JR. Forasteros - December 11, 2016

Get a Grip!

Pure Imagination

For those with less-than-perfect lives, the Christmas season can sometimes feel like wandering in a desert, thirsty for the holiday cheer that seems to come so easily for others. The prophet Isaiah spoke to a people living in a sort of wilderness of their own, and his words help us see how we can pursue life and hope even in the midst of our own deserts because the desert is where we learn to love God best.

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Is there a time you can think of that God called you out of your comfort zone?

I was a sophomore in high school when my youth pastor asked me to teach Sunday School — for the middle school boys.

I was sixteen years old. I didn’t know much about anything. What was my youth pastor thinking? Fortunately, he didn’t just throw me to the wolves. I was a co-teacher with Rich, one of our youth ministry volunteers. We even had a curriculum book to work out of — so all I had to do was just follow the book!

I’ll never forget how terrified I was to teach that first lesson. These were kids I knew, at least a little. Younger brothers of some of my friends. And who was I? Just some high school kid. I had a few Bible verses memorized and could tell you some of the stories about Jesus, but I wasn’t qualified to teach.

To this day, I’m not sure why they asked me to help Rich out. Maybe it was because I had shared with my youth pastor I felt a call to ministry, or maybe it was because I was annoying my own Sunday school class. I’ll never know.

I do know two things: first, I know I was wildly unprepared to step up in that way. Like, couldn’t have been less qualified if I tried.

And second,  I know teaching that middle school Sunday School class grew my faith in a big way. I was never again quite as intimidated stepping of my comfort zone when it came to teaching and leading.   I had already done it, and I saw that God never asked me to be an expert. He just wanted me to be faithful and do what He was calling me to do.

So back to that first question: can you think of a time God has called you to serve outside of your comfort zone? One way God grows our faith is to call us to serve outside our comfort zones.

When we step into areas we’re weak, we see clearly how God works, and our faith grows!

Join us Sunday as we learn how God uses serving to grow our faith.

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