If you would rather watch than
read click here: http://youtu.be/Kj2hruy0YDo
Children born to a young man
are like arrows in a warrior’s hands. How joyful is the man whose quiver is
full of them! He will not be put to shame when he confronts his accusers at the
city gates. Psalm 127:4, 5 NLT
This is a scripture that warms
the heart of most parents. They get warm fuzzies just thinking about a quiver
full of arrows with multiple colors on the end of the shaft which represents
the pictures of their children on the mantle. I love them so much, the thinking
goes, I won’t let anything happen to them!
But that is not the metaphor the
Bible is using. The purpose of an arrow is to be sent. Arrows are for shooting.
How else would the man confront the accusers at the city gate? The Psalmist
isn’t glowing over his
accumulation of arrows or children. He wants to win the battle.
The enemy doesn’t play fair, and
he doesn’t care about what is important to you. His one mission is to overthrow
the plan of God, and he is hell bent on undermining it anyway he can. The
battle will come right to you and your home.
The safest place to be on earth
is the center of His will. Many parents are over protective of their children.
The lie that we, as mere parents can ultimately protect our children from all
problems in life does the children more harm than good. It doesn’t teach them
to depend on their Creator who alone can protect and provide for them. Neither
does it allow them to develop problem solving skills.
Safety in this world is mostly
just an illusion. This is a painful truth! However, it is also true that in
Christ you are safe enough. It is better to put your children in places where
they will learn to trust God and fight for themselves in a spiritual way than
to send the signal that the most important thing in life is their safety.
Are you trying to protect your
children against faith risks? If so, you will find yourself working against
God. When your life is in His hands, there is no better way to live than to
live SENT.
Gary Kendall
www.livingsent.net/devotionals
Week 6, SENT Day 4, Devo 29
If you would rather watch than
read click here: http://youtu.be/bSVfne-ieSU
For the Son of Man came to
seek and save those who are lost. Luke 19:10 NLT
One summer day Belinda took our
only vehicle, our van, and left me at home with all three of our kids. She had
her doubts, but I convinced her I could take care of them. I even felt
confident about it, imagine that! Our three children: Kristen, Jeremy, and
Luke, were grade school age at that time.
I was doing my best when I
realized that Luke, our youngest, who was about five years of age, was not
around. He liked to hide from us, so I assumed this was a game. I looked in all
the normal places and called for him until I was no longer amused. I went
outside and noticed the gate to our fenced backyard in our suburban
neighborhood stood wide open! Our Dalmatian, named Princess, was gone, too!
Oh great, I thought, I’ve lost a
kid and the dog. Lord, please don’t let Belinda come home now!
The minutes crawled by as I
searched desperately for Luke. I called his name from every corner of our yard
all the while aware I had two other children to watch inside. Every minute lost
meant that the chances of finding him decreased. What if he was in trouble?
What if someone had kidnapped him? What if he was in pain?
I don’t have words to describe
the lump in my throat and the knot in my stomach but I bet you can imagine. I
had flashbacks of when our daughter, Megan, had died, several years prior. I
felt paralyzed and frantic at the same time.
It didn’t matter to me at that
moment that I still had two kids who were safe. One was lost! That was what
mattered!
I stood in the front yard and
created a plan with a mental checklist. I would need to farm the kids out to
the neighbors, call the police, and start a search. At that moment, Luke
appeared at the end of the block, hot and exhausted, dragging an unwilling dog
behind him. The story is that Princess had escaped from our backyard and
Luke had followed her all the way to the neighborhood park. She had been headed
for the nearby creek.
He had caught her by the chain
and brought her back. My knees went weak from relief. I wanted to shout but
what came out was more like a cry. My son was alive and he was coming home!
That day I had a new awareness of
the urgent concern God feels for each of His children who are presently outside
of relationship with Him. I must join Jesus in living SENT to help His children
find their way home!
Gary Kendall
www.livingsent.net/devotionals
Week 6, SENT, Day 3 Devo 28
If you would rather watch than
read click here: http://youtu.be/CHf7TJ5m7yQ
Faith is the confidence that
what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we
cannot see. Hebrews 11:1 NLT
Living SENT requires that we
venture beyond the safety of our comfort zone. Don’t put God in a box. He is
God, and you are not. Practice trust and dependence on God by regularly
allowing God to stretch you.
