JR. Forasteros - July 15, 2012

Joshua - Where's the Manna?

Road Trip

While Israel wandered in the wilderness between the slavery of Egypt and the freedom of the Promised Land, God provided manna for them to eat every day. But after they arrived in the Promised Land, the manna stopped. Did this mean God abandoned them? No. It meant that they now had to start feeding themselves, using the bounty of the Land God had given them. This is a model for our Christian faith: when we first start out, as spiritual infants, God\\\'s presence is easy to sense, and everything seems easy. But God won\\\'t let us remain infants; we must grow up, learn to feed our own souls.

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How many times have y’all had to participate in trust building exercises? Maybe it was in couples’ therapy. Or in school. Maybe in the workplace. 

I have a confession: I love those sorts of activities. I know most people hate them, but I think they’re so much fun. (What can I say: I’m an extrovert and I love games.) So whether it’s a trust fall or an obstacle course, sign me up!

We’re going to talk about trust today, so I was reviewing a bunch of these exercises. I think my favorite is the Blindfold Obstacle course. If you’ve never done this one, you set up an obstacle course – you can do it as simply as using chairs and string or something. Then you pair up. One person wears a blindfold and has to navigate the obstacle course. The other is only allowed to direct their partner using verbal cues. Stop! Turn left! Five steps forward! That sort of thing. 

This is a trust-building exercise because the person wearing the blindfold has to obey despite the fact that they can’t see. It also reveals how differently we communicate. You can’t complete a blindfold obstacle course without learning to communicate and trust.

Communication and trust – two essential aspects of a strong, faith-filled relationship. That’s true for our relationships with each other – romantic partners, business relationships, friendships – and it’s true of our relationship with God. 

What do trust-building exercises with God look like? That’s a trickier question, and one Jesus shows us the answer to.

Let’s explore how Jesus teaches us to grow a deeper, faith-filled relationship with our creator.

Join us Sunday as we learn how Jesus’ cross is an invitation to freedom.

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