Wednesday; October 4

One of my favorite lessons from Jesus is called the Parable Of The Mustard Seed.  In this story Jesus teaches, “What is the kingdom of God like, and to what shall I compare it?  It is like a mustard seed, which a man took and threw into his own garden; and it grew and became a tree, and the birds of the air nested in its branches.” (Luke 13:18-19)  There are several great lessons that can be garnered from this teaching, but one that appeals to me is how the church can provide support.  No, as Christians, we may not be the biggest influences in the world, but we can help those around us.  It is easy to get down about how insignificant we feel, but if we are willing we have the ability to make a difference. 
Does the world know that our church exists?  If not, why not?  Is the problem that they aren’t looking for us or is it that we aren’t doing anything noteworthy?  Also, when our community looks to us do they see a place of support and refuge or one that is accusatory and critical.  People will only welcome us when we come across as being welcoming.  There are a lot of larger influences in our neighborhood, but we should stand out because we care about people.
How much of a difference can we make to the people around us?  How much of a difference are we interested in making to the people around us?
Think About It!

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