OCT/NOV. 2021 ISSUE
OUTPOUR MAGAZINE
God's Favorite
Sing to the Lord a new song, His praise from the ends of the earth... Isaiah 42:10 NIV
How Christian Meditation can Build your Faith HE is making us NEW again THEOLOGY THROUGH COMMUNITY
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ENCOURAGING EVERYDAY PEOPLE TO LIVE FOR CHRIST
FOUNDER/EDITORIAL DIRECTOR
Krystion Nelson
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Joy Shamberger CREATIVE DESIGN EDITOR Sarah Schurman THEOLOGY EDITOR Ronald Obie SOCIAL MEDIA GRAPHICS Tim & Jessie Synan
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OCT/NOV 2021 CONTRIBUTORS Dominique Young Jessie Synan Josh Samarco Sarah Geringer Cimajie Best Published by Issuu Inc. Article pictures: Envanto Elements/ Canva CONTACT info@outpourmagazine.com Outpour Magazine, Oct/Nov 2021 (c) All rights reserved. Scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible.
*Please do not republish, copy, or reproduce magazine pages without written permission.
**Disclaimer: All Advertisers featured in this issue agreed to abide by OM’s Statement of Faith and to maintain biblical, ethical and moral standards. However, OM is not responsible for services and/or products provided by advertisers, and their placement in our magazine does not equal to an endorsement or full alignment of their church, event, products or business practices.
Harvest festivals, apple cider, pumpkins, cooler weather, and colorful leaves are all hallmarks of autumn. Just as our Creator ordained nature’s shifting seasons with distinct differences and effects on varying regions of the earth, there are discernible hallmarks of the atmospheric shifting tides inside our culture, society, communities, and lives. When we continue to experience shifting and unsettling times or when we grapple for stability during extended states of transition, it is vitally important for us to focus on the One who never changes. James 1:17 AMP declares, “Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above; it comes down from the Father of lights [the Creator and Sustainer of the heavens], in whom there is no variation [no rising or setting] or shadow cast by His turning [for He is perfect and never changes].” Our God is steadfast, immovable and unshakable. Whether shifting shadows, sands, or seasons, we can always rest in the surety and shelter of Jehovah-Sel’i, our Rock (Ps. 18:2). The good and perfect gifts of God’s provision inside of autumn await us –the bounties of reaped harvest, the fiery golden landscape of fall leaves, the crisp cool air, and the resolute faithfulness of Him, who sustains us all. May the Father of lights enlighten our minds to become conscious of the perfect gifts He bestows upon us. May His steadfast assurance transcend our chaotic realities and inspire us to cultivate a heart of gratefulness for His sustaining hand. We hope you enjoy reading this new bimonthly issue of Outpour Magazine. In this issue, learn how God is making us new in every season (page 14); that no matter what He chose you and loves you as His favorite child (page 10); and explore what stepping out in faith may look like for you and your spiritual journey (page 38). Also we invite you to grow in faith through Christian meditation (page 26); and read about God's communal nature, purpose and design (page 34). Lastly, meet Christopher Everett, Jr. who talks about working in ministry, and serving God and others (page 20). Thank you for subscribing to our FREE magazine and we hope you will share this issue full of faith and encouragement with your friends, coworkers, church members and family! And we’d love to hear from you! How are you focusing on God in this new season? Contact us and send us prayer requests at info@outpourmagazine.com. We love you and are praying for you! God Bless!
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the
Letter from Editor
Meet the Contributors for this issue
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Dominique Young
Cimajie Best
Sarah Geringer
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Josh Samarco
Jessie Synan Want to write for Outpour Magazine in upcoming issues? Please contact us at info@outpourmagazine.com for more information
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Contents
14
HE IS MAKING US NEW AGAIN
26
HOW CHRISTIAN MEDITATION CAN BUILD YOUR FAITH
38 STEPPING OUT IN FAITH
Doing something bold was out of character for her but she felt God calling her to walk another path, one that required faith.
