Do This and You Will Live

By Sabrina Morse

The other day I actually went for a jog. Trying my best to distract my mind from the actual physical pain of running, I was listening to my headphones, minding my own business, also trying my best to not draw any attention to myself. Out of the distance I hear, “Excuse me, miss?” I continue to glare forward, as if I didn’t hear anything. All too often I am “hollered” at by some inappropriate male. You might think the line above sounds pretty innocent, but you’d be surprised what it turns into. The frequency and severity of some of these gestures has come to leave scratches and scars to my being. My earliest memory of men looking at me inappropriately goes as far back as four years-old.

This particular morning I actually turned to see who it was exactly speaking to me. As I turned my head I saw an old man struggling to walk, using his car to hold his weight as he took each step. I immediately ran back to approach the gentleman and ask, “Sir, is there something I can help you with?”

He stood up a little taller and replied, “Yes, dear, can you get my walker out of the trunk?” He popped the trunk open; I grabbed the walker, set it up, and closed the trunk. Before I left him I wished him a great day and smiled.

In the book of Luke, Jesus tells the Parable of the Good Samaritan:

On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. "Teacher," he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?"

"What is written in the Law?" he replied. "How do you read it?"

He answered: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'"

"You have answered correctly," Jesus replied. "Do this and you will live."

But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?"

In reply Jesus said: "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper. 'Look after him,' he said, 'and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.'

"Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?"

The expert in the law replied, "The one who had mercy on him."
Jesus told him, "Go and do likewise." (NIV)

As I ran away from the gentleman that morning, I could not believe myself. How selfish my attitude started out at. I almost missed the opportunity to simply love my neighbor. I was so focused on my past hurts that I was blind to the service God intended for me that morning; to help an older gentleman with his walker, to make his life a little easier that day. How often do we let our past hurts hold us back from doing what God called us to do today?

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and love your neighbor as yourself.”

Manipulative People

Our very own Erik Castillo (Young Adult Small Group Leader and Coach) had the opportunity to preach at 7 San Diego. The topic? Manipulative People. Why not give it a listen and post your feedback. What did you learn? How were you blessed? How were you challenged?

Here's the link: http://www.sevensdchurch.com/messages/sermon/pt--4--manipulative-people

Without Ceasing

By Josh Miller

When describing my mother, the first thing I always say is that she is the Godliest woman I've ever known.  This is true, and in no way is it an overstatement.  Sadly, the preciousness of this quality was lost on me for the first 23 years of my life.  Her treasuring of scripture, constant prayer, and gracious attitude was somehow invisible to me.  Sure, I saw these qualities, but I failed to recognize any value in them.

One of the things in particular that I really appreciate and admire about her is prayer.  When this woman says she'll be praying for you she means it!  She's got about thirteen women who pray with her, too.  I've often felt like she has this special express lane privilege to the throne of God, due to the amazing effectuality of her prayers!  I guess you really rely on prayer when you have six kids, all of them rebellious at some point.

Since before I was in high school, she has always tried to share her passion for the persecuted church with me.  I remember so many times my apathetic response of, "Oh, that's cool mom" as she shared, sometimes through tears, about her desire to pray for these brothers and sisters.  Ugh, thinking back on my own reactions makes me sick at times.  Ironically, God has placed the same burden of prayer on my heart in the past year.  Those years of her sharing her heart were not in vain!  I'm so blessed to have a mother who trusts the Lord, who prays without ceasing, and who dearly loves her children.  Although I regret not gleaning more of her knowledge from her personal studies, our relationship is so much sweeter since we have a common treasure:  Jesus.

Now, at times, in my discouragement I can look to her as a shining example of a follower of Christ.  In those moments my heart resounds with the exclamation; she walks with God!  May not I do the same?