Over the past six weeks I’ve been meeting with a group of four other guys. We’ve committed to reading, every day, portions of the New Testament of the Bible for the next 30 weeks until we’ve completed the entire New Testament. We, then, huddle up once a week for about an hour and a half and discuss how we have experienced God speaking to us and how the Holy Spirit has been prompting us throughout the week. Our purpose is to intentionally learn from Jesus to be like Jesus. We discuss each week how our lives are being formed and shaped by our Heavenly Father.
At first the commitment seemed intimidating. There are weeks where we admit to one another that we may have missed a day of reading here or there. For the most part, however, we understand that we’ve made a commitment to each other and to the life-change we want to ask God to produce in us. It may have been intimidating at first, but it has turned out to be transformational.
Jesus stood and shouted to the crowds, “Anyone who is thirsty may come to me! 38 Anyone who believes in me may come and drink! For the Scriptures declare, ‘Rivers of living water will flow from his heart.’” -John 7:37-38
I love the imagery Jesus uses here. And, I am thirsty. As our group sat and reflected on our daily readings this past week, I was overwhelmed by the stories we shared. There was evidence of refreshing living water flowing in and out of our lives. We talked about how we looked forward to the reading each day. God is filling us. We shared how we experienced the Spirit speaking through us to others in bold ways that surprised us. We shared how being in God’s Word daily was keeping us close to Him reminding and prompting us with his truth. Each week we attempt to answers two questions: What do we feel God is saying to us this week and what are we going to do about it? And, who do we need to share what we’ve learned with? These two questions keep two important things on the forefront of the minds of those who follow after Jesus:
One: How are we trusting and loving God to transform us to be more like Jesus?
Two: How are we loving others to discover God’s transformative love?
With more than 400 adults and teenagers active in groups at White Oak this season… my prayer is that each one of us finds ourselves someplace along this path. And, if we’re not, we would ask for help to gather the men and women around us who will journey with us. I urge you to seek after the One who will quench your thirst. Daily. Habitually. Swimming in His grace when you mess up (and you certainly will). He will produce rivers in and through. Together, we move.
Seeking with you,
Nathan
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Nathan Hinkle
Lead Pastor, White Oak Christian Church