8-WEEK DEVOTIONAL GUIDE

IMAGINE A PLACE WHERE…the lost are found, the hurting are

healed, the young are nurtured, the old are cherished, where all are welcome

and Christ is adored…MORE IS AVAILABLE THAN YOU’VE EVER IMAGINED.

This devotional guide has been provided to assist you in your spiritual journey over the next eight weeks. Each weekly devotion focuses on one individual aspect of our vision statement and compliments Pastor’s sermon emphasis. At the end of each writing is a series of helps to benefit you in your private quiet time.

Search the Scripture: The Bereans in Acts 17:10-11 (KJV) were considered “more noble” because they “searched the scriptures daily”. Take a page from their example by using a concordance, reference Bible, or Bible app to expand your study of the Word. Key words from the week have been provided along with a few Scripture references to give you a jumpstart.

Sing to the Lord: Dust off that old hymnal (or Google if needed) and use the inspired lyrics to enhance your sense of worship. Even if your heart language prefers the more contemporary, try at least once a week to employ an old hymn as part of your reverence. We’ve included one or two suggestions to encourage you.

Listen for His Voice: We’ve left blank space for you to journal or reflect on what God is speaking about to you personally. No anointed sermon, inspired writing, or prescribed Scripture reading regimen can supersede the authority and exhilaration of hearing God speak directly to your heart. They are merely tools to get the conversation rolling. Take the time to listen.

We’re embarking on the IMAGINE Campaign: A Journey with Jesus. What does He want to reveal about your relationship to Him? Where will He lead you concerning your involvement in the campaign and service to His Kingdom? How will you answer?

This guide has been provided to you by the IMAGINE Campaign Spiritual Journey Team. Amy Wetmore (Chairman), Linda Boots, Melissa Frye, Evelyn Gibson, Jim Pettitt, Hardy Weathers, Ellen Weinstock (designated writer).

All scripture references are from the NIV unless otherwise noted.

INTRODUCTION TOIMAGINE DEVOTIONS

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Have you ever longed to witness some Biblical supernatural event? To stand so close to Moses that you can taste the salt in the initial wave as the Red Sea parts and gigantic walls of water pile on end? To accompany Elijah on Mt. Carmel and feel the hairs on your body ignite with atmospheric electricity as a bolt of fire flames down from the heavens confirming God’s omnipotence? To be a mourner beside Mary and Martha with heart-pounding gasps for air, either in fright or delight, as Lazarus stirs in the tomb and comes forth? It boggles the mind to even consider.

While traveling in the Ozarks several years ago, I saw a thought-provoking sign on a country church with a contrary view. It simply read, “We lack wonder, not wonders.”

Living in a society that bombards us daily with the sensational, we have become so desensitized that we hardly allow ourselves to be filled with wonder or awe anymore. The word amazing is bantered around, describing anything and everything, until its true definition is muddled. Just when we feel things can’t get any more bizarre or sordid, they do anyway, tumbling us into complacency.

We’ve been called this week to seek transformation. One place to start is to restore the wonder. How can we begin to imagine the new thing God is longing to do without considering His awesome greatness? How can we embark on finding the lost or healing the hurting unless we ourselves have been transformed with the wonder of encountering His Glory? How can we consider any of it without pausing to “be still and know?”

FEBRUARY 11-17: WEEK 1 IMAGINE A PLACEPsalm 46:10 “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”

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Transformation may mean rising early enough to taste the first rays of sunlight, allowing them to splash over your soul, invigorating you to be salt and light. Your witness just may trigger someone else’s parting of the waters. Maybe its lingering at dusk as that fireball melts into the horizon and trembling with the realization, despite whatever has transpired that day, God is omnipotent and still in control. Whatever time, best of all is to hear footsteps approaching in the cool of the day (Genesis 3:8) and to resurrect the buried knowledge that the holy God of the universe desires to walk and talk with you.

What imaginings is God eager to pour out on those willing to spend the time and effort seeking His presence and basking in the wonder of being His child? “See what great love the Father has lavished on us that we should be called the children of God!” (1 John 3:1).

