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Preamble: The Gospel - God's Rescue Story

Our shared faith as members of the Lake Avenue Church family centers on God's evangel, the gospel of Jesus Christ. Through the power of this gospel, God accomplishes His salvation plan: rescuing His people from sin, making each one complete in Christ, and making all things in His creation new. Our most basic theological convictions are aspects of this gospel.

Family Devotional for the Week
Isaiah 40:9 (Read as a Family)

Our 8-year-old son had a secret.

And it was almost too much for him to bear.

His older brother's birthday was very near, and we had already purchased A Grand Gift. Picture a time before iPods...back in the day of The Boombox. A Boombox was a radio with large built-in speakers, and it was packaged inside of a giant box. And our older son was to receive this wonder for his 13th birthday. Covered in wrapping paper, it loomed large, and smacked of dreams come true. The rest of us, including our 8-year-old, whispered excitedly about it for days leading up to The Big Day. When that day arrived, we had to wait through long hours of school and homework before finally, it was time for cake and presents. Our 8-year-old squirmed with anticipation. Now? Now?? "Yes, son—now. Would you like to go get that last present?" Would he ever! He shot out of the living room and returned in a flash, balancing the immense box on his outstretched arms.

The rest seemed to happen in slow motion: the birthday son turned to see the gift, he and his younger brother made eye contact. Valiantly trying to last until the handoff, but to no avail, unstoppable words gushed out of the little guy's mouth: "It's not a radio!" he shouted.

And there it was. Good news too good to keep inside.

The prophet Isaiah could hardly contain himself either. "Gospel" means "Good News!" And it's this Good News—of God's saving and redeeming his people through the gift of his Son—that must be shared; no, shouted! Look at Isaiah: he is like an 8-year-old, quivering with news that he knows will change his hearers' lives forever. He "pushes" the messenger up onto the mountain where he can be seen and heard by all. He urges, "Lift up your voice! SHOUT! C'mon—make it loud and clear! We can't hold it in any longer: Here is your God!"

Best of all, this Gift keeps giving. God offers His Son to us, today. Don't miss it. Don't dismiss it. This amazing, unearned and undeserved gift of new life in Christ is ours for the taking. Open it!

Talk about as a family:

• What's the best gift you've ever received? Given?
• What in the world was God thinking, to offer us such a Gift in Jesus?
• What did it cost Him?
• What is your response?

Craft option: Tell everyone to go to their rooms (or you can go to the Dollar Store) and find a gift that they could give away. Wrap up these gifts with whatever you have around the house—newspaper does just fine! And then exchange your gifts to one another. Another option might be to spend some time making brownies together as a family; then wrap your delicious bundle in a box and deliver your gift to a neighbor.

~Carol Kenyon and Annie Neufeld

Monday
John 3:16-17

There is a book by Gary Chapman called The 5 Love Languages. It outlines five ways to express and experience love that Chapman calls "love languages": gifts, quality time, words of affirmation, acts of service, and physical touch. People in relationships often refer to this book to gain an understanding of how they need to be loved. Some people feel more connected and whole when they have quality time with someone. Others need a hug to feel comfort and love.

In the beginning married couples typically find that their spouse has been giving them a love language that doesn't connect with who they are. Or they didn't know themselves well enough to know what to ask for. Maybe their spouse was buying them gift after gift when all they wanted was an hour a day of face-to-face conversation.

In scripture humans at times skewed ideas of what God's cosmic love language should be. They had a specific idea of how they personally think God should love them, petitioning to God in times of need with what they think God should do.

And with God's love we do the same thing. We say to God naively, "All mighty maker. I know you created the heavens and the earth with ultimate cosmic power. And you created the world and it was good and you are good as well. But if you have a few minutes, I've got some pretty good ideas of how you should love me. " The disciples, Pharisees, and followers of Jesus had several ideas of how he should love the world.

Then Jesus performed the unexpected by giving His blameless self as a sacrifice for us in the name of God's love to save humanity. And his world-changing death and resurrection was the exact love the world needed since falling from our maker. It needed to happen. It had to happen in this manner for our sin to be washed clean. We can have long conversations of how we think God needed to love and rescue us. God's love and plan to save the world is bigger than our ideas. His love is so big and particular to save humanity that we could have never dreamed of a Savior better than Jesus. His love is so big that he decided not leave us to our own deserved demise. His love is so beautiful that he came for all of humanity.

