Savoring the Savior

Savoring

the Savior: Intimate Encounters with Jesus

April 29, 2025

The Chosen Moments The Gospel of John tells us that "Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written" (21:25).

As you consider ALL that Jesus said and did, it seems clear that God picked specific snapshots of his life and ministry to be shared by the gospel writers. Have you ever wondered why God chose to share these particular gospel narratives? What is it that God wants us to know as we read about and interact with this Jesus?

What do these narratives reveal about Jesus's relationship with the Father and the Spirit? What do they reveal about His heart and who He is?

As we see and experience His heart, how does it form and shape our heart for Him and others? What does this mean for you, your relationships, the world, the Kingdom of God, and your place in them?

Consider this time today an invitation—an invitation to hang out with and get to know your brother and savior Jesus as you notice the little, and not so little, things that the Gospels reveal about Him: His heart, His love, His passion, His zeal, His posture toward others, etc.

Pause for a moment now and ask God to settle your heart and mind that, in this intentional space today, you would receive from Him what He wants to show you about Jesus and enable you to savor it.

Holy Imagination!

Have you thought about how remarkable it is to have an imagination? For instance, consider some of what is happening when you pick up a storybook and begin to read…

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Savoring the Savior The story begins as a spark of imagination in the author's mind; a vivid mental landscape where characters breathe, settings unfold, and plots develop. The author translates these mental images into carefully chosen words, sentences, and paragraphs that capture the essence of their vision. These words then become a bridge, carrying the author's imagination across time and space to the reader. As readers encounter these words, their brains perform a remarkable act of reconstruction, using the text as blueprints to build their own mental images, sounds, emotions, and sensations. The reader's imagination fills in details, connects with personal experiences, and brings the story to life in a way that is both guided by the author's words and uniquely their own, creating an intimate collaboration between writer and reader that transcends the physical page.

The truth is our imaginations are not only a gift from God, but also a part of the way His image is reflected in us. Our God is an imaginative God whose imagination is put on display in both His creation and also in His revealed Word. Author Larry Warner notes: "In the opening chapters of Genesis, the earth is formless and void, and the Spirit of God moves across its surface. Out of nothing but God's own imagination, light, sky, mountains, valleys, and all of life are created! The final book of Revelation is bursting with dramatic images and descriptions of Jesus, heaven, the turmoil of the world, and the birth of a new heaven and a new earth. From the first page of Scripture to the last, we fully engage imagination as a vehicle to transport us through this amazing story of creation and redemption, good versus evil, power, love, grace, and hope.

The Bible is written imaginatively because we are imaginative. These dramatic pictures exist to help us enter into the living word of God, to look beyond the seen to the unseen (2 Corinthians 4:18), and to fully embrace the truth that in God we live, move, and have our being. Imagination gives us entrance into the mystery of God and God's word. We can imaginatively enter the Gospel stories using all of our senses; our imaginations allow us to be present, to see, smell, taste, touch, and hear what is unfolding. We don't just read about the manger, the garden, and the cross; we hear the cries of the newborn king, feel a Son's pain as he pleads with his Father, and see the nails driven into the tender flesh of our Savior."

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Savoring the Savior Today, you are being offered an opportunity to employ a holy imagination as you engage with select gospel narratives. This is not a self-focused, subjective experience.

Rather, it is a Spirit-infused, God-directed use of your imagination, guided by Biblical truths and the realities of God's character. Through this practice, you can experientially enter into the Gospel stories, trusting God through His Spirit to teach and reveal something more of what it means to know and experience His love and to see His Kingdom come.

NOTE: The capacity for imagination varies amongst individuals. Don't worry if you are not one who can visualize Biblical stories with high definition and color. Simply use your imagination as you are able and trust that God meets you in that. Be gracious and patient with yourself…and enjoy!

About this Guide Gospel narratives offer us an opportunity for a deeper, more intimate understanding of Jesus. They are not simply stories we read with facts and details to learn and know, they are something more like living landscapes where our own hearts can be met, challenged, and renewed. This guide provides direction to explore six gospel encounters with Jesus—each a mirror, a window, and a doorway.

As always, feel free to approach this guide and this time as you see fit. There is no pressure to have an amazing life-altering experience, and there is no prize for completing everything in this guide…you might not even make it through one of the sections. This is a time to intentionally make space to be with God. Linger for a while where you feel most engaged and understood. Skip sections if you wish, but avoid hurrying through.

