his son calling out “ Daddy, Daddy help me!” from echoing in his head. He could not forgive himself, turned to using drugs to quiet his son’s voice and engaged in destructive behaviors,
The inmate had just listened to another team member give a talk on forgiveness. With tears in his eyes he said there is no way God could forgive me for what I have done. In that one on one conversation with him, I was able being led by the Holy Spirit to share with him the gospel of grace and forgiveness of Jesus Christ available to him. With hugs and tears from both of us, he embraced the Gospel, and finally received the forgiveness for his actions. That night for the first time since the fire he slept through the night, and a couple weeks later he was baptized, enrolled and went through the drug treatment program in the prison, and became freer in prison than he has ever been.
Tomorrow my wife Nancy and I will leave early in the morning to drive down to Tutwiler prison and serve an the Kairos team going into the prison for Thursday -Sunday. Tutwiler is a women’s prison, so my wife will be going into the prison with the inside team those 4 days sharing the Gospel of Grace and forgiveness of Jesus Christ with women incarcerated in the prison. I will be serving on the outside team, cooking 120+ meals for breakfast, lunch and dinner for the inmates, team and correction officers attending the weekend, and praying over the inmates and team.
Nancy and I are going into an actual prison, however there are people all around you; co-workers, classmates, neighbors, the person next to you in line at a store, who are suffering in “prisons” of addictions, abuse, depression, unforgiveness, financial struggles, that need to hear the Gospel of grace and forgiveness in Jesus Christ that you can share with them and speak over them.
Because of serving on the Kairos team I will not be able to post a reflection tomorrow and Friday mornings. I ask you to pray for team going into the prison, and especially for the women inmates that they hear and receive the Gospel that will be shared with them.
My family, I pray you may hear and receive these word from the prophet Isaiah:
“The spirit of the sovereign LORD is upon me,
because the LORD has chosen me.
He has commissioned me to encourage the poor,
to help the brokenhearted,
to decree the release of captives,
and the freeing of prisoners,” (Isaiah 61:1)
And then walk out your door and share the Gospel of the grace, forgiveness and love of Jesus Christ with those you encounter today, in Jesus’ name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you my friends!
Please share your reflections and prayers with us on this blog in the comment box below.
Please Partner With Me!
Help Me Share The Gospel and Make Disciples!
I could use your financial support for One Direction Community and my family to jump down into the pits and help lift up those on the margins God has placed in my path I refuse to walk around. Please commitment to partner and support myself and One Direction community through setting up a monthly donation or a one –time gift by clicking the link below. Donation checks can be made out to ODC, PO Box 1293 Madison, Al 35758. Thank You!!
CLICK HERE TO GIVE
Let me help you!
One of my passions is helping churches or small groups understand and embrace their call to be disciples of Jesus in their community.. I offer and lead discipleship trainings in person and on-line. If you are interested I would love to talk to you bout it. Email me at garyl@onedirection.community.
Gary Liederbach- Lead Follower
One Direction Community
Email: garyl@onedirection.community
Website:https://www.onedirection.community
Facebook: One Direction Community-ODC
Thank You!
Good morning, Lord Jesus. Help me begin this day embraced by my Father, centered in Christ, and filled with the Holy Spirit. ...
“Fan into the flame the Gift of God, which is in you” (2 Timothy 1:6).
Holy Spirit, You are the Gift of God, which is in me. You’re the very Presence of the Living God, here within me and within every son and daughter of God who’s opened their heart to let You in.
“Or do (we) not know that (our) body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within (us), whom (we) have from God?” (1 Corinthians 6:19) “(We) are not in the flesh; (we) are in the Spirit, since the Spirit of God dwells in (us)” (Romans 8:9).
Be fanned into flame, Holy Spirit of God. Burn in my heart, as I carry the Fire of Your Presence with me everywhere I go. Let the Life of Your Spirit bring the Life of God to all who’d touch with Your Flame through me. Give me a deeper understanding and greater revelation of all that it means to carry Your Presence and give away the Gift of God that’s in my heart. As The Message version expresses this revelation of Truth:
“If God Himself has taken up residence in (my) life, (I) can hardly be thinking more of (myself) than of Him. Anyone, of course, who has not welcomed this invisible but clearly present God, the Spirit of Christ, won’t know what we’re talking about. But for (us) who welcome Him, in whom He dwells--even though (we) still experience all the limitations of sin--(we ourselves) experience life on God’s terms. It stands to reason, doesn’t it, that if the alive-and-present God who raised Jesus from the dead moves into (my) life, He’ll do the same thing in (me) that He did in Jesus, bringing (me) alive to Himself? When God lives and breathes in (me)--and He does, as surely as He did in Jesus--(I am) delivered from that dead life. With His Spirit living in (me), (my) body will be as alive as Christ’s! (Romans 8:9-11 The Message)
Flame of God, residing and abiding in me, let me be fanned into flame, set ablaze, to burn for You today. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.