34 THEOLOGY
THROUGH COMMUNITY
God and community go hand in hand. In fact, community is such an essential part of God’s character and design, that trying to understand and relate to God outside of community could cause us to misunderstand who He is, what He values, and what His will truly is.
10 GOD'S
FAVORITE
For the millennial Christian who may be struggling in their walk, know that you are God’s favorite child too.
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this issue
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For so the Lord said to me, “I will take My rest, And I will look from My dwelling place Like clear heat in sunshine, Like a cloud of dew in the heat of harvest.” Isaiah 18:4 NKJV
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by Cimajie Best
“Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it” (Prov. 22:6 KJV). In those moments when our parents were chastening us or demanding a certain level of excellence whether by our behavior in school or the memorization of a Bible verse, we couldn’t for the life of us understand why it was so important. Why do I need to operate with deference and integrity? Why do I need to know the Beatitudes? Why should I pray daily? Then I grew up. I am a twenty something from the buckle of the Bible Belt, Texas. As a pew baby, it's an understatement to say that I was in church a lot: from 8am-5pm on Sundays; Tuesday night choir rehearsal; Wednesday night Bible study; Thursday night prayer meeting; Friday may or may not include a revival; and back at it on Sunday. By the time I got to college and was able to decide for myself when, where, and if I went, I figured I’d been to church
every Sunday since birth and I could probably skip a few without Jesus noticing. Surely I’d accrued some heavenly “paidtime-off,” right? So I went when I could. If I woke up in time enough and wasn’t hung over from Saturday night’s escapades, I’d slide into the back row, sometimes with the same makeup on from the day before just in time enough to hear a shout or two to
Such was my life during my four and a half years of college. Never completely forsaking the assembly, but never truly investing in the intimate components of my relationship with Christ. My view of Christianity was very transactional and extremely skewed. I felt like God was this man who sat high, looked low, and only wanted to spoil my fun. I felt as though the perfectionist standard of Christianity was one I’d never attain so there was really no use in truly trying. I’d learned rules and religion, but not relationship.
morality or addictions; others shared stories of childhood traumas or broken relationships; and then someone said the golden statement that shifted my entire perspective of Christ. “God doesn’t expect you to be sinless; He only expects you to sin less.” My mind was blown. I didn’t have to be perfect? God didn’t expect me to follow every single commandment every single day?
This invited the possibility of a true relationship with Christ. When I realized He wasn’t the dictatorial Father who was waiting for me to make a mistake to chastise me, but rather the loving Father similar to that of the father in Luke 15 waiting for Upon graduating, I moved home and his prodigal child to come home, I was was invited to a Bible study that changed overwhelmed. It turned every scripture I’d my life. I was in a room with about twelve ever learned on its head, and I read them other 20 year olds who were all sharing with new eyes. I recalled Romans 8:38-39 their struggles. Some spoke of sexual imKJV,
I felt as though the perfectionist standard of Christianity was one I’d never attain so there was really no use in truly trying. I’d learned rules and religion, but not relationship.
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feel absolved from the week’s worth of sin.
“For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” I realized this love extends to me today, even in my imperfection. Ecclesiastes 1:9 NKJV states,
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“That which has been is what will be. That which is done is what will be done, And there is nothing new under the sun.” That means that even though I am living in the information age with more technologies the world has ever known, the principles of the Bible as well as God's grace and mercy are applicable and still cover me. This realization was a God hug, a lifeline when I didn’t even realize I was drowning. As someone who was reared in church, the foundation and formality of Christianity was always there. Even when I was insincere, I still found myself on the back row of church; but it wasn’t until I began talking to God intimately like I talk to my friends and family that I felt like a child of God. Now when looking at my social media accounts, my chosen moniker in all my biographies is “God’s Favorite Daughter.” I say that not because I’m the perfect Christian who always gets it right, but because I get it wrong so often, yet God still bountifully rains His love, grace, and mercy on me daily. For the millennial Christian who may be struggling in their walk, know that you are God’s favorite child too.
