Our Associate Pastor, Marcus Breitbarth, wrote an excellent and creative article tying together our year-long ministry theme, "Run the Race," with visualizing the events that take place during the passion of the Christ. Read and be blessed!
Our 2019
theme “Run the Race” is underway! Pastor
Spicer did a great job in the first two sermons in this series getting us
focused on how our Christian lives are like a race in the faith.
This theme
is meaningful for me for I was a runner for many years. I ran throughout middle school, high school,
and college.
When I was
in high school, our cross-country running team did something kind of
different. Before the section and state championship
meets, we had visualization sessions.
The coach had a visualization video that put us in a “state of hypnosis”
so that we could visualize the upcoming race.
With us
“Running the Race” in 2019, maybe we should consider some visualization. Can we imagine our faith and the faith of
those in our church growing more and more?
Can we imagine strengthening the Christian love that we share as a congregation? Can we imagine growing the flock more this
year than ever before? Can we be
creative and imagine making a difference for Christ in our neighborhood,
community, and world? What do we visualize? What steps do we need to take to make
positive visions become a reality? How
does each one of us fit into this vision?
We should take some time and reflect.
You and I can develop answers to these questions together! We each do our part and together God moves
His mission forward!
As we move
forward, we know where the strength, guidance, comfort, and peace come
from. It comes from the same God who
graciously forgives us, loves us, blesses us, and places His Spirit in our
hearts! We visualize that which is the
heart of our faith. Daily through
Scripture reading, prayer, devotions, and personal reflection, we visualize
Jesus suffering, death, and resurrection!
For this
next part, I invite you to stop after each statement and visualize. Take time to reflect on Jesus as your Savior
and give Him thanks! First, visualize
Jesus sharing His Last Supper with His disciples…Imagine Jesus praying with
anguish in the Garden…Visualize Jesus healing Malchus’ ear after Peter cut it
off…Imagine Jesus before Pilate…Picture the crown of thorns on Jesus’ head…Imagine
the whipping…Visualize the crowd choosing Barabbas…Picture Jesus being so hurt
that He could not carry His own cross…Visualize the nails piercing His flesh…Hear
the hammer pound! Feel the nails! Imagine the crowds gathered around the cross mocking
Him… Picture Jesus struggling to breath…Imagine
Jesus crying out with a loud cry and giving up His Spirit…Visualize the curtain
tearing in two…Imagine the earth shaking and tombs busting open… Picture the soldier piercing Jesus’ side and
blood and water flow…Visualize the women going to the tomb Easter morning…Imagine
them finding it empty and then seeing their Savior! Picture Jesus appearing to His disciples for
40 days and then ascending back into heaven…Imagine Jesus coming again! Remember that Jesus did and will do all these
things because He loves you! Fall on
your knees, pray, and give Him thanks!
In this Lent
and Easter season, God help us all to visualize our Lord and Savior Jesus and
what He did for us and in the process fall deeper and deeper in love with
Him. God help us imagine how we can
share the Gospel with others for Jesus died for all and desires that all come
to the truth and are saved.
As we “Run
the Race”, God will strengthen our faith and equip us to share it with
others. 2019 is going to be a great year
lived in God’s grace and by His power!