Your Heavenly Father is already here, delighted to be with you, and He might just have some things He would like to show you…

Using the Mirror, Window, and Doorway Framework This three-part framework is intended to offer a structured yet flexible approach that engages both our minds and hearts while the Holy Spirit works to bring the gospel narratives to life, helping us to see ourselves honestly and truly, behold Jesus fully and consider how we are being called to receive and respond.

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Savoring the Savior A Mirror As a mirror, these gospel passages reflect deep parts of ourselves back to us, revealing layers we often leave unexamined—our unacknowledged longings, hidden doubts, and silent hopes. As we engage, the Holy Spirit brings to light the tensions within us: where our formal theology (stated beliefs) contradict our functional theology (lived-out actions), where our fears compete with our faith, where our genuine desire for honest vulnerability with God intermingles with our self-protective distancing. This kind of mirror-work invites an honest recognition of our resistance and receptivity, tilling ground for the renewing work of the Spirit who convinces us of who we truly are and to whom we truly belong.

A Window These gospel narratives open like a window through which we witness Jesus in His full humanity and divinity, revealing the contours of His character, the graciousness of His mission, and the depth of His love. As we gaze through this window, we observe Christ's posture toward others—His tenderness with the broken, His challenge to the proud, His patience with the confused—allowing the scene to unfold with vivid clarity. The Holy Spirit brings out details we might otherwise miss: the loving nuance in Jesus' gestures, the intentional gentleness of His touch, the profound wisdom in His responses that transcend cultural expectations. This window-gazing moves us from abstract theology into intimate encounter as we grow in knowing not just facts about Jesus, but His very heart.

A Doorway There is a way in which each gospel encounter with Jesus stands as an open doorway inviting us not merely to observe but to come and receive grace upon grace as we participate in God's redemptive movement in the world, starting first in our own hearts. As we cross through this threshold, we are called to a response—repentance, deeper trust and dependence, bold action…all playing a part in the story that God is writing. Entering in leads us out to mission, where our individual encounters with Jesus necessarily expand into an embodied love and concern for others, bearing witness that we have been with Jesus and now bear the same family likeness.

Through this doorway, we cross from merely knowing about Jesus to being fundamentally changed by Him.

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Savoring the Savior Settling In We are all in this together As you begin this journey, be encouraged in knowing you are not alone. Many others, connected through our shared home office community, are also meeting with God today. Each of you uniquely reflects God's image through the particular and special ways that He has designed you. Each time we come together, we have the precious opportunity to see a fuller picture of who God is as expressed through our collective image bearing.

Pause for a moment. Reflect on this beautiful tapestry of individuals, each one a unique thread in God's grand design. Then, pray for them and for yourself that you will have a real sense of the Lord's presence and favor.

Check Your Baggage with Jesus You are most likely coming into today with myriad concerns, worries, frustrations, hopes, desires, and expectations. Begin by giving those over to Jesus: With just a word or two for each, make a list of these things on paper or in your head.

Pray a short prayer of surrender over each item as you entrust it to Jesus.

Another option to engage your whole body: locate some small rocks to represent each of the items; as you go for a short walk, pray a short prayer of surrender over each item/rock and then drop that rock.

The anchor: an important tool for the journey It is quite possible that over the course of the day, things will get stirred up inside of you, leaving you feeling unsettled, disconnected, and/or fragmented. Just like a boat anchor keeps the boat securely tethered to solid ground despite the water getting stirred up, it could be helpful as you enter in to have a sort of anchor that will tether your thoughts to solid truths about who God is and who you are.

Write down a word/phrase or draw an image that reminds you of God's power and goodness to provide for you as His beloved child. Come back to this any time throughout the day when you need to be reminded that you are securely held onto.

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Savoring the Savior

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Savoring the Savior Gospel Encounters with Jesus Each of the following exercises invites you to get to know Jesus as you engage with these gospel stories using your imagination to place yourself in the scene paying attention to what God might be wanting you to notice.

To start: Read the passage several times, paying attention to the details. Take note of who is there, what is happening, and what the scene 'feels' like. Who is the central focal point of the story? What challenge do they face? How does it all play out? What is distinctive about this narrative? Read it as many times as necessary to understand its main point and to become familiar with its specifics.

Proceed by working through the passage-specific 'mirror, window, doorway framework' for personal engagement and reflection.