Cimajie Best is a communications strategist and copywriter who specializes in nonprofit message development, crisis communications, and public affairs. More of her work can be seen in the Huffington Post, Blavity, TRT World and more. When she's not crafting the perfect message for a client, you can find her lakeside with a good book or on a flight to her next adventure. Follow her on Twitter: @Cimajiebest Instagram: @Cimajiebest Website: Cimajiebest.com
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He is Making Us New Again by Pastor Josh Samarco
He is making us new again. From the breath of God in Genesis 1, we learn of a God who loves to make things new. His creation points to His creativity to breathe life into something new. The very fact that we can believe that God spoke and something out of nothing came to life, speaks to God's power, nature, and character. Every day that my eyes open, and I have breath in my lungs, reminds me that I need God not only to breathe on me, but in me and through me. And yet, if God creates beautiful masterpieces of creation in six days, does our God stop making things new?
I have been actively walking with Jesus for sixteen and a half years. Throughout my Christian journey, being a part of local churches, going to conferences, listening to countless sermons and songs— I've come to realize many Christians, myself included, often get fixated on these type of “Christianese” phrases: • • • •
“It's a new season.” “I'm just waiting to come out of my season.” “Wait until my next season.” “My next season won't be like my last season.” • “It's just one of those types of seasons right now.”
I have been in a leadership role in the local church for nine and a half years. I've been through some challenges: Transitions, deaths, celebrations of life, friendships ending, people being hurt, congregants walking away from the local church, and the list can go on. These past nine years have also been some of the best years of my life. From confirmations of gifts, pastoral calling, a seminary degree, marriage, new friends and family, and so on. Now fast forward to last year, 2020 to present day. Living through this pandemic, I have been in my leadership journey's most challenging season, if you will. So, what makes this season of life so hard? Uncertainty, unprecedented death, virus, politics, supremacy, fragility, stay at home orders, justice, depression, mental health, black lives matter, racism, and police brutality. Each of these words have different meanings for each of us. Each of the words above in my day-today life and leadership context has impacted me over the last year and a half to the point of exhaustion. Perhaps amid being tired, weary, wounded, and fatigued, God has something new for all of us. If you adhere to the Christian faith or have discovered what it means to be a
Christ-follower, 2 Cor. 5:17 is essential to our faith: "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he/she is a new creation; the old has passed away, and see, the new has come"(2 Cor. 5:17 CSB). The “old” referenced here is the former self—the self before Christ, while the “new” is an individual understanding of who we have been called to be in Christ. The apostle Paul reminds us in this chapter that if anyone says yes to Jesus, not only are they a new creation, but the new life granted is immediate. We no longer have to wait to walk into this newness, nor do our circumstances have to change to experience His newness. The theological term, sanctification, means that we are being made into the image of Christ daily. When we pause, slow down, and take in our walk with God each day, we are being made new. Don't miss this. It is vitally important to understand that we are being made new in our current season and in all seasons. Our present circumstances may not feel like a great “season” for many of us; however, this may be the "season" we need. I am tired. I am recovering. I am processing and yet, somehow I am still being made new. Despite many hardships and many frustrating conversations, God is trying to birth something new in me. This new birth may be understand-
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Why do we get so fixated on “seasons” in our journey with God? We sing songs about it, preach life-changing messages, read and shout Scripture verses that remind us of the junctures of life we are walking out of and into. Most of us have been there and maybe you are there now, declaring to yourself that it is time to move into a new season. What if God making us new again does not require us to step into a “new” season?
ing Him more, growing in my character, learning how to navigate through conflict, loving myself more correctly and being patient with others, etc. If all I get out of my season is to love God, myself and others more—that is more than enough!
Believing God is making me new and giving me a fresh perspective in this season was hard. I’ve realized the battles that I've been in what seems like nine or ten months had a lot to do with not seeing what God was doing in me, through me and around me.
Here are a few good reminders:
I am not on the other side of what I've been going through, but I can sense the newness. I am still in this season, and God is still doing something new in me. There is a sense of maturity, faith, and dependency that I have discovered that if it had not been for this period in my life I probably would not have come to know myself and God the way I do now.
