All too often we feel the buzz of a smartphone and see our news feed light up the screen—another shooting, another natural disaster, another crisis. We also see the lavish lifestyles of so many people on social media chasing another adventure, another lover, another outfit. Then we go to the coffee shops and sit with our friends. We use buzzwords like shame, trauma, and abuse. We self-medicate with sex, fame, and food. We look for rescuing from our books, our celebrities, and our vacations. The whirring chaos of false security and empty promises takes its toll, and we keep hitting refresh waiting for tweets and grams to tell us something good. We need something to cut through the noise, something to refresh the soul, something to bring hope to a world marked by despair. We need good news.
We Need Good News
The light of the eyes rejoices the heart, and good news refreshes the bones.
Watch Session One: Created for this
A Big Enough Gospel
Complain about Uber Eats forgetting your Mexican Coke or dressing on the side, and you know to brace yourself for the snarky “first world problems” rebuttal from a frenemy. While your missing tahini-garlic dressing should not register as a big problem on a human level, these interactions leave us wondering if our problems matter in the face of global epidemics we see on our news feeds. Does it matter that I am heartbroken about my singleness when babies go to bed hungry? Does it matter that I struggle with depression and anxiety when refugees wander this planet looking for a home? Does it matter that I am addicted to my smartphone when women and children endure sex trafficking in staggering numbers? What if God is compassionate and big enough to care for every person hurting? What if God’s gospel is big enough to comfort the lonely, set the captives free, minister to us in our despair, and mobilize a generation to push back against the evil we see in our world? Is the gospel big enough for all of this?
the gospel everyday
The gospel of God—the good news that the kingdom of God has been inaugurated by Jesus— means good news for the world. Rather than thinking of the gospel as a one-time event in the life of the believer, we recognize that the gospel is a worldwide proclamation that Jesus has come to deliver us from our sin, comfort us, strengthen us, and mobilize the cavalry to go into the world “gospel-ing” it through word and deed. The gospel bears witness that we live in a kingdom, we belong to a king, and we have faith, hope and love at our disposal for every moment—big or small.
Daily Question
How can the gospel—the good news of the kingdom of God—be a way for you to bring hope, joy, and peace in your own life and in the lives of others?
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The first word that came to my mind was Share. So many ways to share. Sharing brings joy to both the giver and the receiver.
The gospel is God’s truth and promises for my life. When things feel hopeless, God has guidance for those difficult situations. I also want to be an example of Christ and His working in my life, so that can be my testimony to those around me.
Hope! Regardless of what life looks like through our earthly eyes today, we have hope because of our future in Him.
In having hope in Him, brings us joy- regardless of our circumstances here today.
It is right there in the first line. It is good news. We need good news. We live in a world where "No news, is good news."…unless you see it on the news, then it is most likely bad or negative. It is our job to share the good news so we can be a light in this dark world. I hope others see me as a good example of what God has done for me and can do for others.
I know I am a sinner, but there is good news! That good news is that God created me and LOVES me. God also sent Jesus, whom he LOVED, to pay that ultimate sacrifice out of LOVE, so that I could have eternal life. It is that same LOVE that brings me hope for the future, joy in the present, and peace with my past. It also allows me to LOVE others and share the good news!
Share a smile – Share a prayer – Share and talk about a blessing that you have received from God.
Comfort someone that needs comforting. Pay for the person behind you as you go through a drive through.
Send someone a card. Call someone on the phone, especially someone with out internet capability.
The gospel is truth. Truth brings hope, joy and peace. The gospel is reassuring and reassurance brings hope, joy and peace. I have to be willing to rest in that no matter what is going on in my life and to point this out and share it with others through my day.
The Gospel never changes. It’s always the same… John 3:16= the Lord’s group hug to the world. In a world that is so unstable, the never changing love given through the Gospel is our hope, joy, and peace. We are loved.
Although we are in the midst of this pandemic, I have been able to rely on our Lord and Savior to lead me in the right direction. The love of God and the gospel are both constant, never changing– and that is exactly what this world needs!
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