Encounter 1: The Woman at the Well John 4:4-42 (New International Version) Now he had to go through Samaria. So he came to a town in Samaria called Sychar, near the plot of ground Jacob had given to his son Joseph.

Jacob’s well was there, and Jesus, tired as he was from the journey, sat down by the well. It was about noon.

When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, “Will you give me a drink?” (His disciples had gone into the town to buy food.) The Samaritan woman said to him, “You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?” (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.) Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.” “Sir,” the woman said, “you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water? Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did also his sons and his livestock?” Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water so that I won’t get thirsty and have to keep coming

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Savoring the Savior here to draw water.” He told her, “Go, call your husband and come back.”

“I have no husband,” she replied. Jesus said to her, “You are right when you say you have no husband. The fact is, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband. What you have just said is quite true.” “Sir,” the woman said, “I can see that you are a prophet. Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem.” “Woman,” Jesus replied, “believe me, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.” The woman said, “I know that Messiah” (called Christ) “is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.” Then Jesus declared, “I, the one speaking to you—I am he.”

Just then his disciples returned and were surprised to find him talking with a woman. But no one asked, “What do you want?” or “Why are you talking with her?” Then, leaving her water jar, the woman went back to the town and said to the people, “Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Messiah?” They came out of the town and made their way toward him. Meanwhile his disciples urged him, “Rabbi, eat something.” But he said to them, “I have food to eat that you know nothing about.” Then his disciples said to each other, “Could someone have brought him food?” “My food,” said Jesus, “is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work. Don’t you have a saying, ‘It’s still four months until harvest’? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest. Even now the one who reaps draws a wage and harvests a crop for eternal life, so that the sower and the reaper may be glad together. Thus the saying ‘One sows and another reaps’ is true. I sent you to reap what you have not worked for. Others have done the hard work, and you have reaped the benefits of their labor.”

Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, “He told me everything I ever did.” So when the Page 8

Savoring the Savior Samaritans came to him, they urged him to stay with them, and he stayed two days. And because of his words many more became believers. They said to the woman, “We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world.”

A Mirror Imagine yourself as the Samaritan woman, carrying your water jar to the well during the heat of the day. Feel the weight of social isolation, personal history, and unmet spiritual longing. As Jesus speaks to you, listen deeply: What parts of yourself and your story have you been hiding and want to keep hidden?

Where do you experience thirst for deeper connection?

What does it feel like for Jesus to keep engaging you?

Before moving on, take some time to personally reflect and talk with God about the tension you feel between your desire to hide and deflect and the loving, continuous pursuit and invitation of Jesus. Confess the coping strategies you employ to keep him at arm's distance and receive from Him His loving embrace of forgiveness and renewed relationship.

A Window What do you notice about how Jesus truly sees the woman beyond just surface appearances or what one might assume about her?

What subtle movements of Christ's heart do you detect in this encounter?

In what ways does Jesus demonstrate a radical understanding, compassion, and love that moves beyond cultural boundaries?

A Doorway Trace the landscape of being fully known and loved by Jesus beyond expectation and in spite of your personal history.

Explore how Jesus can transform sin and shame into an opportunity to boast in His forgiveness, mercy, and grace.

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Savoring the Savior How does this challenge the way you look at and interact with others (particularly those you find hard to love/relate to)?

Consider what invitations might be here: Is there unbelief or something else you need to confess and/or repent of?

Is there something you need to receive from Jesus (forgiveness, freedom from shame, etc.) or a conversation you need to have with Him? Are there ways that you need to acknowledge your ongoing need for Jesus?

Is Jesus inviting you to boast in His forgiveness, mercy, and grace with someone He has placed in your life?

Encounter 2: healing of the paralytic Mark 2:1-12 (New International Version) A few days later, when Jesus again entered Capernaum, the people heard that he had come home. They gathered in such large numbers that there was no room left, not even outside the door, and he preached the word to them. Some men came, bringing to him a paralyzed man, carried by four of them. Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus by digging through it and then lowered the mat the man was lying on. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralyzed man, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” Now some teachers of the law were sitting there, thinking to themselves, “Why does this fellow talk like that? He’s blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?”

Immediately Jesus knew in his spirit that this was what they were thinking in their hearts, and he said to them, “Why are you thinking these things?

Which is easier: to say to this paralyzed man, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up, take your mat and walk’? But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” So he said to the man, “I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.” He got up, took his mat and walked out in full view of them all. This amazed everyone and they praised God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this!”

