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Dearly Beloved,

I just received some surprising and bad news. But God's story has changed my story forever. How about you? 

Last Sunday we launched our new series in the book of Galatians. If you missed it, I'd encourage you to catch up here. 

Toward the end of the message I shared four quick observations from Galatians 1.15-16 that speak to your life: 

  1. You are set apart by God.
  2. You are called by grace.
  3. God is thrilled to reveal Jesus to you. 
  4. So that you can talk about Jesus with people who don't know Him yet. 

I want to expand on that last one a little more. 

It's normal for many Christians to wonder "how?" 

How do I talk with people about Jesus? What if I don't have all the answers or my theology isn't figured out yet? 

We can look to Paul's example for inspiration. Right in Galatians 1, verses 13-24, Paul tells his story. How can you and I grow in sharing Jesus with people who don't know Him yet? Tell your story! Or, tell parts of your story. Consider the example of the woman at the well in John 4. She didn't have theology figured out completely, but what she did do was tell her story to people in town. They became curious and went to Jesus to discover more for themselves. What is a part of your story you could share with a friend who doesn't know Jesus yet? 

A great way to begin thinking about this is to ask yourself: How has God's story changed my story?

Why don't you take a moment right now to consider this. I'd encourage you to jot down 2-3 things that have changed in your life because of Jesus. Why not do it right now? 

The first part of the question is worthy of considering too. If you're wondering, "Well, what IS God's story, exactly?" then I'd encourage you to think about "The Story of God and the 5 Trees." If you'd like to review this again or if this sounds new to you, then learn more about the 5 Trees here! 

Here's a quick recap of the 5 Trees and how they point to good news:

  1. Life. It is good news that life and people are not accidental. Life has meaning, and everyone has purpose and value! 
  2. Freedom. It is good news that God has given you the freedom to make your own choices. Freedom makes meaningful relationships and real love possible. 
  3. Faithfulness. It is good news that in spite of our many failures and the chaos in our world, God is faithful. God promises that he won't leave you or forsake you. God loves you. 
  4. Forgiveness. It is good news that God addresses the worst that you've done and that the world has done with forgiveness. Divine forgiveness is a human need, and accepting it reconnects a relationship with God.  
  5. Renewal. It is good news that God will renew all things. The resurrection of Jesus means that hurts and chaos cannot last forever, and there is hope for every person and every circumstance. 

So, as I mentioned earlier. I received some surprising and bad news. Those kinds of moments can feel unsettling to anyone, can't they? While the news has stirred some feelings for me and made me curious about what the solution will be, I have to remember that because of the Story of God, this is not ultimate or final. God's story reminds me that no matter what happens, God will be faithful. He promises it, and the Bible sure backs it up with story after story of God's unending faithfulness. I couldn't have peace and hope in this moment if it weren't for God's story! 

This is one quick way God's story has changed my story. I could go on and on about other ways His story has and continues to change my story.

How about you? 

See you Sunday!

Pastor Mike 

Ps - don't worry the surprising and bad news I received is not of a level that means anyone should be concerned! It was just something that suddenly didn't work out as planned, and it feels bad because the amount of time left to figure out a solution is short, and the planning is complex. It was simply bad news that was surprising, but solutions are ahead. We're good! And, no matter what, God IS faithful. Now, that's good news!