• God making us new through our seasons of life is what He does (Is. 43:18-19 CSB).
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• We can miss out on the newness God brings when we are too busy focusing on the hard instead of the good, which is Him. • God is making us new now. Take a step back, pray, seek God's Word, allow the Holy Spirit to speak, and you'll begin to see His newness in your life.
Wherever you find yourself today, remember God speaks, He breathes new life, and He uses every circumstance and season of our lives to make us more like Him. Not one tear is unknown or not seen. He never wastes an experience, and He won't start with you. He is a forever I'm-chasing-after-you type of God, which is good news today. Walk into your newness.
Josh Samarco is a mentor, pastor, husband, leader, teacher, speaker, writer, and student of life. He has a lovely wife named Jasmine. Outside of God, she is the best thing that has ever happened to his life. Josh, a former Division 1 basketball player, was an All American in college and got inducted into the Hall of Fame at the University of Pikeville in 2019. He also played some professional basketball for Lake Michigan Admirals. He says Steph Curry has nothing on his jump shot. Josh has a M.A. in Ministerial Leadership from Wesley Seminary. He currently serves on staff at Transformation Church in Indian Land, South Carolina, as the Family and Group’s Pastor.
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I will meditate on Your precepts, And contemplate Your ways. Psalm 119:15 NKJV
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Galatians 5:22-23 NKJV
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But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.
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meet
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Christopher Everett Jr.
City/State: Charlotte, NC Church: Elevation Church Ministry Position/Title: Elevation Outreach Director of Partnerships
ministry, career & calling
Meet Christopher Everett Jr., Outreach Director of Partnerships with Elevation Church in Charlotte, NC. He talks about his job, his passion for serving people, and the best parts about working in ministry.
OM: Tell us more about what you do
God and His people.
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CE: I help our church maintain and find strategic partnerships to help us with our mission of seeing those far from God being raised to life in Christ. I also help those that are a part of our church or connected to our church [to] "see what God can do through them."
CE: I am passionate about helping [Christians] become influencers of culture. I think influence is leadership, and I think that as Christians we have to have a role in influencing culture, especially when you see everyone else that is influencing the culture of our world. Through influence we can point people to Christ and we can OM: Talk about your passion for serving help them live a called life that our heavenly Father wants them to live. OM: In what ways has God prepared you for this position? CE: God prepared me through all of the countless positions I have held leading up to this moment. Nothing was wasted! He prepared me
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by giving me the opportunity to work in Game Day management at UNC Charlotte. So I know how to run events and create events for people to enjoy, but also to [feel] safe [while enjoying the events]. I learned how to lead a LARGE body of people by being the Director of Student-Athlete Development, when I was tasked with leading over 350 student-athletes. I learned what it is like to be a fulltime husband and father and serve as a high level volunteer, giving me empathy and perspective when I work with those in our church. A lot has prepared me for this [position], to name just a few.
OM: Best thing about serving in ministry? CE: This is two fold for me. For starters, it is the people. I love the people we serve along side and how we see God move through them. The other selfish side of it is our church has a great model that includes my entire family. So I love that I get to serve in ministry with my family by my side and the family I create through it. OM: Most memorable experience thus far?
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CE: This actually comes from when I was a volunteer. We were serving at an event in July 2020 and all of a sudden someone told us they wanted to get baptized. The tank we use is pretty heavy and can be complicated if you have never set it up to get it up and running, and we have never done that. So my team and I started to put the tank together and we actually messed up. So we had to start over. But in that moment I said "because of this more people will be able to get baptized. Because of the loss of time, more will be raised to life in Christ." Not only did we finally get the
tank up, so that the one sheep could come back to God and be raised to life... but 5 total people got baptized that day! Nothing went unused that day! OM: What are you most looking forward to as you continue in ministry? CE: Growing our impact in the world. We have a huge platform and can reach a lot of people. I am really looking forward to the partnerships we are strengthening and creating. The fruits of the vines will nourish a lot of people for a long time!
