If you want to be baptized, or are interested in hearing more about baptism, here are some next steps!
- The Baptism Class - February 21 @ 12:45 PM in the box office
Before each baptism event, Mission hosts a baptism class that helps people learn more about baptism, ask questions about how it fits into their stories, and hear about other people's journey toward baptism.
- The Baptism Form - sign up for the baptism event on February 28
Before being baptized, we ask everyone to complete the baptism form. It's a great way to walk though your own story before making the decision to go public with your faith!
Mike Breaux will be leading men through a discussion about becoming the kind of men God wants us to be at home, on the job, in our neighborhood, and in our world. And... there will be lots of bacon.
Wednesday, February 17 from 7:00 - 8:00 AM
Wednesday, February 24 from 7:00 - 8:00 AM
Wednesday, March 2 from 7:00 - 8:00 AM
We are a group of imperfect people pursuing a perfect God. We exist to help each other find and follow Christ. We aim to passionately love Jesus, ruthlessly eliminate ego, courageously live in grace and truth, confidently know who we are in Christ, unconditionally trust God, intentionally live better stories, and selflessly extend compassion.
These are some things we want to be true of our group:
- We create a safe and honest environment, staying transparent and authentic.
- We keep it inside the circle. Confidentiality is necessary for a healthy group.
- We look together to the Bible for help and guidance, and keep out our own politics, sales, or agendas.
- We do not try to fix each other, preach sermons, or give unsolicited advice. We instead encourage, listen to, and celebrate each other.
- We handle conflict between us quickly and honestly by going to the person, owning our part, and practicing forgiveness.
- We respect each others’ time by starting and ending when we say we will.
- We trust that it is God’s role to change people, not ours.
- We believe that in Jesus Christ, there is hope for everyone.
Comeback stories manage to strike a chord inside the very core of our beings, making us realize that our circumstances do not always get the final say in our lives. In this series, we'll explore some of the remarkable comeback stories found in the bible, only to see that in the ind, our story is a comeback story too.
This week Jodi walked us through the life of Naomi, a woman who lost her husband and sons in a foreign city. She even changed her name to "Mara", saying that because God forgotten her, she could call herself nothing but "bitter". But God was at work crafting her comeback story, redeeming her through the undeserved kindness of a man named Boaz. Naomi's empty life because full again with hope, a future, and grace.
CONNECT
- Great comeback stories usually have something important in common: someonebesides the underdog that makes the comeback story a reality. Who are some of those people in your favorite comeback stories?
- Why do you think we often forget about the person walking alongside the underdog?
DISCOVER
The book of Ruth was written about 1000 B.C. as a historical narrative about some key characters in the genealogy of Jesus. It was written during a tumultuous time in Jewish history, and shows us the type of love and devotion that God both desires and has for his people.
Read Ruth 1:1-2, 15-17, 20-21 together.
(1) In the days when the judges ruled, there was a famine in the land. So a man from Bethlehem in Judah, together with his wife and two sons, went to live for a while in the country of Moab. (2) The man’s name was Elimelek, his wife’s name was Naomi, and the names of his two sons were…
(3) Now Elimelek, Naomi’s husband, died, and she was left with her two sons.
(4) They married Moabite women, one named Orpah and the other Ruth.
(5) Naomi was left without her two sons and her husband.
(15) “Look,” said Naomi, “your sister-in-law is going back to her people and her gods. Go back with her.”
(16) But Ruth replied, “Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. (17) Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord deal with me, be it ever so severely, if even death separates you and me.”
(20) “Don’t call me Naomi,” she told them. “Call me Mara, because the Almighty has made my life very bitter. (21) I went away full, but the Lord has brought me back empty. Why call me Naomi? The Lord has afflicted me; the Almighty has brought misfortune upon me.”
- What stands out to you the most from this part of the story?
- Why does Naomi react to her tragedy by pushing away her new daughters-in-law?
- What do you think drove Ruth to make the decision to stay with Naomi after her husband's death? What do you think of Naomi's response to Ruth's incredible decision to stay with her?
APPLY
- Elimelek made a huge decision for his family by leaving God's people during the famine, trying to take matters into his own hands. Have you experienced times of "famine" like that? What did you run to when you didn't think God was going to show up?
- Naomi responded to loss and tragedy by withdrawing from the people that were devoted to her. How do you respond to tragedy and loss? Do you withdraw, lean in, complain, blame God...?
- Ruth 2:3 says "As it turned out... she was working in a field belong to Boaz..."
"As it turned out..." God had Naomi and Ruth in the exact right place at the exact right time. Have you had moments like that, where you've found yourself in just the right place? Did you realize or see at the time what God was up to?
- This week's comeback story is Naomi's... but Naomi's story is totally dependent on Ruth and Boaz. What does that reality tell us about how God does comebacks? How does it challenge our typical view of comeback stories?
