On today's episode Kristin talks about how easy it is to get comfortable playing it safe in our faith. Are we missing the call, the promptings God has for us to step into the world, to step into new experiences and new adventures that will shine a light on his love, his word, his promise and his Kingdom. Kristin shares ideas on how we can listen to this call and move towards a bigger, bold Christian life we've been invited into. Kristin challenges each of us to accept the challenge and live a bit more like Jesus- add in more new connections, and invitations, and new places we're meant to be a part of.

#fellowship #connection #faith #christianinspiration #bibleverse #scripture #kingdombuilders #ministry

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SUMMARY KEYWORDS

promptings, scripture, danger, step, love, called, invite, whispers, fellowship, life, listen, god, faith, encouragement, encourage, world, reach, talk, work, jesus

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All his basically describing all of the dangers, all of the risk that he has gone through, you know, basically on Christ behalf right on being an apprentice to Jesus. And this is what he says, I have been constantly on the move. I've been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my fellow Jews, in danger from the Gentiles, in danger from the city, in danger in the country, danger at sea and in danger from false believers. Now, surely, I'm not saying we're all going to experience that level of danger that he's walking through at this very different time in history. But the truth is, we were never promised safety and security in the sense of our current human lives, you know, the thing is, is we're looking for that everlasting life with Jesus, not the here and now to be safe. Now, surely I'm not saying there's other scripture that says about him protecting us and that sort of thing. What I'm saying there was work called to step up and step out into the world, and just show up. And, look, I think many of us struggle with this, it is very easy just to worry about my own little, you know, area of the world, even just my home life, right? Making sure you know, whomever in your house makes dinner, but getting dinner on the table, getting the kids to where they need to go, getting the work done, you know, getting all the chores done, you know, then maybe if you're, you know, doing anything at your church or doing something in your community. So often that might be as far as we go. And I'm not saying that's not enough, what I'm saying is, in that role, wherever you have the role to play, are you stepping out of your comfort zone, when you feel prompted by God to do something that could just be reaching out to a neighbor, it could be bringing something over inviting someone that's different from you into your home for a night of, you know, gathering a night of fellowship? So what I'm saying is sometimes things feel uncomfortable that aren't like us, or that we're not we have not done yet. Should that's what I'm talking about. That's the sort of thing I'm talking about. Because like I said, I'm talking about, are we playing it safe? Are we are we thinking too small? And I just want to encourage each of us to really listen to those promptings that we hear, you know, those little whispers in our soul. You know, I know it happens to me all the time. I usually try to follow those promptings. But there's been times where someone's on my heart, or, you know, I want to reach out to someone, and I don't do it, for different reasons. Sometimes it might be okay, I'm going to get to it later, or I want to do something maybe more meaningful, but then that delays me. But there's many times where I do you listen to that prompting that that person's been put on my heart, or hear a little whisper of something I should step into do and it can be something really small to me. Maybe it only takes me 15 or 30 minutes. And of course, it's not about me saying that I'm doing it, it's that on the other end of that generosity, or that other end of that encouragement, or lifting someone up, holding their hand, you know, sharing, like I said, words of encouragement to them, or could be scripture, but a lot of times it's not about being so in someone's face, it's more about how are we acting, in that we see them that we're loving them, and we're giving them hope. But it's through listening to those promptings often that we, we kind of know where the next place is. And like I said, it can be right where you're at, it just might mean, getting a little more uncomfortable until you're used to doing more of these things. Where are you called to be in? How are you called to be of service? That's really what the question is. And I would just encourage you, every time I've listened to those little promptings, there's little whispers, those tugs at my heart, whether it was something big I was to work on, or whether it was something just to reach out to a neighbor, or drop something off at someone's home, or invite them over, maybe write them a note

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the impact it has on that other person. Because I did it out of love, I did it out of seeing them and knowing gosh, you know, I feel like maybe they're, they're hurting, they're lonely, they're struggling through something, every time I've done that, the impact it has on them is much greater than the five minutes or 20 minutes or 45 minutes, it took me to write the thing or make the thing or bring them something or invite them over. So I would just remind us all that it's not about us. It's about us being there's that vehicle in the world, where we can spread hope and generosity and love. And, of course, eventually the message of Jesus but like I said, I don't think it starts there. I think it starts by just following Jesus in looking at how he lived his life, and how can we do better? How can we follow that a little bit more the slowing down the connections with other people being present in the moment. Being there for other people, understanding what they're going through, making time to connect with and have quiet time to listen to God. It's in serving others, and being open to near New experiences in meeting new people to being there for others. So like I said, today, I just wanted to encourage each of us to stop playing it safe to listen to those promptings to step out in our communities. And like I said, for each of us, it's going to be different for Some of us, it might seem simple and small, and it's not, it's just that it might be, maybe we're inviting our neighbors over, maybe we are taking a walk, and we invite someone, you know, a newer friend to join us, you know, and have that time together that connection and that time and fellowship. And it could be that we are called for bigger things, you know, that we're called to start something, or to solve a bigger problem in our community, in our world, whatever it might be, once again, that's where, where's our heartstrings being pulled, what is calling us what is just making us weep inside, and what won't let us go? What are what's the thing or the people or the group or the person that just, it continues to be in our mind, in our heart, those are the things that we're meant to step into. Those are the adventures, those are the calls that God's put on us to move forward in the world. And I would just encourage you, because every time we do this a little bit more, it gets more comfortable. And it gets easier. To some extent, it gets easier because we're used to stepping through that, sometimes discomfort or knowing that the thing is so big that we can't, of course, accomplish it on our own, that it's going to take God in the process, you know, which is what he wants, because, of course, most amazing miracles and feats happen with that, you know, divine intervention, you know, through what we're working on. And then, of course, giving the glory to God, you know, through this, you know, because at the end of the day, of course, he's the source of that. So that's it, I just wanted to come on today and just encourage you to stop playing it safe, and be willing to step out with, you know, not living a mundane, routine life, but be willing to make your days look different, to have new people and new things in your life. And of course, make time for prayer and Scripture because you will be shocked at how it continues to change our lives when we really understand it's the living Word of the Lord even now, with the promises and the miracles and blessings that we can be promised or we are promised as well. And I would just wrap it up today with Matthew 516, which says, in the same way, let your light shine before others so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. So I just leave you back today and say just help out because you'll be amazed at the joy it brings you and the hope and love which it radiates out into the world. Thanks again for listening to spark of faith. If you enjoyed the show, we would love it if you would share it with a friend. And if you would leave us a rating and review on Apple podcast because it helps us get discovered by more people to spread more hope in the world. So thanks again and we send a weekly little encouragement email as well just go to spark a faith calm and enter your email address and we would love to encourage you in your inbox as well.