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photos provided by or courtesy of Christopher Everett Jr.
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by Sarah Geringer
How Christian Meditation Changed My Life Christian meditation can change your life in just a few minutes per day. It’s that powerful and simple. I started meditating on God’s Word in 2003. I wouldn’t have called it meditation then; I was simply focusing my thoughts on the daily scripture in my new One Year Bible. For a few minutes in the morning before work, I filtered that verse through a few questions: • What does this verse teach me about God? • What does it teach me about myself? • Finally, what does it teach me about interacting with others? These three filters helped me process each verse in deep ways. Though I had always gone to church
The most wonderful truth that became crystal clear was this: God loves me and has a wonderful plan for my life. He wanted to redeem me from my negative thoughts and set me free through the power of His Word. I started that practice years ago, and it has given me more peace than anything else— more than sermons I heard, Christian books I read, or even five years of receiving Christian counseling. God used all those things to work together for my good, including fellowship with friends in my church small groups. However, my healing process began with just me, God and my Bible in a few minutes of meditation per day. What Christian Meditation Is and What It Is Not Our culture has glorified worldly meditation, which can cause many Christians confusion and throw us off. Yet, Christian meditation is an ancient practice of simply focusing intently on God’s Word that’s proven to build our faith. It is repeating a verse again and again, slowly absorbing it into your thoughts. It is following the biblical directive to hide God’s Word in our hearts and minds (Ps. 119:11). In fact, the term “meditation” is used in the Bible
up to 20 times, depending on the translation. Both Hebrew words for meditation, hagah and siach, connote repetition. The more we mull on a verse, the deeper we can absorb it, and the more power it holds to change our thoughts. While worldly meditation is about emptying yourself to connect with the spiritual world, Christian meditation is solidly based on God’s Word and drawing closer to Him. It is using the true, holy revealed words of God, which are living and active, as focus points to strengthen our faith. It connects us to God’s laws and love, opening the door to deeper relationship with Him (Ps. 1:1-3; 119: 97-99). When practicing Christian meditation, you are inviting the God of the Bible to instruct, guide and help you (Prov. 4:20-22; Ps. 119:33-38). Christian meditation can be used to enhance your prayer life and Bible study. It is an essential spiritual discipline that will give you greater peace and deepen your faith.
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and even attended a Christian school, I didn’t start this daily practice until I was a young wife. The daily practice of meeting with God and my Bible changed everything for me. The changes started with a presupposition: God’s Word is true. Because I believed this truth, it was easier to catch many lies I had believed in the three-filter system of sifting through my thoughts. It took just a few weeks to uncover the lies I needed to cast aside in order to embrace God’s truth.
How Christian Meditation Can Build Your Faith In our fast-paced world, we need practical and easy solutions for faith building. Christian meditation perfectly fits that bill. You can strengthen your faith in only a few focused moments each day by meditating on God’s Word. Here are some examples to help you: 1. Make a daily habit of Bible study. Choose the time that works best for you and pair it with a habit. I read my Bible while I drink hot tea and eat breakfast. This habit has helped me meditate on God’s Word for the past 18 years. I don’t have to remind myself to eat breakfast, and thus I
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don’t have to remind myself to meditate on God’s Word. When you pair it with a habit, it will become second nature to you. 2. Put layers in place to give Scripture sticking power. Writing out a verse will give up to 40 percent better memory power than simply reading it. Speaking it aloud, posting it in a conspicuous place, and looking back on it several times per day will help (Rom. 10:17). 3. Choose a power verse. Choose a verse that is meaningful to you at the moment. Are you trying to overcome in a certain area? Pick a verse that addresses that topic. I choose a verse for the entire year and meditate on it daily for 365 days. This verse becomes a theme over my life for the year, and it builds my faith in a particular area. Whether you choose a different verse each day or one for an entire year, ask God to speak to your heart through that verse (Ps. 119:105). You’ll see major changes by focusing deeply on it. Christian meditation can be a blessing to you and the people in your circles. As it builds your faith, you’ll be a more powerful witness to others. You may even inspire loved ones, friends and colleagues to take up the practice themselves. Why not start today? In less than a month, you can have stronger faith and greater peace through this simple yet powerful spiritual practice.
