Devotion

This devotion is meant to give prayer support for the Outdoor Worship
service on Wednesday, June 18 on the church property. The event will
start out with a BB at !"#$ followed %y worship. & minimum of 1'
people from (hain of )a*es are praying that 1' new people will come to
this event. &t the worship service the Blue +rass %and will play and
,astor ,aul will start a summer sermon series called, -Doing Well.. &s
part of the event community organi/ations have %een invited to set up a
ta%le. They will share ways that fol*s can do well this summer.
This first wee* of this devotion is a prayer guide. 0ou1ll read important
prayers and other significant passages that will help prepare your spirit
to invite someone to the Outdoor Worship. The last part of this devotion
will focuses more on inviting someone to this important event. ,art of
this guide was used a few years ago for another invitation event. help
give people some support in the -Just Bring One. campaign.
The %est way to use this is to read one devotion each day. ,lease put the
devotion in a special spot2a place where you can have some 3uiet time
with +od. To do the devotion say an opening prayer, read the 4cripture
reading, read the devotion, then ta*e some time to reflect. 5nd the time
with a prayer. The entire process need not ta*e more than ten minutes.
Monday, June 2
6ead 5phesians #"17891
Verses 16-17 are of this chapter are going to be the verses fueling the Doing
Well series this summer. We will encourage everyone to memorie them.
!hey are a powerful e"pression of what how we can #o well in our own
relationship to $o#. %arrying this verse with us is a remin#er of all that $o#
#oes for us.
& pray that' accor#ing to the riches of ($o#)s* glory' $o# may grant that you
may be strengthene# in your inner being with power through his +pirit' an# that
%hrist may #well in your hearts through faith' as you are being roote# an#
groun#e# in love.
,ea# that verse over an# over to#ay. %arry it with you in your poc-et if you
li-e. &t will give you a won#erful sense of security.
Tuesday, June 3
6ead (olossians #"1981:
!hese verses share a beautiful vision of what our human heart can loo- li-e
when we)re #eeply connecte# to $o#. &magine living with compassion'
-in#ness' humility' mee-ness' an# patience.
&t)s har# to imagine this without an active relationship with $o# an# the support
of others in a faith community. When we live without faith or without a
community we can fall into the worst part of ourselves.
!o#ay when you pray' pray that you can live out this vision of what $o# wants
our heart to loo- li-e. .lso thin- of someone who nee#s these wor#s of
encouragement. !his person might be going through a har# time right now.
/ray that they can #iscover the power of this vision from %olossians for their
heart.
Wednesday, June 4
6ead 1 John 7":819
!he writer from 0ohn wante# us to love one another because love is from $o#.
1veryone who -nows $o# -nows love.
1ach congregation has a mission to be an outpost for this -in# of love. !his is
the vision that $o# wants from us. &magine that congregations live# into this
vision. 1veryone who participate# in the congregation was uplifte# to love $o#
because they -new $o# in a #eep way.
/eople outsi#e of the congregation can learn to -now $o# when they encounter
this love in a congregation.
.s you pray to#ay' pray that this love can be the central reality of our new
congregation. /ray that everyone who comes into contact with %hain of 2a-es
comes into contact with this love. !hey #iscover this love because we -now so
#eeply that $o# is love3
Thursday, June 5
6ead ;atthew 98"1!89$
&n this passage 0esus commissione# his own #isciples to go forth an# ma-e
#isciples. 0esus as-e# his followers to meet him on a hill in $alilee. +ome
people thin- that the hill was the same hill where 0esus gave his +ermon on the
4ount.
When the #isciples arrive# at the hill or mountain some of them bowe# #own to
worship him. +ome still #oubte#. We can un#erstan# this #oubt as it woul#
have been very har# to see an alive man who ha# been -ille# 5ust a few #ays
earlier.
0esus) commission to go ma-e #isciples is -nown as the $reat %ommission.
!his %ommission is our %ommission at %hain of 2a-es. We say this in our own
/urpose +tatement when we ac-nowle#ge that part of our purpose is to help
strangers become frien#s.