- 1 Peter 1:18-19 says...
“For you know that God paid a ransom to redeem you..... And it was not paid with mere gold or silver, which lose their value. 19 It was the precious blood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God.”
...and in Isaiah 44:22 God says...
“I have swept away your offenses like a cloud, your sins like the morning mist. Return to me, for I have redeemed you.”
Naomi's story of redemption points us back to the way that Jesus redeemed us, paying His life to buy our lives back from death. Think about what that redemption means in your life; what in you has God moved from sorrow to joy?
- Ruth and Boaz gave birth to Obed, whose line led to King David, and eventually led to Jesus' birth! God used Boaz and Ruth, two ordinary people, to transform not only Naomi's life, but eventually the entire world! Where is God using you in someone else's comeback story? What opportunities do you have in front of you to be used by God?
EXPERIENCE
Let's keep those #mycomebackstory videos coming!
Everyone's story is powerful, and deserves to be heard. Follow the instructions below to share your comeback story and tell your world how God has transformed your life!
*you can also pick up a copy at Connection Point on Sundays*
COMEBACK...
...to a God Who Is Personal (Paul) - Week 1
...to a God Who Redeems (Naomi) - Week 2
...to a God Who Forgives (David) - Week 3
...OUR Comeback - Week 4
RUTH 1:1-2
(1) In the days when the judges ruled, there was a famine in the land. So a man from Bethlehem in Judah, together with his wife and two sons, went to live for a while in the country of Moab. (2) The man’s name was Elimelek, his wife’s name was Naomi, and the names of his two sons were…
(3) Now Elimelek, Naomi’s husband, died, and she was left with her two sons.
(4) They married Moabite women, one named Orpah and the other Ruth.
(5) Naomi was left without her two sons and her husband.
RUTH 1:15-17
(15) “Look,” said Naomi, “your sister-in-law is going back to her people and her gods. Go back with her.”
(16) But Ruth replied, “Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. (17) Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord deal with me, be it ever so severely, if even death separates you and me.”
RUTH 1:20-21
(20) “Don’t call me Naomi,” she told them. “Call me Mara, because the Almighty has made my life very bitter. (21) I went away full, but the Lord has brought me back empty. Why call me Naomi? The Lord has afflicted me; the Almighty has brought misfortune upon me.”
"NAOMI" → PLEASANTNESS
"MARA" → BITTER
RUTH 2:3B
As it turned out, she was working in a field belonging to Boaz, who was from the clan of Elimelek.
RUTH 2:10B-12
(10b) “She asked him, “Why have I found such favor in your eyes that you notice me—a foreigner?”
(11) “Boaz replied, “I’ve been told all about what you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband—how you left your father and mother and your homeland and came to live with a people you did not know before. (12) May the Lord repay you for what you have done. May you be richly rewarded by the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge.”
RUTH 2:20B
"He is one of our guardian-redeemers.”
RUTH 3:9-11
“I am your servant Ruth,” she said. “Spread the corner of your garment over me, since you are a guardian-redeemer of our family.”
(10)“The Lord bless you, my daughter,” he replied. “This kindness is greater than that which you showed earlier: You have not run after the younger men, whether rich or poor. (11) And now, my daughter, don’t be afraid. I will do for you all you ask. All the people of my town know that you are a woman of noble character.”
RUTH 4:13-17
(13) So Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife. When he made love to her, the Lord enabled her to conceive, and she gave birth to a son. (14) The women said to Naomi: “Praise be to the Lord, who this day has not left you without a guardian-redeemer. May he become famous throughout Israel! (15) He will renew your life and sustain you in your old age. For your daughter-in-law, who loves you and who is better to you than seven sons, has given him birth.”
(16) Then Naomi took the child in her arms and cared for him. (17) The women living there said, “Naomi has a son!” And they named him Obed.”
COURAGE...
...to trust Him.
...to be in His presence.
...to make your way back to God in the midst of loss.
FRIENDSHIP...
...in the middle of grief and tragedy.
...that is real, authentic, necessary.
GRACE...
...looks like undeserved kindness.
...is what we all need everyday.
...is easy to give when once we've received it.
PSALM 68:6
God sets the lonely in families.
REDEMPTION
"REDEEM" :: to buy back, to save, vindicate, recover, reclaim
RUTH 4:16B
“And they named him Obed. He was the father of Jesse, the father of David.”
1 PETER 1:18-19
(18) For you know that God paid a ransom to redeem you..... And it was not paid with mere gold or silver, which lose their value. (19) It was the precious blood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God.”
ISAIAH 44:22
"I have swept away your offenses like a cloud, your sins like the morning mist. Return to me, for I have redeemed you.”
PSALM 130:7
Put your hope in the LORD, for with the LORD is unfailing love, and with him is full redemption.