This week, I have been continuing to share some reflections on what I experienced with nine High School students and staff as we traveled to New Orleans for the EFCA Challenge Conference. The theme of the conference was "Everything is New" and focused on the fact the Jesus life, death, and resurrection changes everything.
Yesterday, I shared what Bryan McWhite challenged us with from the third chapter of a letter that is recorded for us in our Bibles called the book of Colossians. Today, I would like to share with you a the final message of the conference that Shane Stacey shared with us, as he unpacked the reality that we have a new mission as a result of our relationship with Jesus.
Shane began by sharing the principle that our joy increases when that which you delight in is shared with others. Shane then explained that our new mission as followers of Jesus is to live sent together to spread the fame of Jesus with our lives and our lips, which the Apostle Paul unpacks for us in Colossians 4:2-6:
Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving; praying at the same time for us as well, that God will open up to us a door for the word, so that we may speak forth the mystery of Christ, for which I have also been imprisoned; that I may make it clear in the way I ought to speak. Conduct yourselves with wisdom toward outsiders, making the most of the opportunity. Let your speech always be with grace, as though seasoned with salt, so that you will know how you should respond to each person.
In these verses, Shane explained that we see that living sent lives starts on our knees, asking God to be a witness for Him. In addition, being a witness is not something you do. Instead being a witness is something you are. Shane encouraged us to live our lives in such a way that our lives stir up curiosity as a result of following Jesus.
Shane concluded by explaining living sent also means living wisely. When we wisely live sent lives on mission, that life begins on our knees and then moves with our feet. Living sent lives then moves through our lips and means living lives of integrity through our lips and our lives.
Shane concluded the conference by challenging us to leave Challenge 2012 living sent lives together to spread the fame of Jesus through our lips and our lives in the communities that we live in. Challenge 2012 was an impactful conference and I find myself already looking forward to Challenge 2014 in Kansas City.
In the meantime, have you embraced the new mission we have as a result of the new life we have in Jesus.
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