River's Edge Community Church

Saturday is a day where we focus on trusting God as we walk more and more in grace.

My prayer goal for this week is __________________________________________.
My prayer goal last week was ___________________________________________.


Let’s pray:
Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be your name
Your kingdom come,
Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread
And forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors.
And lead us, not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.


Read the following passage from John 17:13-19
     “I am coming to you now, but I say these things while I am still in the world, so that they may have the full measure of my joy within them. I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world. My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified."


Learning to Trust God: A Week in Review
Let’s review some of the goals for this week to help us think through what it means to be a disciple, to be transformed in our hearts.

Our goals for this week were:

• We are attempting to engage our culture skillfully at some point.
• We are having more spiritual conversations with people who are lost, conversations that are winsome, gentle, gracious and engaging.
• Unchurched people see us as a loving people; and they speak highly of our character, integrity and compassionate lifestyle.
• We are growing in our awareness of the needs of others (both here and around the world) and how we can make a difference in their lives.
• We feel we are removing (and not creating) barriers to faith in the lives of people so that the only barrier left is the clear offense of the cross.

What has this week added to your understanding of what it means to be a disciple?

Having thought through this topic this week, which of these goals do you feel is your strongest? Which one is the most challenging?

Where have you seen God at work in your life this week to produce his character in you?

It is possible that you didn’t see many indicators of God at work this week.  If you didn’t, were there any extenuating circumstances or possible reasons?

What one thing struck you from your readings this week that you want to hang on to in the upcoming weeks?


The Joy of Being a Child of God
Jesus calls us to follow him into the world and to be salt and light. As his ambassadors, we are to show the beauty, grace, truth and love of Jesus wherever we go. By simply being Christ followers, we are to have a positive influence on those around us. But too often, the church retreats from her calling and finds comfort in withdrawing from the world and forming holy huddles. Instead of engaging our culture, we are much more prone to baptize secular culture and form a Christian copy. Some of this can be good. Some of this is simply bad art, and some of this is an attempt to deceive ourselves into thinking we can avoid the sins of our culture if we avoid the external husk. Jesus, however, calls us to be in the world but not of it. What does that mean to you? How can we do that so that we avoid a fortress-church mentality and the spirit of triumphalism that says we can do whatever we want and not be effected?


A Thought to Ponder
"Smart-alecky speech doesn't even work. It may win applause, but it does not win hearts. It hardens the person who feels targeted, because he feels mocked and misrepresented. It increases bad feeling and anger. No one changed his mind on an issue because he was humiliated into it. In fact, we are misguided even to think of our opponents in the 'culture wars' as enemies in the first place. They are not our enemies, but hostages of the Enemy. We have a common Enemy who seeks to destroy us both, by locking them in confusion and by luring us to self-righteous pomposity."  (Federica Mathewes-Green)


One Thing
Today, we invite you to go on a prayer walk (you determine the length and the time); and as you are walking, pray that God would give you a vision for how he wants you to engage your world better. As you pass by people, pray for them. If you pass by a business, pray for its success. If you pass by something of beauty, give thanks for it. If you pass by something that stirs up a memory, pray about it. Wherever you go, pray about what you see as God leads you and ask him to give you wisdom how best to touch the world around you with his grace and truth, beauty and goodness.


Closing Prayer
Abba Father, pour out your love upon us so that we may love you and love our neighbor as ourselves. Give us wisdom that we may engage our world with your truth. Give us compassion that we may speak with tenderness. Give us courage that we may always be faithful and give us hearts of faith that we may seek your glory in everything we do. Today, we give ourselves to you, body, soul and spirit and ask that you advance your kingdom in us and through us. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen.