shadow

discipleship

What Am I Doing Here?: Tending the Sheep

Posted on: by: Comments: Leave a comment

Having been made in the image of God, our hearts have been set by Him on eternity. Rooted in each heart is a God-given desire to impact the world around us. But in the midst of endless distractions, countless opportunities to live out our purpose can go unnoticed each and every day. Stick around this week as we look at how we live our day-to-day lives in a way that points others to the cross.

 

Tending the Sheep

Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.

Matthew 28:19, NASB

thursdayEverywhere we look, we are surrounded by hurting people. In their hearts are holes that only God can fill, yet we in the church are failing to share the gospel message of salvation with them. We have the cure for what ails them, yet we keep it to ourselves.

Is it the fear of not knowing enough about the Bible? Are we afraid of appearing vulnerable by putting ourselves out there and facing rejection? Or are we so distracted and overwhelmed by the pace of our lives that we fail to make sharing our faith with those around us a priority?

I realize that not all of us are called to be Bible teachers or evangelists, but each of us are called to make disciples.

Abounding with impactful teachings, humble service, and astounding miracles, Jesus’ earthly ministry was nothing short of amazing! He healed the sick, He brought the dead to life, and He walked on water. But in addition to the remarkable, He lived His life out daily alongside His chosen disciples. Working to prepare them to pick up the torch when His time on Earth had ended, He poured Himself into them. He served them, He taught them, and He broke bread with them. He did real life with them and had real relationships with them. It is this group that went on to turn the world upside down for the gospel.

Isn’t that what we desire to do: to turn the world upside down for Jesus? But how will we equip other believers if we aren’t sharing the hope we have in Christ with them? Who will tell them if we aren’t? Unfortunately, many of them are looking to what the world is telling them to fill that God-sized hole in their hearts.

I wonder how many opportunities to share my faith I’ve missed because I wasn’t looking. Or how many relationships I have missed out on because I didn’t think I had time to invest in anyone else?

God has placed people in each of our lives for us to pour ourselves into as we live out this life beside them, pointing them to Jesus along the way. Our children need to know what we believe and why we believe it, but so do our friends, our neighbors, and our coworkers. Everyone need to know because their salvation depends on it!

Each and every day people die and their eternity will be spent somewhere. Wouldn’t it be great to see them in Heaven?!

Pouring out,
Traci

Linking the Science of Senses to the Deeper Needs of Our Soul: “Touch, Robotic Devices and Our Longing for Community.”

Posted on: by: Comments: Leave a comment

Leonardo DaVinci once said, “The five senses are the ministers of the soul.” Every moment of every day we use these to help us navigate and experience the world around us. As scientists study the human body, we have gained a greater understanding of how each sense is used to help us gain information. Ongoing investigations continue to demonstrate how each one positively impacts our health and wellbeing. As a Christian, when I read or hear about some of these scientific studies I am often struck by the way God uses our senses to understand who He is and how He created us. This week we will take a brief look at a few of these and relate them to a familiar passage of Scripture to see how they can illuminate and refresh our perspectives.

 

“Touch, Robotic Devices and Our Longing for Community.”

He will tend his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms;
he will carry them in his bosom,  and gently lead those that are with young.

Isaiah 40:11

embraceThe sense of touch develops before all other senses in utero. Touch is the first way we learn about our environment and bond with other people. This sense never turns off or takes a break and continues to work long after other senses fail us as we age. We use our sense of touch to learn, protect ourselves from harm, relate to others, and experience pleasure. For decades researchers have studied how positive touch impacts our emotional and physical wellbeing. We now know that babies who are given affectionate touch are more likely to thrive physically, emotionally and mentally when compared with infants who are deprived of nurturing touch. We need to be touched in order to bond and adapt to the world around us.

Not surprisingly, the benefits of human touch are not just limited to children. The Touch Research Institute, an organization dedicated to studying the effects of touch therapy, has conducted many different studies that show how human touch can decrease pain, improve pulmonary function, lower blood glucose levels, and improve immune function. Conversely, their studies indicate that there is a clear and quantifiable cost across the lifespan when we are deprived of nurturing touch for long periods of time.

