This past weekend at the Mission ConneXion conference Lori and I had a great time of making new connections and meeting some old friends we haven’t seen in many years. I would say that this conference helped us to not only see what the Lord is doing in our lives, but what he is doing in and through the lives and ministries of so many different people.
We visited many of the 75+ ministry booths as well as participated in several workshops that were available. I think one that really excited both Lori and myself is the workshop on sharing the Bible messages and passages in the form of a story. Rather than simply reading Bible passages, teaching them in the form of a story, which not only impacts the hearer, but gives them a way to share it with others as well. Many of the cultures around the world can not read, so in keeping with their oral tradition, storytelling is vital to sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ.
The final evening we were blessed by a message from Bob Goff. If you do not know who that is, I encourage you to get a copy of his book ‘Love Does‘ and read it. I listened to the audio book from my library a few years back and it truly inspired me to take my faith and put it into action. Not just going and doing for others, but how I relate to people in every aspect of my life. We are created to love people and the message he shares will impact your heart. He made a comment that resonated with me to the point of conviction. “The people you hang out with show you how much you love Jesus.” If you are just hanging out with your Christian friends, what good is that, even Jesus shared his life with the least of these. And one thing he shared about spending time with the “unlovely” people is that you might get a little bit of them on ya! But that’s ok… it will wash off.
All in all it was a great weekend to hear the Word, fellowship with many like minded believers, and trust that the Lord is doing a great thing in and through so many different ministries here in the US and around the world.
One quote that was shared several times throughout the conference in many different forms was this, “You are either a goer, a sender, or disobedient.” The point being that missions is the great command, not something set aside for a select few. It is what God calls each of us to every day, even in our own community. So, whether you are one who hits the field and goes out for the sake of the Gospel, or you stay home and pray and financially support, we all have some part to play in getting the Good News to the men women and children who need to hear it. It caused me to realize how much time and money I spend to make myself comfortable living the American Dream…
God is good and has a way of equipping your heart and mind and preparing you for whatever He calls you to. Lori and I are definitely in a time of refining and shaping. We are clay in His hands and we are so thankful as we watch him mold us and shape us more and more into the image of His Son.
Have a blessed day,
Keith