A Mirror Imagine yourself as the paralyzed person, surrounded by crowds, desperate for healing. Feel the brokenness and limitations of your current state. Imagine your

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Savoring the Savior friends carrying you, breaking through barriers to bring you to Jesus. Listen for Jesus' words: "Your sins are forgiven" and "Get up, take your mat and go home."

Explore the intersections between forgiveness, healing, and the need for others in your own personal journey.

A Window What do you notice about how Jesus simultaneously addresses spiritual and physical wholeness?

What does His declaration of forgiveness reveal about His divine power and authority?

A Doorway Are there parts of [yourself/your brokenness, someone else/their brokenness] that you are being invited to lay before Jesus despite the obstacles that seemingly stand in the way?

As you go out on mission, where God has sovereignly placed you, in what ways is the Jesus you bring with you able to address spiritual and physical wholeness? How do you bear the family likeness in your concern for others' spiritual and physical wholeness?

Consider the role and impact of a community that truly sees those in its midst and facilitates healing (body, mind, and soul) by bringing them to Jesus. How might Jesus be inviting you to be part of building or shaping a community like this?

Encounter 3: Jesus and the Rich Young Ruler Mark 10:17-27 (New International Version) As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. “Good teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” “Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone. You know the commandments: ‘You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, you shall not defraud, honor your father and mother.’” “Teacher,” he declared, “all these I have kept since I was a boy.” Jesus looked at him and

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Savoring the Savior loved him. “One thing you lack,” he said. “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” At this the man’s face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth. Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!” The disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said again, “Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” The disciples were even more amazed, and said to each other, “Who then can be saved?” Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.” A Mirror Imagine yourself as the wealthy young man, approaching Jesus with genuine spiritual hunger. Feel the mixture of hope and resistance as Jesus invites you to the radical call to leave behind what has been to follow Him. What resistance do you feel to the full spiritual freedom of dependency that Jesus is offering?

Where are you experiencing the tension between self-managed security and fully dependent discipleship?

Take a moment to step back and take in the story one more time, paying attention to the deeper longings of your heart that get stirred up (these may be directed towards yourself or someone else).

A Window Pause and take in the moment of Jesus looking at the young man and loving him beyond external achievements and success.

What do you notice about how Jesus simultaneously challenges and loves?

How does the perfect love and invitation of Jesus create pathways to true spiritual freedom and liberation from earthly systems of worth?

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Savoring the Savior A Doorway Trace the deeper spiritual hunger beneath material securities and systems of worth for both yourself and those you know.

Where are you being invited to boldly trust and follow Jesus? What unbelief and resistance do you find there?

Encounter 4: Jesus washing the disciples’ feet John 13:1-17 (New International Version) It was just before the Passover Festival. Jesus knew that the hour had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. The evening meal was in progress, and the devil had already prompted Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus. Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.

He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?” Jesus replied, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.” “No,” said Peter, “you shall never wash my feet.”

Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.” “Then, Lord,” Simon Peter replied, “not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!” Jesus answered, “Those who have had a bath need only to wash their feet; their whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you.” For he knew who was going to betray him, and that was why he said not every one was clean.

When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. “Do you understand what I have done for you?” he asked them. “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater

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Savoring the Savior than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him.

Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.

A Mirror Imagine yourself in the upper room. Feel the intimate, vulnerable moment as Jesus kneels to wash feet.

What resistance do you have to being truly seen and served by Jesus?

What is it like to allow Jesus' radical act of love to challenge your understanding of leadership and your relationship with Him? Pause and reflect upon those who have embodied a servant-hearted presence in your life.

A Window Observe the profound physical, emotional, and spiritual vulnerability and intimacy of Jesus.

What do you notice about the ways that this vulnerability becomes a form of profound power and witness?

A Doorway Locate the spiritual dynamics of servant leadership. How might that free you to minister to others through your own weakness?

How might Jesus be inviting you to demonstrate servant-hearted leadership… as an act of profound love? as humble quiet service? as dependent weakness? as vulnerability?

How might Jesus be inviting you to receive the humble service of another?

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Savoring the Savior Encounter 5: Jesus Calming the Storm Mark 4:35-41 (New International Version) That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side.” Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped.

Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?” He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?” They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!”

A Mirror Enter the boat with the disciples. Feel the chaos of the storm, the fear, and the apparent absence of divine intervention. Listen to Jesus' invitation to peace: "Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?"

Where do you experience the tension between human fear and the peace Jesus has for you?

