The Missional Life Looks Like Jesus
Part 1: Snapshots Along the Way--My Life and the People In It
All year long, I knew I’d be preaching the message at my local church on New Year’s Eve, bringing our year-long “Outreach” emphasis to a close while also welcoming in the new year. What I didn’t know earlier in the year was that this would be my final message at the church we’ve called home over the past couple of years.
So, when it came time to begin preparing for this message, I had difficulty clarifying my thoughts and narrowing down the swirling tornado of ideas in my heart and head.
Do I focus on closing out the year of outreach?
Do I focus on bringing closure to 2023?
Do I focus on ushering in the new year?
Do I share a message of personal testimony and thanks?
What was God laying on my heart?
I sketched out several different outlines and even began fleshing out a couple of them. But nothing “clicked,” as I had a nagging feeling like there was something else that the Spirit was prompting me to share.
The picture was unclear, but it involved telling parts of my story, the story of God’s work in my life, and encouraging others to tell their story, too.
With the busyness of Christmas Day passed, the image of snapshots came into focus. So I searched through some photos and newspaper clippings and thought about some of the critical moments in my life and those people who helped me come to where I am now. I reflected on some Scripture and then thought about it in the context of the past year, the year to come, and living a missional life in the present.
I have been blessed and encouraged as I’ve spent some time preparing for this message. As always, the Lord works in me every time I take on the task of preparing to share. This message is probably more personal than any I’ve ever preached, but my hope and prayer was that those who listened would see their life reflected in mine.
Here’s the message in video form. Over the next few weeks, I’ll spend some time going deeper into some of the stories I told in this message, providing some additional context, details, and how the Lord worked in me through these times.
[Sermon begins at 19:25]