“I, the Lord, have called you in righteousness;
I will take hold of your hand.
I will keep you and will make you
to be a covenant for the people
and a light for the Gentiles,
to open eyes that are blind,
to free captives from prison
and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness.
—Isaiah 42:6-7

A Glorious Calling

By Mark McKinney

We have been called by the Lord to the unbelievable privilege of bringing hope to this world where there is none. As Christians we can bring light to all of the dark places where people are desperate for Jesus. The Lord has called you to bring freedom to those in your workplaces, schools, and families, and He abundantly equips you for it. Did you get that? God wants to fulfill His promise of love, grace and abundance of life to this city and this world through you; that’s crazy! How can we stay silent any longer, when there are people around us every day whom God has put in our lives so that we can declare freedom through Christ. If you’re like me, you feel thoroughly unqualified for this, and that’s a good thing—It is God’s authority in calling us and His presence with us that makes us worthy of such an enormous mission. Who in your life needs to hear about the freedom Jesus offers through the cross?

How to pray today:

Pray for those in your life who are far from God, and ask him to give you opportunities to build relationships and to share the good news of the gospel.
Pray for a quick and successful visa renewal process this coming year for Mark and Aimée McKinney.
Thank God for the adult volunteers who have joined our youth team! Pray that God would use them in the discipleship of our youth.
Thank God for the growth in our youth group! Pray for the youth as they study the gospel of Mark this fall; as they meet in small groups; and as they learn to include new students whom God will bring their way this fall.