Explore any areas in your life you are wrestling with, wondering whether or not Jesus cares.

A Window Consider the source of Jesus' inner calm and peace amidst the external chaos.

What do you notice about how divine peace differs from circumstantial tranquility?

A Doorway Where are you being invited to trust Jesus beyond your own fear, resistance, or uneasiness?

As you step out into mission and the work of the Kingdom, how can the presence of Jesus with you transform the internal turbulence you experience?

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Savoring the Savior Encounter 6: Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane Matthew 26:36-46 (New International Version) Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to them, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him, and he began to be sorrowful and troubled. Then he said to them, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.”

Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.” Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. “Couldn’t you men keep watch with me for one hour?” he asked Peter. “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

He went away a second time and prayed, “My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done.”

When he came back, he again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy. So he left them and went away once more and prayed the third time, saying the same thing. Then he returned to the disciples and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Look, the hour has come, and the Son of Man is delivered into the hands of sinners. Rise! Let us go!

Here comes my betrayer!”

A Mirror Enter the garden with Jesus, feeling the weight of impending suffering. Experience his raw humanity—apprehension, anguish, and ultimate surrender.

What internal struggles do you notice within yourself?

How do you navigate the tension between your will and God's will?

A Window Trace the depth of Jesus' human experience of apprehension and surrender.

What do you notice emerging within Him from His bold and deep vulnerability with

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Savoring the Savior His Father?

A Doorway Explore the nuanced relationship between human will and grace-driven surrender.

Are there any invitations here for confession, repentance, etc.?

Where are you being invited to hold both radical honesty and dependent trust in God's purposes and will?

How does this sort of authentic vulnerability become a pathway to renewal? How does this free you and move you towards others?

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Savoring the Savior *BONUS* A Final Invitation: Rehearsing and Delighting In Knowing Jesus from "The Transforming Power of the Gospel" by Steven L. Childers As one who has been with and knows Jesus, it is imperative to be reminded of what this means as you go forth into the world. "Faith requires a continual rehearsing of and delighting in the many privileges that are now ours in Christ.

You are forgiven!

Instead of continually punishing yourself for your sins, trying to earn forgiveness, or attempting to measure up to perfectionistic standards, you must learn to claim by faith God’s promise of His eternal forgiveness through Christ’s blood (Colossians 2:13). The Good News is that you can do absolutely nothing to make God love you any more or less! Thinking that your behavior causes you to phase in and out of His favor will short-circuit your growth in grace.

You are accepted! (2 Corinthians 5:21) You no longer need to fear rejection. You no longer must win the approval of others or hide your weaknesses. You don’t always have to defend or build your reputation.

You can stop trying to be who you are not and admit to God and others that you are a sinner. Now you can move toward others with a bold, Christ-like love, without fear of rejection.

You are adopted! (1 John 3:1-2) You don’t need to live or feel like a spiritual orphan anymore. God does not see you as merely a pardoned criminal, but as His very own son or daughter! You now have immediate access into the Father’s presence, the promise of His provision for your every need, and the privilege of His discipline for your good.

You are free!

No matter how defeated you may now feel in your battle with sin, you are no longer in bondage to it (Romans 6:5-18). No matter what your current struggle, true hope exists for lasting change.

You are not alone!

Through faith in Christ, you have been given the gift of the Holy Spirit to come alongside you, to comfort you, to encourage you and to empower you to live the life

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Savoring the Savior God has called you to live (John 16:5-15). …We should preach this Good News to ourselves and others constantly, so that no matter what our struggles and fears may be, we can be encouraged, strengthened, and changed by hearing God’s voice repeating these eternal truths to our hearts again and again."

Leaving But Not Left Alone As our day of spiritual retreat draws to a close, take a moment to breathe. Allow the day's encounters to settle into the quiet spaces of your heart as you take note of what emerged for you today. Do you get the sense that these are important and may warrant more processing and prayer? Write those down now and ask the Spirit to bring them to mind at another time as part of your ongoing conversations with God. At this point, you may be ready (and needing) to revisit some of the things you handed off to Jesus at the beginning of the day. He is not only able to hold those for you, but He is also ready and willing to hold those things with you. In light of what you have experienced today, begin praying through those things, considering the ways that you can invite Jesus into them with you. Perhaps God gave you a word, phrase, or image today that you can pray over.

As you depart, go in peace, go in wonder, go knowing in the whole of your being that you are profoundly and uniquely loved.

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