I love that Jesus' love for creation transcends our ideas and becomes exactly what we've needed since the beginning of time. His love language is perfect and is the exact love that awakens and enlivens our souls. Everlasting life! May we respond back to God with a humbled heart saying to our maker:

"What is your love language? How can I live a life of gratitude and freedom for all that you've done?"

~Perry Hawkins

Tuesday
Galatians 3: 26-29

Paul is telling us in this passage to "put on Christ". What does this really mean and how does it change the way we relate to one another in the body of Christ? When we bring Christ into our lives changes should occur, resulting in unity within the church body.

An example of what it means to "put on Christ" is occurring within our Lake Orchestra. The members of this ensemble are being cared for by a long-time Lake member who has become a care-giver for this group. (She is not a member of this ensemble). The ongoing needs of the orchestra are sent to her, and she prays for every musician, both personally and for their professional lives. She sends birthday cards to every member, reminding them that they are thought of and appreciated. Several times a year a meal is prepared and served to the members on special days, allowing a unique community to develop among the members. This "care-giver" has "put on Christ" by using her gifts and talents to reach out to this group of instrumentalists.

What does this look like for you? Everyone has their own strengths and gifts that can be used to show Christ to others as we live life with those in our church and in our surrounding communities.

To consider:
What do we gain when we take action in our lives to follow Christ's example? Is there anything we lose when we "put on Christ"?

Action Steps
What can I do to more effectively to "put on Christ" within my life and my church family? As you may think of ways to do this, write down your ideas and share them with one of our pastors or group leaders at Lake and explore ways you can follow the scripture you read today.

~Duane Funderburk

Wednesday
Isaiah 61:1-3

Isaiah writes of the coming of the One, who would be, among other things, The Great Evangelist. His news would be the Good News. In today's world, news is everywhere. We need only turn on the TV, open up our internet browser, or look at a notification on our smart phone to find lots of news, only it's not often good. In contrast, the News that the Messiah would bring would be Good.

A hard-working, loving single mother raised me, but I remember longing for a dad. Father's Day was tough for me. I went through the motions of creating that Tie-Card in school that said "Best Dad Ever" on the front – but on Father's Day morning I faced the pain of having no one to give it to.

But then one day I heard some Good News. As I attended a VBS in my neighborhood, one of my favorite summer pastimes (mostly because of the crafts and free Big Sticks) I heard that there was a Man, who was also God, who was my Father...and that He loved me! That was Good News to me! For some reason I believed it and I can't recall a happier feeling in my life! You see God knew exactly what Good News was to this little girl.

I once heard someone say that news that was not good news to the poor was not Good News at all. Well, I would agree with that. For news, that was not good news to a literally poor little fatherless girl in East L.A. would not have been good news to me. The Great Evangelist knows just what each of us needs. What a great thing to be able to rely on as we set out to bring the Good News to others.

I think about this as I talk with people who clearly need some Good News in their life. I pray that I am able to share Christ with them and that they are able to receive Him, whatever their life circumstances are. For me, it was that I had a Heavenly Father – and He was the Best Dad Ever! For someone else, it could be that God is the Great Provider, in a time when they don't have what they need. I am thankful that God is everything – no one is excluded from the Good News.

Best Dad Ever, bless us with the assurance that as we share the Good News of the Gospel, you have come before us and begun to prepare the hearer in ways we may not imagine. Give us boldness and courage to proclaim Good News to all, that your Kingdom may be expanded and all you have created will worship you. Amen.

~Mayra Macedo-Nolan

Thursday
Isaiah 40:9

Our 8-year-old son had a secret.

And it was almost too much for him to bear.

His older brother's birthday was very near, and we had already purchased A Grand Gift. Picture a time before iPods...back in the day of The Boombox. A boombox was a radio with large built-in speakers, and it was packaged inside of a giant box. And our older son was to receive this wonder for his 13th birthday. Covered in wrapping paper, it loomed large, and smacked of dreams come true. The rest of us, including our 8-year-old, whispered excitedly about it for days leading up to The Big Day. When that day arrived, we had to wait through long hours of school and homework before finally, it was time for cake and presents. Our 8-year-old squirmed with anticipation. Now? Now?? "Yes, son—now. Would you like to go get that last present?" Would he ever! He shot out of the living room and returned in a flash, balancing the immense box on his outstretched arms.

