Jesus and His hangnail, Part 2

Hey Friends…
 
We ran out of time last Sunday, so I never got to Jesus’ hangnail and how we can avoid being one. If you have no idea what I’m talking about, you might want to click here to check out last week’s Friday email. I’ll not repeat myself today, but I will tell you more about this Sunday’s teaching in Deeper Thoughts below…
 
But first… a TON of great stuff you need to know about…
 
·      LADIES: Join us for our “Friendsgiving Breakfast”—potluck, fellowship, games, and fun as we celebrate God’s blessings--TOMORROW, Saturday, November 23, 9:00 – 11:00 a.m. Click here for info and to RSVP! (And mark your calendar for December 14 for a ladies’ cookie exchange!)
 
·      NEXT UP: Our annual Christmas Pageant and All-Church Christmas Party – Sunday evening, December 8, 5:00 p.m. We will celebrate Christmas as our kids and middle schoolers tell the story of Christmas in music and drama. Then, we’ll gather for a festive potluck dinner and fellowship. The pageant program begins at 5:00, dinner around 5:45. Click here to sign up for what you can bring!
 
·      Do you want to help others feel welcome at Mt. Hope? Join us for an informational meeting THIS Sunday, November 24 after church. Click here to RSVP so we can feed you lunch!
 
·      Are you interested in the deep history of Mt. Hope? Join us for the kick-off of a new team that will explore our church’s history, to include restoring and improving the graveyard. THIS Sunday evening, November 24 at 5:00 p.m. Light dinner included. Click here to RSVP!
 
·      Mark your calendar for two more prayer vigils as we seek God for the future of our church: A 12-hour prayer vigil throughout the day on Saturday, December 14 and another 24-hour prayer vigil and worship night sometime mid-January.
 
·      Please consider joining us for prayer every week—Sundays, 9:15 a.m. for our 25-minute weekly prayer meeting in the sanctuary.
 
·      Don’t forget “The Daily Six”, our 6-minute video released every Monday through Thursday as we study through the Book of Acts together. Click here to sign up for daily reminder emails—or you can just find the videos on our YouTube channel each morning.
 
OK…that’s it today for you email skimmers and those who prefer to tune out on matters of Jesus’ health. BUT…
 
 
Some Deeper Thoughts…
 
If you missed last Sunday’s teaching, you might want to catch up by clicking here. Or brush up on it if you were around, as we’re going to keep going into “Part 2” of our teaching.
 
This is all about discovering the fullness of who you are. It’s about living your best self. It’s about being more fulfilled than you could ever imagine. It’s about a life of real abundance and joy because you have absolute clarity on your identity and why you exist.
 
And it’s about not giving Jesus a hangnail.
 
If we are able to discern how God has uniquely and individually crafted us for a very specific purpose, it would stand to reason that stepping into that purpose with our whole life and our whole focus would be incredibly life-giving.
 
Let me say it another way, and maybe with a little finer point. We spend enormous amounts of energy pursuing our best life. We want to feel great about who we are and what we do. The problem is that many of us have a mistaken view of what our best life really is. Our real best life isn’t about wealth, or social status, or perfect relationships, or achievement, or even stability and security.
 
Our real best life is living exactly who we are. Who we were made to be. What we were designed to contribute.
 
When we fail to live like this, Jesus gets a hangnail.
 
I received a random text message this morning from an old friend that I haven’t seen or talked to in over a dozen years. When I last saw him, we were both spiraling into very tough seasons in each of our lives--trainwrecks, I would call them—that were uncannily similar to each other.
 
It is interesting that this old friend started his text by saying, “the Holy Spirit just put you on my heart today.” He then went on to fill me in that he is living in another state “living my best life now.”
 
He’s right. I’ve seen his occasional posts on Facebook that demonstrate to me that he is living in the center of his God-created design. He is using his spiritual gifts with precision. He is making an impact in the lives of the people God has surrounded him with. And most importantly, it seems to me from his storylines that he has settled his identity, healed from chaos and pain, and simplified his life into one primary goal: living exactly as God has made him.
 
When we function in life exactly as God has designed us, it is easy, it is fun, it is fulfilling, it is meaningful.
 
When we fail to function as God has designed, the whole body of Jesus suffers. Just like a tiny little hangnail can change our mood and distract our entire body, so are we to Jesus when we’re not living like we should.
 
Do a little advance reading before Sunday: Soak in all of 1 Corinthians 12. See if you can recognize where you are in this chapter. What has God created you for? How has He equipped you, and for what purpose? How well are you fulfilling that design?
 
Let’s keep moving, let’s keep studying. This will be a fun and encouraging Sunday for sure. Hope to see you there… 10:00 a.m. in-person (always best…especially this week as we partake of the Lord’s Supper together), or online livestream if you’re out of town or ill!
 
Much love to you all…
 
Chris Eads
Mt. Hope Pastor
Friend