!he 6ut#oor Worship +ervice on 0une 17 is one opportunity that you can help a
stranger become a frien#. &t is also a way that you can help live out this $reat
%ommission that 0esus gave his #isciples. What a honor it is to 5oin the
#isciples who were at the mountain when we go forth an# ma-e #isciples3
Friday, June 6
6ead John #"1!891
!his +cripture shares the basic message of 0esus. 4any of us have memorie#
it. &f not' it)s worth memoriing to#ay.
$o# so love# the worl# that he gave his only +on' so that everyone who
believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. &n#ee#' $o# #i# not
sen# the +on into the worl# to con#emn the worl#' but in or#er that the worl#
might be save# through him. 0ohn 8916-17
When you invite someone to church you are giving that person the opportunity
to be love# by $o#. !hat person might commit themselves to %hrist an# receive
salvation.
0esus came into the worl# so that everyone woul# be save# by him. .s you pray
to#ay' give than-s for this eternal gift.
Saturday, June 7
6ead ,hilippians 9"1811
&n this beautiful passage the .postle /aul share# the basic message about 0esus
an# 0esus) relationship to the :ather or %reator. 0esus was on the same level as
$o#' but he #i# not see that e;uality with $o# as something to be e"ploite#.
&nstea# he humble# himself as a servant.
When we get connecte# to a faith community we put ourselves into contact with
this awesome humility of 0esus. &nstea# of trying to achieve power we learn that
0esus turne# the table on this power #ynamic. &nstea# of only thin-ing about
ourselves' we open ourselves up to love our neighbor 5ust as much as we love
ourselves.
!o#ay as you pray' pray that the people of our own community can live with this
humility. 4ay we have an un#erstan#ing of power that is far #ifferent than the
worl#)s3
Sunday, June 8
%ome to worship as to#ay is /entecost. !his is the #ay that the church
celebrates the <oly +pirit an# the birth of the church. /astor /aul will be
finishing his sermon series calle#' !he 1 =uestion.
Monday, June 9
,ea# 0ohn 19>8-?1
&nviting people is thought of as 1vangelism an# sometimes we ma-e
1vangelism into something that is much bigger than it is. 2oo- at /hilip in this
story. 0esus foun# /hilip an# sai#' follow me. !hen /hilip foun# @athaniel
an# tol# @athaniel that someone very special ha# come into the worl#A0esus.
!hen /hilip invite# @athaniel to chec- 0esus out by saying' %ome an# see'
0ohn 19>6. !his basic progression can gui#e us as we invite people to the
6ut#oor Worship +ervice on 0une 17. When we invite someone we have to
share why we have #eci#e# to go to this #inner. +o thin- for a momentAwhat
are two simple reasons you have #eci#e# to atten# this #innerB 6nce you -now
them' thin- about how you coul# communicate these i#eas with someone else.
&n sharing your thoughts you aren)t imposing on another personC you)re only
sharing why this is important to you. +o once againAwhat are two simple
reasons you have #eci#e# to atten# this #innerB !he final comment by /hilip to
@athaniel is the best invitationAcome an# see3 %ome chec- it out. &f we
can)t thin- of anything else to say to someone say thatAcome an# chec- out
the 6ut#oor Worship service on 0une 17. !o#ay pray that $o# will give you
the opportunity to e"ten# an invitation to someone.
Tuesday, June 10
,ea# selections from 1"o#us 8 an# >
!his is the famous burning bush story. &n this story $o# as-e# 4oses to go
bac- to 1gypt an# lea# the &sraelites out of 1gypt. Dut 4oses #i#n)t want to goC
he ha# a number of ob5ections. $o# imme#iately respon#e# to 4oses)
ob5ections. Eou an# & probably have ob5ections to inviting someone to the
6ut#oor Worship service. !a-e a moment an# thin- what your greatest
ob5ection is. %onsi#er offering that ob5ection up to $o# in prayer. .s- $o# to
remove that ob5ection from you' 5ust as $o# respon#e# to the ob5ections 4oses
ha# in this story.
