What's the best MOVIE you saw in 2024?
The best MEAL you ate?
The best SERMON you preached?
The biggest LESSON you learned?
Your most powerful / impactful experience of GOD'S GRACE and GOD'S PROVISION?
As 2024 draws to a close, it's natural to reflect on the past year. It's what we do.
We note the highs and lows, look for foundations we can build on, search for meaning in the busy-ness, and try to identify lessons we've learned (and would rather NOT have to learn again).
Reflecting on recent events can be a powerful learning tool, but every once in a while, it's helpful to dig a little deeper than the past 12 months. Every once in a while, it's good to go all the way back to the beginning...
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Once upon a time, God called YOU (yes, YOU!) to ministry. |
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At some point God pushed / pulled / prodded / pointed YOU toward the pulpit in a way you simply could not refuse.
That Call may have come slowly, over time, or it may have struck you like a bolt of lightning out of the blue; but somehow God got your attention and moved you in a direction you probably had not planned to go.
What was that like for you?
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How did you first become aware that God was calling YOU to ministry?
- What was your initial response? Were you excited and eager to say yes--or scared and searching for reasons to say no?
- How was that initial call affirmed? What mentors and friends helped you discern this divine calling on your life?
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What scripture guided you as you wrestled with your call?
- How has God clarified / deepened / refined your call to ministry over time?
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Reflect on your Call.
Remember God's plan for you.
Reconnect with your passion for God's plan.
Do all of that, and you'll be able to answer the question Andy Stanley poses in this video clip for church leaders: "What's Your Why?"
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He who calls you
is utterly faithful
and he WILL finish
what he has set out to do.
1 Thessalonians 5:24
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A call from God is not a one-and-done event...
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...it's the adventure of a lifetime!
Taking time to remember our call isn't just an exercise in nostalgia. It's an opportunity to make sure that our everyday, ordinary lives (our choices, our priorities, our goals, our agendas) are still lined-up with God's Call.
We live out our commitments (even BIG ones, like a Divine Call!) one day at a time, one decision at a time; and while it's easy to lose sight of the forest for the trees (even in ministry!), we're more likely to stay on committed to what matters most when we remember why we made those commitments in the first place.
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"Commitments are a result of choice, not conditions."
Evan Doyle warns us that "busy-ness" isn't necessarily a sign of commitment. Use this short video to guide you as you recommit yourself to living God's Call each and every day.
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Therefore, my beloved brothers and sisters,
be steadfast, immovable,
always excelling in the work of the Lord
because you know that in the Lord
your labor is not in vain.
1 Corinthians 15:58
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The Louisa Woosley Preaching Initiative is a grant-funded program of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church. Our goal is to equip ministers and candidates for ministry to preach compelling sermons to today's diverse and often divided world.
For more information about the initiative and our programs, visit our website.
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