I recently read an article about how technological advances are being used to help combat the problem of isolation and loneliness that is often experienced in certain populations like the elderly, disabled and the mentally ill. Many do not have caregivers or regular companions who can offer them the nurturing touch that will benefit them physically and emotionally. To help with this problem, several developers have created robot pets and even robot people. These mechanical creatures provide touch, make noises, talk and even respond appropriately to the person who is interacting with them.

While some may find these inventions rather fascinating, they greatly concern me. As our dependence on technology radically increases and we appear to grow more and more isolated from one another, is this what our future holds? While a robot may offer stimulation to a person seriously deprived of touch, neither can replace the power of nurturing touch in the context of human relationships. We long to touch and be touched by others because we were made for community. This begins at home with our own brood and extends toward extended family, neighbors and people around us who are lost, alone and disconnected from the fold. As you tune into this incredible sensation, allow God to use you to reflect His tenderness by being His hands and His feet in the lives of others.

Jackie

Linking the Science of Senses to the Deeper Needs of Our Soul: “Echolocation and the Gift of Sight.”

Posted on: by: Comments: Leave a comment

Leonardo DaVinci once said, “The five senses are the ministers of the soul.” Every moment of every day we use these to help us navigate and experience the world around us. As scientists study the human body, we have gained a greater understanding of how each sense is used to help us gain information. Ongoing investigations continue to demonstrate how each one positively impacts our health and wellbeing. As a Christian, when I read or hear about some of these scientific studies I am often struck by the way God uses our senses to understand who He is and how He created us. This week we will take a brief look at a few of these and relate them to a familiar passage of Scripture to see how they can illuminate and refresh our perspectives.

 

“Echolocation and the Gift of Sight.”

But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear.  For truly, I say to you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.

Matthew 13:16-17

blindFor those who are vision impaired, walking around an unfamiliar location typically requires them to depend on someone who can see. Once they make a mental map of a new location, they can then use a walking stick to help them get around. Even so, they still do not have the kind of freedom that comes with the ability to see.

Daniel Kisch was blind from the age of one but didn’t let his inability to see keep him from figuring out his way around. As a young boy, he realized that he could use echolocation to help him gain a sense of the space around him. By snapping the tip of his tongue against of the roof of his mouth he created a sharp popping sound. The sound waves that were produced then bounced off of objects, structures and people around him. As he analyzed the volume of the returning click, he was able to generate a reliable picture in his mind of the environment.

Daniel has become so proficient as this ability to echolocate, that he freely moves about. He rides a bike, climbs mountains, and even camps in the wilderness all by himself. Even though he is technically blind, echolocation allows him to picture what is around him in his mind.

Daniel now commits much of his time to helping other vision impaired people learn how to click and listen. Hundreds of children and adults can now see with their ears as they tune in to sound waves. As more and more people have gained this ability, scientists have been probing underlying brain activity to better understand what happens when they echolocate. It appears that while they are clicking and listening, there is quite a bit of activity in the visual cortex, the primary area in the brain that interprets visual information.

When compared to people who are not vision impaired, they actually appear to have more extensive activity in this “visual” region of the brain. Even though they cannot see like you and me, they are able to create complex pictures, images, and maps in their mind based solely on the auditory feedback they receive. Perhaps, they can even see what we will never see.

To see without eyes. Can you imagine the freedom blind people can have if they can learn this skill? Perhaps, we can—for this is our story, too. We who were once blind have been granted the ability to see the “light of the glory of the gospel” (2 Cor. 4:4). This did not happen, however, by anything that we accomplished or acquired. God himself opened up our eyes and delivered us from a spiritual blindness that shackled us and kept us isolated from the life He has for us.

As you navigate your way through this day, delight in the miracle of being able to see yourself, others, and the world around you with your Father’s eyes.

Jackie