My family, I pray there may be an awakening of this desperate hunger for the heart of God in you right where you are and then everywhere God sends you, in Jesus' name. Please pray there same for me. God bless you my friends!
Please share your reflections and prayers with us on this blog in the comment box below.
Please Partner With Me!
Help Me Share The Gospel and Make Disciples!
I could use your financial support for One Direction Community and my family to jump down into the pits and help lift up those on the margins God has placed in my path I refuse to walk around. Please commitment to partner and support myself and One Direction community through setting up a monthly donation or a one –time gift by clicking the link below. Donation checks can be made out to ODC, PO Box 1293 Madison, Al 35758. Thank You!!
CLICK HERE TO GIVE
Let me help you!
One of my passions is helping churches or small groups understand and embrace their call to be disciples of Jesus in their community.. I offer and lead discipleship trainings in person and on-line. If you are interested I would love to talk to you bout it. Email me at garyl@onedirection.community.
Gary Liederbach- Lead Follower
One Direction Community
Email: garyl@onedirection.community
Website:https://www.onedirection.community
Facebook: One Direction Community-ODC
Thank You!
Good morning, Lord Jesus. Be at the heart of my heart and in the middle of every moment of my day. ..
Thursday I dropped off a waffle Hose waitress to attend a walk to Emmaus weekend with other women pressing into Jesus in desperate spiritual hunger for a deeper encounter of the Presence of God. Yesterday, I attended the Emmaus closing ceremony and listened to the women who attended share their amazing testimonies of the life-changing love of God they encountered over the past 4 days. It reminded of the woman “with the issue of blood” (Luke 8:43). She was desperate for an encounter with Jesus and she let nothing get in her way:
“Now a woman was there who had been suffering from a hemorrhage for twelve years but could not be healed by anyone. She came up behind Jesus and touched the edge of his cloak, and at once the bleeding stopped…
“And Jesus said, ‘Who touched Me?’ ’….When the woman saw that she could not escape notice, she came trembling and fell down before him. In the presence of all the people, she explained why she had touched him and how she had been immediately healed. Then he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace.”
There’s so much to see in this story, so much to embrace in our own story of pursuing Jesus. But the main thing I seeing this morning is her desperate determination of persistent, persevering faith.
She wasn’t just sick and wanted to be well. She had had her “issue of blood” for twelve long years. And under the Law, her condition made her “unclean” -- which meant unwelcome, unseen, unworthy, unable to be in the presence of other people and participate in a normal life (see Leviticus 15:25-27). She could have been severely punished for coming out in public to come after You. So her faith was full of risk. She was risking everything in her desperate determination, in her persistent, persevering faith.
She was taking hold of You with passionate faith -- fastening herself to You, adhering to You, clinging to You. You stopped everything. You turned to her and gave her Your full attention, just as she was giving You her full attention in her passionate, persistent, persevering faith.
The power of God in You responded to the passionate faith in her.
She trembled in fear, maybe in fear of what might happen to her now that she was exposed as someone who was not satisfied to sit back or keep hidden away or holding back. But You saw her and spoke to her. You honored her for her faith and her persistence before everyone.
Your perfect love cast out her fear and healed her body, as well as her heart and soul from her twelve long years of pain and shame and poverty and everything else that she endured until that moment of her encounter with You. She was made well. She could now go in peace, filled with fresh joy and good cheer.
Lord, give us that kind of passion to pursue You -- not even just seeking a “touch” from the Lord, but pressing in, taking hold, risking everything for an encounter with You in a desperate determination to settle for nothing less. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.
My family, I pray as you begin a new week you may be filled up and stirred up with a desperate determination for an encounter with Jesus--reaching out to Him in passionate, persistent faith, taking hold of Him, clinging to Him, settling for nothing less than Him, in Jesus' name Please pray the same for me. God bless you my friends!
Please share your reflections and prayers with us on this blog in the comment box below.
Please Partner With Me!
Help Me Share The Gospel and Make Disciples!
I could use your financial support for One Direction Community and my family to jump down into the pits and help lift up those on the margins God has placed in my path I refuse to walk around. Please commitment to partner and support myself and One Direction community through setting up a monthly donation or a one –time gift by clicking the link below. Donation checks can be made out to ODC, PO Box 1293 Madison, Al 35758. Thank You!!
CLICK HERE TO GIVE
Let me help you!
One of my passions is helping churches or small groups understand and embrace their call to be disciples of Jesus in their community.. I offer and lead discipleship trainings in person and on-line. If you are interested I would love to talk to you bout it. Email me at garyl@onedirection.community.
Gary Liederbach- Lead Follower
One Direction Community
Email: garyl@onedirection.community
Website:https://www.onedirection.community
Facebook: One Direction Community-ODC
Thank You!
