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Wednesday, March 25, 2020
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On having faith in the midst of fear
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WEEKLY FRAMEWORK:
Perhaps one of the most famous signs Jesus performed was feeding 5,000+ people with five loaves of bread and two fish. Those that followed Jesus thought he was finally getting to the point of what he could do for them. They were more enamored with the signs than with what the signs were pointing to.
Wednesday's Devotional
It's ok to admit that we're human. We're not perfect. We tend to focus on ourselves and what's most beneficial to us in the short-term.
Sometimes our prayers center around what
we
want to see in the world, or what
we
believe would be best for us in any particular situation.
As a result, sometimes we ask for one thing and get an answer that we weren't looking for.
The question Jesus is posed with by the crowd in today's passage is never actually answered. Jesus isn't skirting around the answer, but he realizes the answer to the question being asked both has no bearing on the situation and isn't even the question that the crowd really wants to ask him.
The crowd is curious about how Jesus had evaded them. They knew there had only been one boat on the shoreline, but that Jesus' disciples had taken that boat; and he hadn't been with them. How did he get to the other side of the lake?
Jesus recognizes that they're interested in the mystery, sure, but also that they're leading up to asking for him to do
more
for them.
That hits home, doesn't it? We, too, are interested in the mystery of Jesus
but are also not hesitant to focus our prayers around our needs and desires; and sometimes we're minimal in asking for
God's
will and desire. (Ever notice how when Jesus teaches us how to pray, it starts with acknowledging who God is and asking for God's will before we make note of our needs?)
Let's care for our needs, but let's pray bold prayers. Let's pray boldly; because we have a testament to what Jesus has done: healed the sick, brought sight to the blind, fed the multitudes, and, yes, even raised the dead.
For Reflection:
How do you think the disciples and the crowd may have felt being called out by Jesus? Does this surprise you that Jesus would say something like that? What does Jesus' statement mean for you in your walk with Him?
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Previously shared study resources:
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We intentionally aren't giving a particular prayer today, because we want to encourage you to pray a
BOLD
prayer in your own words!
A note on prayers: to respect confidentiality, we will not be sharing specific prayer requests via email; however our prayer team is still actively praying for every request that they receive. If you have a prayer request, send it to the prayer team at prayer@asburylv.org.
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Lehigh Valley Health Network is seeking volunteers to sew face masks for their team to wear, wash, and reuse. Visit
their website
for instructions. We will have volunteers pick up the face masks from your doorstep and deliver them to LVHN. Need fabric or supplies? Don't let that hold you back if you're not able to pick them up yourself - if you place an order, our volunteers can pick them up and deliver them to you. Willing to help? Let us know by
emailing Pastor Barbara
.
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Grab a piece of foil from the kitchen. Crumple it into a ball and then spread it back out on the counter. Can you make it look as shiny and smooth as it did before? Nope! This is kind of how our lives look when we mess up. Remember, everyone messes up. It's not just you. We all look like that crumpled up piece of foil.
God knows that no matter how hard we might try, we can never fix all those mess-ups on our
own.
But God LOVES us deeply
. He is full of mercy. God sent Jesus so that our sins, our mess-ups, could be forgiven. His grace, which we cannot earn and do not deserve, has
saved us. That's how BIG God's love is for you and for me.
Grab a ball point pen and draw a large heart in the center of your piece of foil. Use to pen to create a cool design inside the heart, creating ridges in the foil. Color in your design with permanent markers. Hang your heart in a place where you'll see it each day.
Tell God thank you for loving you so much that He sent His only Son so that everyone can be forgiven.
Missed this week's video lessons shared on Sunday for the week of 3/22?
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From Brendon Homan, Youth with a Mission (YWAM), South Africa
Things are going forward in [South Africa], but we did find out last night that the whole country will be going into a 21-day lockdown from midnight Thursday as our president has declared a state of emergency.
Please pray for us that our country doesn't go into a state of panic and also that the virus doesn't reach the townships as there are many people with HIV and TB and this would have dire consequences of it did.
Further we started an online prayer movement to push back and we're hoping that many people will join in this as we believe this is the exact time Christians shouldn't be going into hiding. Here's the link if you'd want to give it a look.
https://mvmnt.co.za/
Thank you for checking in on is and I also would like to know how we can pray for you in the States?
God bless you all, Brendon
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We realize that your personal financial landscape may have drastically changed in these few short weeks; but if you are able to continue to financially support the ministries of Asbury, please prayerfully consider doing so.
We strongly encourage you to give online through PushPay, our online giving portal, at asburylv.org/give, but you can also mail a check in to the church office.
Your contributions will continue to help support the worship and ministries of Asbury. Additionally, we are retaining our commitment to compensating our staff at this time.
Thank you for your continued support!
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Asbury's building is closed through (and including) Sunday, April 5. Read more at
asburylv.org/200324update. The building has been deep cleaned and we are asking that no one enter the building until it reopens.
All updates regarding Asbury's response to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) will also be shared at that page; as well as via email blast and on our social media feeds (
Facebook and
Twitter).
Please know that during the time that the office is closed, all calls to Asbury are being received by our answering service, as there is no one available in the office to take your call. Any messages you leave with the answering service are forwarded to us and we will relay your message to the appropriate staff member to respond to you as soon as possible.
Cancelled/Postponed Events
Include, but not limited to:
Children's Ministries' Easter Celebration (postponed)
Jubilation Ringers Spring Concerts (cancelled)
April Blood Drive (cancelled)
Alcoholics Anonymous Meetings
Men's Group Tour to Mack Museum
Reschedule dates (if applicable) will be communicated when available.
No physical meetings are being held at Asbury or off-site; but please check with your group/Circle leader to see if there are plans for your group to connect online.
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