Wednesday, June 11
,ea# /salm F8
!o#ay is a #ay to ma-e a list of people who might be intereste# in the 6ut#ooor
Worship service. !a-e ten minutes an# thin- about the following peopleAthe
ten houses closest to us' our ban-er' our barberGstylist' our boss' the teach of our
-i#s or gran#-i#s' the coaches of our -i#s or gran#-i#s' people in our social
groups' our #entist' our eye #octor' our #octor' a co-wor-er. .fter you)ve gone
through this list & woul# be surprise# if you #on)t have at least five people who
#on)t atten# a church. %onsi#er sen#ing these five people information about the
6ut#oor Worship +ervice. !a-e the ne"t step to#ay in your invitations.
Thursday, June 12
,ea# 0ohn >91-8H
0ust the fact that 0esus woul# spea- to a woman was astonishing for women in
0esus) #ay were viewe# as secon# class citiens. We can see that they were
won#ering to themselves why 0esus was spea- to this womanAespecially a
woman who ha# been #ivorce# many times. Eou probably -now someone li-e
thisAa person that normally woul#n)t come to a church but someone who nee#s
$o#' who is searching an# see-ing. !o#ay pray that $o# woul# put in your
min# the name of someone who woul#n)t be viewe# as a goo# church person'
but the name of someone who $o# loves very much. Woul# you consi#er
bringing this person to the 6ut#oor Worship +ervice on 0une 17B
Friday, June 13
,ea# 4atthew F7916-FH
!hese are the last wor#s of 0esus in 4atthew. !hin- of this passage as a
farewell speech. 0esus ha# gathere# his followers for one last tal-. &n the tal-
0esus tol# his followers to go out an# ma-e #isciples. +ome people translate this
passage as go be a #isciple. &t)s a bit har# to fathom' but 0esus teaching is meant
for you an# me tooC it)s not 5ust meant for those first-century followers of 0esus.
<ow e"citing3 <ow scary3 Eou can participate in this by bringing one person
to the 6ut#oor Worship +ervice.
Saturday, June 14
,ea# 2u-e 1?911-8F.
!his is one of the most famous stories about 0esus in the Dible. Eou an# & have
a choice about whether we will be more li-e the father or the ol#er brother in the
story. &f someone came to us who ha# obviously messe# up an# as-e# for
forgiveness woul# we accept the person or woul# we refuse to celebrate with the
personB We -now of people who probably woul# come to a faith community if
they felt the acceptance of the father. &n e"ten#ing an invitation to the 6ut#oor
Worship +ervice we are being li-e the father. We are e"ten#ing hospitality.
Sunday, June 15
%ome to worship as we worship for the last time at Da Vinci .ca#emy until late
.ugust.
Monday, June 16
,ea# 1 %orinthians F91-?
,ea# verse 8 again. !his is probably how some of us feel when we invite
someone to the 6ut#oor worship +erviceAwe feel wea- an# in fear an# in
trembling. ,emember' though that $o# is with us. $o# wants us to share an
invitation with peopleAin fact $o# will encourage us an# help us. +o if we are
nervous about tal-ing to people about the 6ut#oor Worship +ervice then 5ust
thin- of ourselves as letting $o# wor- through us. $o# is on our si#e' but if we
#on)t e"ten# an invitation we are partially preventing $o# from wor-ing
through us. &f you haven)t invite# someone yet' tonight is the night to ma-e the
callAthe 6ut#oor Worship +ervice is coming up on We#nes#ay. %onsi#er
ma-ing the callA$o# is wor-ing through us.
Tuesday, June 17
,ea# 0u#ges 6911-F>
!his is story about $i#eon is not well -nown among people' but $i#eon)s
response to the angel #escribes how many people view $o#. ,ea# verse 18.
$i#eon put $o# on the spotC he ha# stoppe# believing that $o# was intereste# in
him an# the &sraelites. 4any people have this same attitu#e about $o#. !hey
believe that $o# has given up on them. Dy e"ten#ing an invitation to the
6ut#oor Worship +ervice you have the opportunity to share a #ifferent
perspective on $o#Athat $o# really #oes love the person.
Wednesday, June 18
,ea# 2u-e 1H9F?-F7
@o matter what happens at the 6ut#oor Worship +ervice' please -now that $o#
loves you #eeply. <opefully this #evotion has given you an opportunity to
e"plore some +criptures that teach about $o# an# the sharing of $o#)s love for
others. !o#ay pray for a won#erful evening tonight3