“Lord, may my life resonate today with the hymnist who proclaimed, “O what wonder! How amazing! Jesus, glorious King of Kings, Deigns to call me His beloved, Lets me rest beneath His wings” (“All for Jesus” – Mary James 1889).

HELP FOR YOUR SPIRITUAL JOURNEY THIS WEEK:

• Search the Scripture: Key Words: transformation, wonder, awe, stillness. Suggested reading: Romans 12:1-2, Psalm 8, Psalm 19.

• Sing to the Lord: How Great Thou Art (p 33), The Wonder of It All (p 79) • Listen for His Voice

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It’s easy to become distracted. The unexpected pops into your daily routine and suddenly everything is out of sync. One year on Labor Day weekend, we entered the sanctuary to find electricians and maintenance crews scrambling with cords and wires attempting to restore power. A lightning storm during the night had knocked it out. Enough connections were made from other parts of the building to provide for a makeshift sound system and minimal lighting. Air conditioning was not an option, so doors to the sanctuary were flung open as were the corresponding exit doors to the outside, allowing for air circulation. The pastoral staff, which normally sat on the platform in suits and ties, discarded their jackets and rolled up their sleeves. The choir ditched their robes, and after singing, retreated from the stuffy choir loft into the audience, which was not their customary routine.

I don’t remember the scripture text that Sunday nor who preached it, as our pastor was on vacation, however, I do remember the powerful sermon preached to my soul even these 25 years later. Seated near the doors that opened onto the street I was easily distracted. The King classrooms did not exist yet so the south doors looked directly out to the street. It was then I noticed them. Drivers, joggers, and walkers all went about their normal routines and passed us by, seemingly without a care. I was struck with the realization that on any given Sunday, as we sat in our beautiful sanctuary singing uplifting music and hearing inspiring sermons, these people who needed the Lord were going about their daily schedules without Him. And it was happening just beyond our doors. The vast majority, I assumed, were more than likely oblivious to their lost condition, or at least, delaying a decision for a more convenient time. It was a convicting revelation.

FEBRUARY 18-24: WEEK 2 IMAGINE A PLACE…WHERE THE LOST ARE FOUNDLuke 19:10 “For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save the lost.”

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Most of us rush about our daily routines just trying to keep afloat with the tasks at hand. We care for our families and a few close friends, but beyond that we may not even notice the passerby. We give an offering at a specific time for a specific need, but fail to pray or think about them otherwise.

Jesus was on His way to Jerusalem knowing He was about to receive a jubilant welcome by some, which would be quickly followed by betrayal, abandonment, and crucifixion at the hands of others. Yet passing through Jericho He allowed Himself the distraction of noticing a small man named Zacchaeus. Stepping aside from his destination, He fellowshipped with Zacchaeus and those gathered around him, bringing salvation to the household. “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost” (Luke 19:10).

Lord, help me today to imagine a place where the lost are found and to be attracted only by that which attracts you.

HELP FOR YOUR SPIRITUAL JOURNEY THIS WEEK:

• Search the Scripture: Key Words: testing, distraction, lost, found.Suggested reading: Luke 15

• Sing to the Lord: A Charge to Keep I Have (p 536), Make Me a Blessing (p 533)

• Listen for His Voice

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Before the choir sang that Sunday morning, a testimony was given from the pulpit relating how God had used the song about to be sung to minister healing to that individual on a previous occasion. A reference was made to John Wesley’s belief that God was interested in the most minute details of our lives. There was a reference to someone who said, “I’d rather see God’s hand in everything and perhaps be mistaken from time to time, than to live like most and never see God’s hand in anything” (anonymous).

As the orchestra started the intro, one could hear the proverbial pin drop. “Oh, my Lord, what are you doing?” my spirit cried. The atmosphere was charged with otherworldly particles until the very hairs on my arms were standing on end. I felt that if I stretched out my hand I could literally touch ethereal substance.

There was no preaching that morning. The altars were lined with wave after wave of seekers. Instigated by Pastor’s leading, a prayer revival started that day which lasted for months with daily gatherings. Passersby wandered in off the street from time to time, claiming they were drawn by an unknown force, some finding salvation and others receiving emotional and physical healing. 18 years later, a few of those prayer groups still meet weekly.

