Have you ever run across a scripture you memorized years ago and have it slap you in the face with the fact that you haven’t fully updated your interpretation of it recently? That happened to me the other day with the text Matthew 6:33. Many of us already have the melody in mind — we often sang it. It was quoted in articles or messages exhorting us towards the goal of the kingdom.

But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you. Matthew 6:33 NIV

And then it hit me: I had always filed this text in the “things to accomplish, character to work on, another of the should-do, have-to-do” texts in my mental “Christian checklist file.”

But it doesn’t say that, does it? Jesus invites us to seek the kingdom he is offering. (As possible definitions for seek, Strong’s Dictionary lists: enquire into, crave, aim at, meditate on.) It’s a journey of discovery, learning to lean into him because he wants to share his righteousness with us. He knows we can’t come up with righteousness — after all, he said he could not do anything as a human being on his own, so he’s not going to ask us to. The secret is not in what we need to do, but what we need to let go of in order to receive.

Jesus is the way and the truth and the life. The more fully that is understood, the more useless it is to retain a “Christian checklist file.” Instead, we respond to Jesus who lives the way and the truth and the life out in us, as we let go of our need to do things on our own. And as we all know, that isn’t a onetime, done-and-dusted decision — it is a frame of mind to be consciously adopted on a daily basis.

Prayer:
Lord, I believe you are the way. Help my unbelief. Help me let go and receive! Amen.

By Ruth Matthews (1951 – 2023)

Adapted from the full article written in 2022.

In February, GCI-Pasadena started a new connect group in Redlands, the neighborhood of a few of our members. This is a mid-week Bible study, but we are only meeting once a month to start.

We are reaching out to those GCI members who cannot attend the weekly church service because of the distance. At the same time, we are going outside the walls. Many in the group are nurses, and since they have already been building relationships (place-sharing), they are planning to invite their coworkers. We are praying for each coworker individually.

Our congregation is passionate and intentional about going outside the walls of our Sunday gathering. We have other connect groups (women, men, couples, seniors, children) that meet either in McDonald’s restaurants or individual houses. We share life on life and always end the meetings with prayer.

I am excited to share the update of our newest connect group and ask for prayers. Please join us in praying that God may continue to lead us to where he wants us to go, as we are “sharing Jesus.”

By Angie Tabin, Pastor
Pasadena, CA, US

We are excited to announce a new resource: The Art of Mentoring.

Join us for this series that is shining a light on the impactful mentoring stories within GCI worldwide! In our first installments, President Greg Williams and Ministry Development Coordinator, Cara Garrity, offer insights into the series. The next video is a compelling story of multi-generational pastoral mentorship in the Philippines.

Ready to be inspired?

Click here to view the first two videos in the series. More videos will be added over the next four months.