Good morning, Courageous People!
Christ was in the business of creating space for the marginalized of His day. Jesus Christ authentically saw and mingled with people with bonds of unconditional divine love. Compassion and empathy were dispensed to every soul. According to John, "The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil's work" (1 John 3:8). Well, wait a minute, if Jesus came to destroy the work of the devil (and He did), and I am a follower of Christ, then that means I too am given the power to destroy the devil's work. I know what you're thinking, "whoa, PK, that's a stretch, and a little sus (Gen Z language)." I hear you! But check out what our Savior says, "I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you" (Luke 10:19). He has given us the authority to overcome the enemy.
Let's be honest, friends; the enemy is busy. His purpose is to steal, kill, and destroy; however, Jesus has overturned his kingdom's death and given us a Kingdom of life. We are called to proclaim victorious life to the world and overcome the power of the devil through the power of the Holy Spirit (don't try to do this alone and don't go looking for a fight). So, practically and relationally, how do I overcome the power of the devil? Well, I would like to present a simple answer—be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger (James 1:19). I promise you that this isn't coming from leftfield. One evil that has become normalized is the neglect of actively listening to each other's narratives with love and respect. I believe that when we authentically connect with another person's story through active listening, commonalities, respect, and love begin to grow. Take time to listen and begin to dismantle the devil's strongholds by listening to each other and keeping each other accountable for Christ's calling on each of our lives.
Have a great day listening to the other.
PS.
We have a wonderful ministry ingrained in our DNA and core identity—Project Impact! Project Impact is a beautiful opportunity for us to connect and serve our community in practical ways. We are celebrating our 40th year of serving Lincoln, and we would love each of you to be part of this community service day, September 9th at 8:00 AM underneath the Clocktower! Signups are coming soon but till then, enjoy this video that further explains the beauty of Project Impact!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zo5JvHJMNwU