Friday Devotion with Kim Noble
Be kind. Those were the words Pastor Will used over and over again at the Thursday Communion Service. What immediately jumped into my mind was a kindness that was shown to me by a complete stranger.
Like so many others, I have decided to use this time during the pandemic to get healthy. I have been riding my bike. It’s getting easier but at first it was quite challenging. As I was struggling up a small hill one morning a gentleman was walking past me in the opposite direction. He said these words as he passed me: “Let’s go champ!” He said it in such a way that I knew he was actually rooting for me. I don’t know this man but ever since that day, when I’m struggling to make it up that hill or to go a little bit further, I hear that voice in my head saying “Let’s go champ!” It has become my mantra!
My husband has been riding with me, and I told him this story. As we were riding one day, I saw that kind man, and I yelled up to my husband, “There he is, that’s the guy!” I should have stopped my bike and thanked him, but I didn’t. I still regret that, and I hope I see him again and tell him what a wonderful impact he has had on my life.
Isn’t this what Jesus asks us to do? Just be kind. Just love one another. For me this was a reminder that the little kindnesses in life can make a big difference. Jesus inspires us to kindness in 1 Thessalonians 5:11 NRSV - “Therefore encourage one another and build up each other, as indeed you are doing.”
If you have a story of kindness shown to you that you would like to share, please email it to Kim Wu at wuka_2001@yahoo.com. We will post it here, as a reminder that kindness is still valued and practiced, and to inspire ourselves to show kindness by recognizing the impact being kind can have on others.
Monday Devotion with Kim Wu
Max Lucado likens our current circumstances to an ironman challenge: a long and difficult marathon season. The important thing about this time is that we stay spiritually hydrated – meaning we take advantage of everything God is offering to help us cross the finish line.
Let us not be so focused on what we are unable to do right now – have in-person worship – that we fail to see all the things we can do. Last week, I wrote about small groups and our Journey programs as ways to get connected with others who will challenge and encourage you. Today, I am writing to you about Bible literacy.
Writer and teacher of Bible studies Jen Wilkin wrote this in her book, Women of the Word: “We treasure what we know, but we are troubled by what we do not know. We do our best to cobble together a patchwork knowledge of Scripture, pieced from sermons, studies, and quiet times, but we are often confronted by the gap and loose seams in the garment of our understanding, particularly when life gets hard. We don’t know our Bibles like we need to – some of us who are new to the faith don’t know them at all, and many of us who have been in the church for decades are scarcely better off.”
If we are to become more like Christ, how can we do this if we do not make a faithful study of who He is and how He lived His life here on earth? We are equipped to answer God’s call and claim on our lives through our reading of the Bible.
What we consume becomes who we are. Are you regularly consuming the Word of God, allowing it to deeply penetrate your heart and mind? “When your words came, I ate them; they were my joy and my heart’s delight, for I bear your name, Lord God Almighty.” (Jer 15:16)
Make daily Bible reading and study a habit. One way to help you do this is to use the free YouVersion Bible app on your phone, tablet, or online at Bible.com. They have hundreds of Bible reading plans of varying lengths, many with accompanying devotional materials to help deepen your understanding. Look through the plans and choose something to get you started.
One exciting feature of the YouVersion Bible app is that you can privately invite friends to follow the reading plan with you. You see each other’s reading progress (giving you some accountability to help you stick with it), and you can talk over the day’s reading with each other in a private discussion area.
Invite friends within the church to participate with you, or invite friends, neighbors, or coworkers outside the church to join you. Encourage others to jump into the deep living waters of faith through intentional reading of the Bible, and live out our church’s vision to be a welcoming congregation inviting all God’s children to experience and share Christ’s transforming love.