Pastor Chris continued our series, about "living lives of courageous faith" and our call and identity as Houston's Holistic Missional Christian Community. Today, Chris spoke about the meaning of missional, and our charge to be the people Jesus sends into the world, never to pull away, but always to lean in; vulnerably engaging all of culture and creation with curiosity, presence, and love.

TEXT

John 20:20-21

John 17:13-15

Luke 10:1-11

Mission is more and different from recruitment to our brand of religion; it is the alerting of people to the universal reign of God through Christ.

— David Bosch

The Bible is concerned with the completion of God's purpose in the creation of the world. It is not—to put it crudely—concerned with offering a way of escape for the redeemed soul out of history, but with the action of God to bring history to its true end.

— Lesslie Newbigin

REFLECTION

How might you be uniquely "sent" to engage in the context of your neighborhood, workplace, or school, with people whose backgrounds, cultures, and points of view might differ greatly from your own?

In light of this understanding of our identity as a missional people living as a reflection of a missional God, what might change about your rhythms of interaction with others in our city and beyond?

Chris spoke briefly about financial intentionality as a component of our call to mission. What are a few areas of spending that you could consider cutting back? Where might those resources be used instead to bless others?