Sarah Geringer is a speaker, podcaster, artist and author of "Transforming Your Thought Life: Christian Meditation in Focus" and "Transforming Your Thought Life for Teens: Renew Your Mind with God." She also has three self-published books. She is on the devotional writing team for Proverbs 31 Ministries, Hope-Full Living, Kingdom Edge Magazine and Woman 2 Woman Ministries. She has also written for A Wife Like Me and Devotable. When she’s not reading over 100 books per year, Sarah enjoys painting, baking, gardening, and playing the flute. Her daily must-haves are hot tea, dark chocolate, and fresh flowers. She lives in southeast Missouri with her husband and three children. Sarah writes and speaks about finding peace in God’s Word at sarahgeringer.com. Find free Christian meditation tips on her YouTube channel.
Inspired faithful living
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BY HAVE FAITH STUDIO
devotional AVAILABLE IN OCTOBER learn more at:
HaveFaithStudio.com
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The Christian Bookshelf s tr en ght enin g your f aith on e page at a tim e
Help your marriage go from good to great by using these tips to love and cherish your husband each and every day. "Boyd Bailey shows you how to mirror Jesus' heart and make a positive difference in those around you."
Prepare for spiritual warfare through this extensive study of Ephesian 6 by Bible teacher Priscilla Shirer. Get ready for war!
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God has many names - all which reveal a different aspect of His character. Knowing the names of God will impact and transform your daily Christian walk!
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Give to the Lord the glory due His name; Bring an offering, and come before Him. Oh, worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness! 1 Chronicles 16:29 NKJV
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through
Theology Community Understanding God through His communal nature, purpose, and design By Pastor Dominique Young
Everything God did at the creation of humanity was based on communal unity. God said let us make mankind in our image. God created humanity as a THEM. God’s blessings were activated for them not just him or her. Community, unity and interdependence were at the very core of human creation. However, as society continues to develop, individuality is championed while community and interdependency is devalued. When I was a young adult, I avoided close friendships due to a painful past.
I determined that community and deep relationships of any kind were dangerous. I had many friends that would consider me their close friend; however, while they were sharing their deepest confidences, I was keeping them at arm’s length. I concluded that all I needed was God and all other relationships were unnecessary. Little did I know how wrong I was. I thought that I could fully connect with God outside of community; however, God designed me as a part of collective humanity. He created me in the template of human design, not as a separate species solely unique to me. But I questioned why? What was the importance of being a part of a collective species? Was there a reason for human ability to cause others pain, but also to aid one another in a process of physical and emotional healing? Humans can be so good at hate and selfishness, but simultaneously long for love and affection from each other. I began to realize that God and community go hand in hand. In fact, community is such an essential part of God’s character and design, that I would venture to say that trying to understand and relate to God outside of community could cause us to misunderstand who He is, what He values, and what His will truly is. Romans 12:1-2 states, “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to
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“Then God said, ‘Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.’ So God created mankind in His own image, in the image of God He created them; male and female He created them. God blessed them and said to them, ‘Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground’” (Gen. 1:26-28 NIV).
