Join us this Sunday! In-Person 8:00am, 9:30am & 11:00am, Online 8:00am, 9:30am, 11:00am & 5:00pm

Join us this Sunday! In-Person 8:00am, 9:30am & 11:00am, Online 8:00am, 9:30am, 11:00am & 5:00pm

Join us at the next Sunday worship service:
In-Person
8:00am, 9:30am & 11:00am
Online 9:00am, 10:45am & 5:00pm

Mad Libs And Mission

“And the one sitting on the throne said, “Look, I am making everything new!” And then he said to me, “Write this down, for what I tell you is trustworthy and true.” And he also said, “It is finished! I am the Alpha and the Omega—the Beginning and the End. To all who are thirsty I will give freely from the springs of the water of life. All who are victorious will inherit all these blessings, and I will be their God, and they will be my children.” – Revelation 21:5-7. 

Before the advent of cars full of TV screens and mobile devices abundant with app options, kids passed the time on long rides playing games like “I Spy,” and “License Plate Scavenger Hunt.” If the kids were lucky their parents would occasionally buy them a fill-in-the-blank book like Mad Libs, which were booklets of stories containing strategically placed blanks to be filled with a designated word like a noun, verb, etc of choice. One person prompts another for words to fill each line of the story. Mad Lib often resulted in very entertaining outcomes especially when the one filling in the blanks becomes creative.   

When we consider our spiritual mission, there seems to be any number of blanks that need to be filled by the believer. God commanded us to love Him with our entire heart. Jesus mandated that we love others the same way. The Spirit guides us in discerning opportunities to fulfill our spiritual obligations. God allows us to make choices. We have an opportunity to decide what fills and impacts our life. 

Jesus is the author and finisher of our faith. “Jesus knew that his mission was now finished, and to fulfill Scripture he said, “I am thirsty.” A jar of sour wine was sitting there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put it on a hyssop branch, and held it up to his lips. When Jesus had tasted it, he said, “It is finished!” Then he bowed his head and released his spirit.” (John 19:28-30) Those were defining words. Suddenly our life had meaning all over again. We could reach God and have a relationship with our Father in heaven. It was a light at the end of a tunnel and all we have to do is make a break for it never looking back but always moving forward. Your life is not defined by your past but is in the future. Jesus Christ has made a way that your sin will never define who you are but righteousness will always prevail by grace.

Your future has been secured by Jesus Christ. Your destination is definite. Your life is no longer defined by poor choices and bad decisions. Jesus has determined your future in the statement, “It is finished.”   Author and pastor Paul Tripp says, we are all searching for life, and there are only two places to look. You can look to the Creator for life or you can search for life in what He created.

Take a hard look at your thoughts, the motivations of your heart, and how you spend your time and resources.  Follow the trail and it will reveal the truth of what life really is to you. Is it the Creator or His creation?

How do you fill in the blank?  

Discussion Questions:

  1. Do you look to the Creator for life or do you search for life in what He created?
  2. How does life on mission for God change our daily lives? 

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