CreatingCommunity is an email devotion to guide your preparation for worship next weekend. Imagine how much more clear and relevant God's Word will be if you have had an opportunity read, reflect, and dwell in the Word prior to worship. You may do this devotion alone, with others, as a family, or over Zoom as a small group.

This devotion is to be done in preparation for this coming weekend's worship.

Please follow these three steps:

1. Read through the text
2. Respond to the questions (select one of the sets of questions)
3. Offer a Prayer
John 1:43-51
43The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, “Follow me.” 44Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. 45Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found him about whom Moses in the law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus son of Joseph from Nazareth.” 46Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.” 47When Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him, he said of him, “Here is truly an Israelite in whom there is no deceit!” 48Nathanael asked him, “Where did you get to know me?” Jesus answered, “I saw you under the fig tree before Philip called you.” 49Nathanael replied, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!” 50Jesus answered, “Do you believe because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than these.” 51And he said to him, “Very truly, I tell you, you will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.”
No Experience Necessary Questions:
  1. What scares, confuses, or challenges me in this text?
  2. What delights me in this text?
  3. What stories or memories does this text stir in me?
  4. What is God up to in this text?
Family Questions (for the entire family):
  1. When you were baptized God called you to serve him as a disciple. How are doing? What do you do that shows you are following Jesus?
  2. Sometimes people think God acts only in big ways, with important people, far away from our ordinary lives. What are some small, common, close to you ways you have seen God at work in your life and family? Make a list.
  3. Philip and Nathan are friends. What friends do you have that you could tell about Jesus? What would you say?
Advance Questions:
  1. The first thing Jesus does after he is baptized is to call disciples. These stories are referred to literarily as "call narratives" and often follow a similar format so as to be easily identifiable. How would you describe the call of Philip and Nathan?
  2. What about your call? When did you first hear, or feel, or sense a call to follow Jesus? Did the Divine call cut through all the church-speak and religious noise to rouse you from your slumber? Were there more seasoned saints along the way to guide you and help clarify the voices you heard?
  3. What is your favorite thing about the life we share at Prince of Peace? Are would you be willing to invite someone you know to come and see and share this aspect of our congregational life that you enjoy?
Click here to listen and SING ALONG with this week's CreatingCommunity song,
"(Lord, Prepare Me To Be A) Sanctuary [with lyrics] - Daywind Studio Musicians".

Say a Prayer of your own or offer this one.
We are surrounded, O God, with people who need to hear the story, people who need to meet the one from Nazareth, Jesus our Lord. Make our places of worship places of hospitality and welcome. Make our words and actions, words and actions of invitation. Like Philip, let us say, "Come and see." Amen.
Pastor Lutz would love to hear your responses, questions, thoughts about your experience with CreatingCommunity. You can reach him at poppastorpaul@sbcglobal.net