The rest seemed to happen in slow motion: the birthday son turned to see the gift, he and his younger brother made eye contact. Valiantly trying to last until the handoff, but to no avail, unstoppable words gushed out of the little guy's mouth: "It's not a radio!" he shouted.

And there it was. Good news too good to keep inside.

The prophet Isaiah could hardly contain himself either. "Gospel" means "good news!" And it's this Good News—of God's saving and redeeming his people through the gift of his Son—that must be shared; no, shouted! Look at Isaiah: he is like an 8-year-old , quivering with news that he knows will change his hearers' lives forever. He "pushes" the messenger up onto the mountain where he can be seen and heard by all. He urges, "Lift up your voice! SHOUT! C'mon—make it loud and clear! We can't hold it in any longer: Here is your God!"

Best of all, this Gift keeps giving. God offers His Son to us, today. Don't miss it. Don't dismiss it. This lavish, unearned and undeserved gift of new life in Christ is ours for the taking. Open it!

Think about:
What's the best gift you've ever received? Given?
What in the world was God thinking, to offer us such a Gift?
What did it cost Him?
What is your response?

~Carol Kenyon

Friday
Matthew 4:23-24

Facebook, twitter, and texting are all ways to spread the news and make things known. All day long we are bombarded by advertisement and sound bites giving us information. But let's face it; much of that information is unneeded, not useful, not edifying, nor inspiring. However, as Christians, we have news and information that is trustworthy, edifying, encouraging and life changing.

Read Matthew 4:23-24 aloud.

Imagine for a moment, if the news stories of today captured and regularly spoke about the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Remember how you responded as you heard the Gospel Story - the redemptive story of Jesus and the fact that we join a new family, the Family of Christ. Remember what it felt like to have the weight of sin lifted from your shoulders, as you understood that Jesus had already paid the price and taken that sin from us when he was nailed o the cross in Calvary. As we remember the power of God in the Gospel message, we have the privilege of following Him as He transforms, heals and conforms us to our Savior's image for His glory.

In closing, I want you to remember your salvation experience and encourage you to share the Gospel story with others.

Action: Write down your story of how God revealed the Gospel to you. Try to limit your story to a few paragraphs that would take no more than 3 minutes to read.

~Bill Mead

Saturday
Luke 7:18-23

I can think of a number of songs that are deeply stirring to my soul, but only a handful have moved me so powerfully that I have sat in my car listening over and over again while tears welled up in my eyes. Inevitably those few deeply moving songs have been on the subject of my brokenness and need for healing. One such song is called "Worlds Apart" by Jars of Clay. The writer wrestles with those things in his life that are not as they should be and ends with this litany of requests:

"So steal my heart and take the pain, wash my feet and cleanse my pride,
Take the selfish, take the weak, and all the things I cannot hide.
Take the beauty, take my tears, the sin-soaked heart and make it yours.
Take my world all apart, take it now, take it now.
Serve the ones that I despise, speak the words I can't deny,
Watch the world I used to love fall to dust and thrown away.
Take my world apart, take my world apart, I pray."

As followers of Christ we don't have to look too deeply into our own lives, the ways we fall, or into the ways of this world to see brokenness and the need for healing. We feel what Paul wrote in Romans 8, that all creation groans "as in the pains of childbirth" longing for redemption.

In this passage we find John the Baptist and his disciples in a time of doubt and honest questioning. No one during his lifetime knew how Jesus' life, ministry, and reconciling work would unfold. It's a reconciling work that he is doing to this day in his followers. Yet even to this day, followers of Christ face times of doubt and questioning. If you find yourself searching for where Christ is in your life, you are not an anomaly and you are not a failure. Our very flesh and this world we live in works against us.

So where will you find him? He can be found in the things that bring healing and wholeness. He came to make wrong things right and to make old things new. He says to John's disciples, "It's me, because I am doing the things I set out to do... the very things the prophets said I would do." Jesus had just announced the start of his ministry by reading from the book of Isaiah:

"The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
for he has anointed me to bring Good News to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released,
that the blind will see,
that the oppressed will be set free,
and that the time of the Lord's favor has come."
(Luke 4:18-19 NLT)

Lord, help us to see your work of healing and wholeness. Also, let us be a part of that work in our world. In times of doubt, turn the attention of our hearts and minds to you.

~Jeremy Rose