Take time to read Hebrews 11, and
you will find a Hall of Fame for those who have responded to God’s call by
saying, ‘Yes’!. My guess is that they didn’t have all the answers but they
excelled at faith. By faith Abel brought a more acceptable offering to God than
Cain…by faith Noah built a large boat to save his family from the flood. He
obeyed God, who warned him about things that had never happened before…by faith
Abraham obeyed when God called him to leave home…and without faith it is
impossible to please God.
My experience with following God
tells me God will continually test any places I’m unwilling to yield to Him. If
there are places where I want to be in control, I find He regularly moves me
out of my little box to help me think like He thinks.
Life here on this earth is not
about our comfort, and the sooner we realize that the better. Are you willing
to allow God to break your heart with the things that break His heart?
Be open to the Holy Spirit’s
leading. Sometimes I get it wrong but don’t be afraid to be wrong. The more you
act on what you think God is saying the better you will become at hearing. And
if you are faithful with what God trusts to you, He will give you more.
Conversely, if you ignore God and
tune Him out, you hear less and less. We don’t always have the benefit of carefully
contemplating every option life gives. Opportunities sometimes appear where
time is of the essence, if you miss the moment, you don’t always get a second
chance. They disappear. And you are left asking, Why doesn’t God use me more?
Exercise faith today.
Gary Kendall
www.livingsent.net/devotionals
Week 6 SENT, Day 4 Devo 27
If you would rather watch than
read click here: http://youtu.be/a5LD7LNXGDo
All of God’s promises have
been fulfilled in Christ with a resounding “Yes!” And through Christ our “Amen”
(which means ‘Yes’) ascends to God for his glory. 2 Corinthians 1:20 NLT
You are going to be asked to go
to China and India and when you are, you are to say, “Yes.” Those were the
words I heard in my head as I walked out of a conference center after speaking
to a group of pastors in Monterrey, Mexico. It was both confusing and exciting
to hear!
Where did that thought come from?
God? I didn’t even know anyone planning trips to Asia. If those thoughts came
from God there must be some adventure coming my way, I thought. It all felt
rather surreal.
Was I imagining it? Less than a
minute later, I walked into a conversation with Donna Thomas, the Founder and
the President of Project Partner. The first words she spoke to me were in the
form of a question. She asked me directly, Will you go to China and India with
me?
Without any hesitation I answered
her, Yes! Shocked, she responded, No one ever says, ‘Yes,’ the first time I ask
them!
Well, if they had experienced
what I had just experienced they would say, ‘Yes,’ too. I replied.
I told her the back story. She
was ecstatic! I was in a daze. What had just happened? In the next few years, I
did go to India twice and then to China multiple times. Years later, Donna
asked me to lead Project Partner, an international ministry, now focused on
China. I found someone else who would say yes and that was Kristen Levitt who
became the Director of Project Partner.
Here’s the point of the story,
Dare to say ‘Yes’ when God asks you to go.
I know there is an appropriate
process in decision making, and I don’t want to undermine that, but make your
default response, Yes, instead of No. Unless you have a negative prompting in
your spirit lead with a Yes. You may never know what adventures with the Holy
Spirit you will miss if you close the door before you ever begin.
What has God asked you to do that
you need to respond to with a ‘Yes’? Where has He asked you to go? If you
haven’t already had an experience like this will you say, ‘Yes’, when He does
call?
Gary Kendall
www.livingsent.net/devotionals
Week 6, SENT, Day 1 Devo 26
If you
would rather watch than read click here: http://youtu.be/7hNdEPvKW5I
In the same way, let your good
deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly
Father. Matthew 5:16 NLT
It all started when Tom Bassford,
the Live Out Director at Indian Creek Community Church, asked the right
question, How can we serve you? That question launched a six year and counting
ministry at Countryside Elementary School that is still growing.
It started with backpacks.
Ironically, while the church leaders were attempting to figure out if we had
the manpower and time to recruit backpacks for under resourced children a
junior high student, Brittany Outler, went out and did it. She and a couple of
her friends went to their neighbors and collected 64 backpacks and the supplies
to fill them. That Christmas Indian Creek also provided gifts for those
families plus more. Then longer term solutions like mentors and Youth Friends
were offered. Volunteers from Indian Creek helped with Field Day and field
trips.