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the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is —His good, pleasing and perfect will.” We are urged to submit our lives as a sacrifice —submitting our very selves and individuality for the benefit of a collective purpose that is being orchestrated by a communal God. Without renewing our minds to God’s way, we will be unable to understand or even perceive the will of God. It would be futile to attempt an understanding of God’s will for our individual lives apart from God’s will for human community.
submission. Independence and self-centered living is bound to arise without the presence of mutual submission. We see this practice at play in the divine unity of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The Father, Son and Holy Spirit submit to one another, respecting the roles that each play and recognizing the need for one another. (John 14:6-7, 26; Luke 3:21-22; 2 Cor. 13:14; 1 Peter 1:1-2, 2 Cor. 1:21-22; Phil. 2:5-8)
The second is the practice of truth telling - Biblical community is bonded together with truth. Lies and deception can act as poison to the nature of an inIf we accept this notion that we terdependent and unity-filled community. are designed for community, unity, and In Genesis 3, we see the fall of humanity interdependence, we can conclude that begin to unfold; it was truly a fall out of self-centered, divisive, and self-dependent community, which originated from deceplife styles actually go against our most ba- tion, lies, and withholding of the truth. sic, God-given design. With so many of us The moment that they began to withhold living in these self-dependent, individualis- the truth from God and hid their vulnertic life styles and cultures, it is only normal abilities from one another, the communal to ask how does one operate within a com- purpose that humanity was created for bemunity in a godly way? gan to unravel. Truth telling is a necessary bond, and without it a broken There are four major practices of community is inevitable (John 8:31-32). biblical, human community that we see The third practice is the practice of illustrated throughout Scripture. repentance and forgiveness. The presence First and of lies, deception and manipulation can Community is deteriorate the grace-filled communities one of our most foundationally is basic functions, mutual submission for which we were designed; therefore, re- Biblical commu- pentance and forgiveness knits them back but it does not nity is dependent together. Repentance and forgiveness tomean that it gether reestablishes a state of mutual subcomes without on a foundational state of mutual mission within a community. One done work.
intentional design of creation— we enter it actively with the labor of discipline, commitment and practice. Let us point our feet in the direction of community rooted in biblical principles in order to participate in the nature of how God designed us.
The fourth is the practice of gratitude. This last practice is not least by any means. The practice of gratitude within community acts as a guard rail. Gratitude allows us to focus our eyes on the beauty of God’s intricate, communal design. Gratitude keeps our vision clear and our perspective pure (Col. 3:12-17; Rom. 1:21).
When we partner with God’s communal will, we not only have a better understanding of ourselves, but we also have a better understanding of God, the Creator of this interdependent universe in which we live.
Community is one of our most basic functions, but it does not mean that it comes without work. Community is an
Dominique Young is a wife, mother of four children, and follower of Jesus Christ. In 2017 after the birth of her third Child, Dominique desired connection with other moms of faith. Because she had young children she was unable to get out to church services and events regularly and thought of creating an online group with her friends where they could read the bible regularly. Dominique is now the creator of the Faith Mamas Tribe App, founder of the nonprofit Faith Mamas Inc., speaker, author, and working on her Masters of Theology from Fuller University. Dominique is living proof that God will direct our paths even if we don’t know that He is!
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without the other may result in individual freedom; but both must be present in order for a community to heal. The presence of both repentance and forgiveness provides a fresh foundation of mutual submission for a previously fractured community.
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by Jessie Synan
It was a once in a lifetime chance. I knew I was stepping out in faith, and I knew that the risks were big. However, I knew my God was bigger. I went to my boss, and I handed in my two-weeks notice. I was leaving what I once thought was my forever job to do what I had always wanted to do: be a full-time writer. I felt God had been pushing me this way for a while. I would get some nudges to start a Christian blog and to do it full-time, but I had no idea how. Until a full-time writing job fell into my lap. It was an opportunity to be a ghostwriter: 40 hours a week, but with less pay than what I was receiving at my current job. Doing something as bold as this was completely outside of my normal character. This made me know that this was God-ordained. Instead of my normal anxiousness, I felt excited- yet peaceful- when I took the leap of faith. At the exact moment I stepped out of that office for the last time, I got a text from the person I was supposed to work for. She could not give me the 40 hours like she promised; she could only give me 20. I was devastated, and confused.
store: more opportunities to step out in faith than I had ever known. I thought my moment of stepping out was done, yet it was only just beginning.
And yet I kept trusting God.
