SUM 11: Day 14 | Enclosure 1.2 "The Document"

To be used once the mission of Day 14 has been accepted.

SUM 11: Day 14 | Enclosure 1.1 "Your Mission"

Day 14

Good day, rbcstudent:

Your mission, should you choose to accept it, involves using action to tell unsuspecting folks and strangers about Jesus. No other team members are mandatory. You are highly capable of success.

You have 24 hours to do 24 tasks for 24 people. When code phrase “Thank You” is used, present subject with one copy of the document included in this file. Variations of code phrase, such as “thanks” or “gracias,” are acceptable, but code phrase must be triggered before document is given.

As always, this mission is not about you but about Jesus and His hand on your life. If questions about Jesus arise after document is given, please digress from your mission and engage subject in conversation.

Before you begin, ask Jesus to use you and the next 24 hours for His glory.

Once tasks are completed, go to facebook.com/rbcstudents or rbcdevotions.blogspot.com to debrief.

Sincerely,

Agent J

SUM 11: Day 14

Exodus 4:10-17; Jeremiah 1

I speak. The Lord translates. God is in control. Repeat. God is in control. Repeat.

If the salvation of others were dependent upon my mouth and the words that came out if it, we would be in trouble. Dwayne, a co-worker, agrees. Not because of who I am but because of what I am – a sinner saved by grace who cannot see the hearts of others. Thankfully, God uses our words for His glory and, thus, translates our gibberish and tongue-ties into useable words of love and hope.

Jesus saves. I muddle through a story that my heart sings about.

Like Moses (read Exodus 4:10-17), I do not count myself among great speakers. As a high school freshman, I had a terrible crush on David, a boy who lived two doors down. Toward the end of football, he tore his ACL during practice. He was on crutches. I saw an opportunity. As I walked toward the school bus exit, I stopped. And to David, I said, “Do you want me, your backpack, to help?” “What?” he said. The bus driver was staring at me. The passengers were glaring at me. I spoke again. He quickly shook his head. What a fool I felt! I thank God for thwarting my plan.

Telling others about Christ ups the ante. I catch my foot on the “What ifs” and the idea that someone’s eternity comes down to my words. Reminder to self: I’m not all that and a bag of chips! Perhaps God placed me on a path to share my story and plant a seed, but He’s not going to read a transcript of the conversation, shake His head, wonder what happened and if it could have been prevented. I am not a surprise to Him. Neither are you. (read Jeremiah 1:4-8)

If this is how we are, how, then, do we share Christ with others, tell our story and plant seeds? We speak. And we move. We do. God is in control. (read Jeremiah 1:17-19)

Pray: Thank the Lord for being the ultimate translator and for being bigger than the words that come out of your mouth. Ask the Lord to place on your heart stories that He will use for His glory.

Do: For the next 24 hours, do all you can to help unsuspecting folks and strangers (open doors, pay for snacks, carry items.) When you are thanked, smile and give a note that reads, “I am not all that and a bag of chips. Jesus changed my heart; I hope this helps your day.” Ask God to use the situation for His glory.

SUM 11: Day 13

Matthew 9:37-38; John 4:1-40; Mark 10:46-52

Plant now. A seed will not sprout inside its pretty package. I once heard of a man who never left a conversation without first talking about the Lord. Whether he was on a flight or at a restaurant, he shared his story. No stranger was strange enough to cause him to be silent. Read Matthew 9:37-38.

What about you? I dare say for most of us, telling someone about Christ is quite the event. We feel the need to prep and prepare. And if we don’t feel confident in our answers to the Top 10 Bible Trivia Questions, we forget the first option of the “Fight or Flight” response, and we run like the wind.

Look at Jesus. Name one instance where He forgoes the opportunity to invite another to His Father’s table. Whether He is asking a woman at a well (read John 4:1-40) about her past relationships or a blind man (read Mark 10:46-52) what it is that he deep-down, without-a-doubt wants, Jesus gets to the heart of the matter and goes from there, never relinquishing until He plants a seed and readies for the harvest.

But Jesus is Jesus, eh? And the man on the plane could be perceived as some crazy dude. Yes. But neither argument will move a friend, family member, classmate or foe closer to Christ.

To recap: You are not Jesus, and you do not want to be perceived as a crazy dude. The question, then, is when do we share Christ with others? When do we tell our story? When do we plant a seed?

Now.

Watch the evening news, read the local paper, have a conversation – hearts are hurting, and the only hope we have is Christ. Sad stories sell, but your story – full of Christ’s love – is what people need to hear.

Pray: Thank the Lord for His love and the hope He gives. Ask Him to open your eyes and heart to what He is doing in your life and to provide you with courage and the words to speak in telling your story. Ask the Lord to show you opportunities to plant seeds on His behalf.

Do: Make a list of jobs you can do without pay and give to neigbors (bake cookies, mow the yard, bathe a dog, etc.) When a neighbor asks you to do said job, take the opportunity to share what the Lord is doing in your life or what you hope He will do in your life. Invite your neighbor to church or to a church event.

SUM 11: Service and Notes: Day 12

Matthew 13:24-30; Matthew 13:37-43

Regardless of circumstance, each of us has a seed to sow. Each word we say, each motion we do either helps the Kingdom of God or hinders the Kingdom of God. Are you for God or against God? Are you sowing grain or weeds?

In Matthew 13:24-30, what is the difference between seeds of grain and weeds?

Why is grain beneficial and why are weeds bad?

In Matthew 13:37-43, what is the difference between good seed and weeds?

Who sows the good seed? Who sows the weeds?

Why is it important to tell others about Christ and the hope He gives? In Matthew 13:37-43, what happens to good seed? What happens to weeds?

In everyday talk with friends, family, schoolmates, cashiers, your dentist and others, you have seed to plant. The stories you tell and the interactions you have say something about your Creator. Gianna Jessen’s mom had an abortion less than two months before Gianna was due to be born; however, Gianna survived. She commented that, from conception, she was hated. Yet, when Gianna talks, she glorifies God and speaks of the hope and love of Jesus. Gianna plants good seeds of grain. Watch her story at vimeo.com/9200962.

Challenge: This week, a) Keep a journal of conversations you have. b) Make comments about your attitude and topics of stories. Are you joyful? Are you complaining? Are you encouraging? Are you gossiping? c) Ask a friend, brother, sister, mom or dad to comment about conversations with you. Did he/she hear you plant seeds of grain or weeds?