Then we became aware that kids
who received a free lunch when school was in session didn’t have meals during
vacations. So we gathered their backpacks (200+) and filled them with food for the
Christmas break. Next we were invited to participate in and lead a joint Summer
Camp with the school staff. By this time it seemed that when we thought of
ministries at the church we thought of the school and when the school thought
of partners they thought of the church. So much for separation of church and
state!
Terry Geenens, who was Indian
Creek’s children’s leader, was moved to resign her role at the church and take
on the challenge of launching a Life Enrichment Program. Her vision is to break
the cycle of poverty by providing mentoring and participation in the Arts,
character development, martial arts and basic life skills. Her efforts are
creating a model for the Olathe School District.
Where, what or who needs the
passion, giftedness and life experience you have?
Gary Kendall
www.livingsent.net/devotionals
Week 5, Live Out, Day 5, Devo 25
If you would rather watch than read click here: http://youtu.be/JUuZP4jnQek
Share your food with the hungry, and give
shelter to the homeless. Give clothes to those who need them, and do not hide
from relatives who need your help. Isaiah 58:7
NLT
It started with a guitar and ultimately impacted
South Africa. Tim Stout, a good friend of mine who plays the guitar, patterned
his style after Paul Simon of Simon and Garfunkel fame. Tim played Simon’s
tunes over and over to learn the chord progressions, rhythms, and lyrics. The
music wasn’t the only thing that grew on him. Tim identified with soul of the
musician and he began to think beyond himself.
Many years later, Tim now works at Hallmark, plays
the guitar for worship gatherings, and for fun. Truth be told, he’s still
pretty serious about the guitar. He’s expanded his activism considerably as he
has added new interests and skill sets. Artist, photographer, and software
designer describe parts of his vocation. His avocation is to use his talents
for God and in so doing become a world changer.
Tim is a Global Champion for South Africa at
Indian Creek Community Church. The holy discontent inside Tim strains to make a
difference in the fight against AIDS. Multiple trips as a team leader to
Kwa-dick, South Africa, gave him a firsthand understanding of the plight of a
nation grappling with a national epidemic.
An question gripped Tim’s mind. What if he
combined his gifts, natural talents, life experience, and marketplace skill set
into the creation of a documentary? Call Her Momma was the award winning
result. In it he described how one mamma could impact a whole city. In the
process, he realized in a fresh way the impact he could have on the world around
him.
What if you combined your gifts, natural talents,
life experience and marketplace skills into something you offered God and this
world as your gift? What would that look like? Will you?
Gary Kendall
www.livingsent.net/devotionals
Week 5, Live Out, Day 3, Devo 23
Click here if you would rather
watch than read: http://youtu.be/MB_fb5uiwkM
Thank you for making me so
wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it. Psalm 139:14 NLT
I have a beautiful friend named
Valera. She’s with Jesus now, but I’ll treasure her memory forever. She was
born with a birth defect that never allowed her to grow taller than four feet
one inch. Her spine was so deformed that she walked in a stooped forward manner.
As a child Valera was
self-conscious as you might expect. But while still young she asked God to show
her why He made her the way He did. She wanted to know what He had for her to
do. God loves it when you ask Him that question. He came through for her.
Valera decided that God created
her to be a grade school teacher. After all, she reasoned, I’m their (the
students) height. They weren’t afraid of her. In fact, she believed she had an
unfair advantage over the other teachers. Her size and shape leveled the
playing field for the student and teacher. They loved her.
Valera loved Jesus. It was
impossible to miss. She was joyful even though she had a lot to overcome
physically. She loved to tease and play practical jokes. She didn’t see any
reason why she should sit and stew over her condition.
Valera could storm the gates of
heaven or hell with her prayers. She prayed for the children in her classes by
name daily during the school year. She taught for over twenty-five years in the
public school system and for over forty years in Sunday school classes. We will
never know on earth the full effect of her life, but I’m sure it was HUGE!
Like Valera, you were born like
you were to give glory to God. Jesus doesn’t make mistakes. You aren’t an
accident. He may not have prevented the heartache you’ve experienced but
neither is He finished with you yet. He wants to transform your weakness into
strength. There is more to come to your story if you too will live out the love
of Jesus.
What if from today forward you
began to look at the difficult things in your life as a blessing in disguise.
Jesus has allowed it for some reason. Isn’t it about time to learn why and make
the most of it?
Gary Kendall
www.livingsent.net/devotionals
Week 5, Live Out, Day 2, Devo 22
