Call Me Ambassador...

Scripture

2 Corinthians 9:12-14

Did you ever think of yourself as an ambassador?

 As a person of faith, you have been handselected by Christ to be His ambassador to the community in which you find yourself.

Just like the President selects the people who will speak and act on behalf of the United States to other nations, Jesus has selected you to speak and act on his behalf to your friends, your family, your school, and your community.

When a US Ambassador goes to another country, it would be easy for him or her to become completely indoctrinated into the culture of the new country they are residing in...to feel as if he/she is truly one of the citizens of the nation. But, the Ambassador is not a citizen of the other nation; he or she is a citizen of the US and as such he or she has an obligation to serve the best interests of the United States. The Ambassador can show compassion to the citizens of another country, but the loyalty of an Ambassador must always reside with his or her country of orgin.

As Ambassador's for Christ, the same is true for you and me. We can feel compassion and empathy for the unbelievers - or future Christians - of the world, but ultimately our loyalty must reside with God and His Kingdom.

When you reach out to someone in need, that person sees Christ. When you speak a kind or a just word to someone, that person hears Christ. When you show mercy, that person feels Christ.

Being Christ's Ambassador means that how the world experiences you is how the world will experience Christ.

Does this mean that the world may judge you? Unfortunately, yes... but your focus shouldn't be how the world judges you but on how God sees you. Are you listening to Him and doing His will in this world or are you trying to please the world?

This may seem like too tall of an order to fill, but you don't have to do it alone. God will be there with you. You go out into this world on His behalf - but you never go out alone.

Fun Fact

The US currently has 133 Ambassadors to foreign nations, organizations and the UN.

Question of the Day

If you could pick one country in the world to be the ambassador to...which country would it be and why?

Don't forget to check out the updated GUMY photos from this Sunday's GUMY session



Service vs. Duty

Everyday someone is serving you. Your parents wake you up for school or make you breakfast. The bus driver drives you; your teacher educates you; your classmates help you learn a new lesson; the janitor cleans your classroom and your bathrooms at school; firefighters are watching out for you; police officers are keeping your street safe; and soldiers are fighting for your freedom. You have more servants serving you than you could possibly count in one day.

Who are you serving?

How do you act as a servant to your parents, your siblings, your friends, your teachers, or your community?

"Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not people" (Ephesians 6:7)

Each time you perform an act of service you are serving the Lord as much as you are serving another person. How differently would you feel about helping someone in your family do the dishes or clean the house if you thought about helping as serving Jesus? Whenever we make a decision to help - to serve others - we make a decision to serve the Lord.

However, service is not duty. Rather, service is a reflection of the love we have been given by Christ and our desire to share that love. If you perform your "service" merely as something to check of a list or because you are required, you are acting out of duty. Truly serving - serving wholeheartedly - means serving another out of the loving service Christ has shown to you.

We have a lot of duties in life: homework, work - work, cleaning, etc. How could those duties be transformed if we chose to fulfill those duties as acts of service?

Today is a new day - - filled with awesome opportunity...

How will you serve Jesus, by serving another?

Scripture:

Ephesians 6: 1-10

Fun Fact:

Today, there are approximately 155,000 active career fireman and 920,000 volunteer fireman nationwide serving you.



Question of the Day:

What is your favorite family activity and why?