My biggest struggle before I made all those decisions though was, is this something that God actually wants me to do? I was reading the Bible as I was sorting out this question, and the verse from 2 Peter 3:9 stood out to me: “The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise, as some understand slowness. Instead He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” In reality, I hadn’t prayed for a writing job; I had been praying to work on my own blog, to point people to Jesus. God wanted to see that through, but in His way and His timing. Through the grueling, almost two-year process of stepping out in faith and making plenty of mistakes, I am so blessed that I listened to God and stuck to His plan.
But the next three months were hard. It would be three months of struggling, followed by that job ending abruptly. And yet, God gave me what I had always wanted — to work for myself full-time — but about a year earlier than planned. Stepping out in faith is never what we expect it to be. What we see as our leap, God sees as our step in the right direction. Stepping out in faith is usually not peaceful like I originally thought. It’s uncomfortable, and sometimes downright frightening. Yet, I learned that God’s plans are always better than mine, and things that I think are “failures” are actually God simply guiding me in the right direction. So what does it mean to “step out in faith?” To step out in faith means to take a risk for God, knowing that He is going to catch you and be there with you if anything should happen. Proverbs 3:5-6 NIV states “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight.” It is going above and beyond to do God’s will and trust Him, even if you don’t know what the steps in the process are yet, or what the end result is going to be. For me, I agreed to step out in faith to get a job where I could work whenever I wanted so it would leave me time to write for my own Christian blog, and eventually do that full-time. I had no idea what was about to be in
3 ways to know if God is actually calling you to step out in faith Through this process, I found three things that seemed to always come up when God calls us to step out in faith: 1. You Don’t Know the Whole Plan I knew God wanted me to work fulltime writing a Christian blog. I knew that because, though I barely knew what a blog was, the minute I stumbled on one, I couldn’t get rid of that “nudge.” However, I knew nothing about the whole blogging world. I only knew that God wanted more Jesus on the Internet, and I was to be a small part in that huge role. Maybe God is calling you to step out in faith in a specific way, but you have no idea how it could possibly work out. We can be
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I felt that this was what God had truly called me to do. I didn’t understand how I could take that leap of faith to fall flat on my face, or so it felt.
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reminded that “All this also comes from the Lord for those who love Him…” (1 Cor. 2:9 NIV). Almighty, whose plan is wonderful, whose wisdom When we have stories that seem too crazy to be true, it’s a potential testimony that could possiis magnificent” (Is. 28:29 NIV). bly lead someone else to Christ. Stepping out in faith is frightening. It Sometimes, we think of “stepping out in sometimes doesn’t make sense. But if God has faith” as beautiful steps toward God and His a plan, and we are part of that plan, we need plan. However, to take true steps of faith to shift our focus to being honored that God means you need to “Trust in the Lord with all chose us instead of thinking that it’s ours and your heart, and lean not on your own underthat we can do it all on our own. standing; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight” (Proverbs 2. It Doesn’t Make Sense to Man 3:5-6). It means it may look messy and not always make sense, but His way is always best. Just like it doesn’t make sense to us, How can you step out in faith today? stepping out in faith will almost never make sense to others around you as well. I barely told anyone that I was quitting my job to take a lesser-paying job when we were already tight with money. When we had a spreadsheet for our budget that always showed us in the negatives each and every week, why would we be crazy enough to take less pay? Stepping out in faith almost always has resistance from people that want what is best for you. I’m not saying ignore other people’s advice. God gave us relationships and fellowship for a reason. But at the end of the day, if you have truly prayed over this inside and out, and still feel like this is what God wants, it may simply not make sense to anyone else. Because it’s not supposed to make sense. 3. It Has an Opportunity to See God Perform the Impossible The reason why stepping out in faith does not make sense to us or people is because if it all made sense, we would never get a chance to see God perform the impossible. “However, as it is written: ‘What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived’ the things God has prepared
Jessie Synan is a Christian social media manager who is obsessed with the idea of digital discipleship— or sharing Jesus online. She is the owner of "Pray With Confidence," a prayer site for busy Christian women around the world.
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www.outpourmagazine.com