In the Old Testament, Naaman wanted Elisha to perform some flamboyant demonstration of power to heal his leprosy (2 Kings 5). Instead, he had to overcome his pride by dipping seven times in the muddy Jordan before God could humble him and bring healing. The people of Nazareth did not see many miracles because their prejudice and preconceived notions about the Messiah left them languishing in unbelief (Matt. 13:53-58).

FEBRUARY 25-MARCH 3: WEEK 3 IMAGINE A PLACE…WHERE THE HURTING ARE HEALEDJeremiah 8:22 “Is there no balm in Gilead? Is there no physician there? Why then is there no healing for the wound of my people?”

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What does God desire for College Church these days? Just because God came in a particular way in the past doesn’t mean He wants to repeat it. Surely the God who created universes out of nothing has infinitely more plans and notions than we can ever begin to fathom (Isaiah 55:8). But there just may be issues or conditions that need addressing before He is willing to initiate those plans. There may be pride in who we have been in the past; an intellectual and community status that sets us above others. Personally, there may be the need to evaluate the benefit of a dip in muddy waters in order to bring us up humble and clean. Do we have prejudices over where our resources should be used? Someone may have to be reckless enough to step outside the preconceived box and reach out in ways we have previously been unwilling to attempt.

Jesus, help me today to exclaim with the father who brought his son to You to be healed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”

HELP FOR YOUR SPIRITUAL JOURNEY THIS WEEK:

• Search the Scripture: Key Words: decision, unbelief, healing, faith. Suggested reading: Mark 9:14-29

• Sing to the Lord: There Is a Balm in Gilead (p 563), Be Still and Know (p 630), Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus (p 560)

• Listen for His Voice

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We’ve just recently finished the season where you probably asked a child, “What is the one thing you really want for Christmas?” As in previous years, parents scrambled to get their hands on the latest toy that marketers had convinced their children they couldn’t live without. Frustrated by empty shelves, parents resorted to paying astronomical prices on the internet at the hands of others who had seen the trend coming and scooped up large quantities early. Other parents were duped by copy-cat products that proved to be less than what was promised.

David had a desire for just one thing. He wanted to spend time in the house of the Lord so that he could worship the beauty of the Lord and learn more about Him. We all know he eventually sinned in gargantuan proportions, but we can also read his confession in Psalm 51. Because of his repentance, David was still called “a man after God’s own heart” generations later.

What one thing are you earnestly seeking? Suppose you had the opportunity to spend an evening with Jesus and were allowed one request. What would it be? Some, undoubtedly, would desire a miraculous healing. Others might want to absorb His wisdom on some burning cosmic question that has plagued humanity for centuries. But then, maybe you’re a Martha and, given the opportunity of a lifetime, you ask for something of truly great consequence – help in the kitchen (Luke 9:38-42)! Sounds ridiculous, doesn’t it? But isn’t that exactly what we often do? Jesus invites us to sit while He feeds us with the bread of life, but instead, we are in hot pursuit of what is akin to the latest “as seen on TV” kitchen gadget to supposedly make our lives easier.

MARCH 4-10: WEEK 4 IMAGINE A PLACE…WHERE THE YOUNG ARE NURTUREDPsalm 27:4 “One thing I ask of the Lord, this only do I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple.”

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Jesus told Martha she was concerned about many things, but only one thing was needed. Mary had chosen the better and it would not be taken from her. God said, “open wide your mouth and I will fill it” (Psalm 81:10). And later, “You would be fed with the finest of wheat; with honey from the rock I would satisfy you” (v 16). Do you need to rearrange your pantry?

Next year there will be another toy that will be driven to the top of the “must have” list at the whim of some marketer. Our children are watching and learning that our actions speak louder than words. If we truly want to be a place where the young are nurtured, our checkbooks and our calendars will have to reflect it. What tops your “must have” list?

Jesus, forgive me for any pursuits that have not aligned with my love for You.

HELP FOR YOUR SPIRITUAL JOURNEY THIS WEEK:

• Search the Scripture: Key Words: compromise, desire, seek. Suggested reading: Psalm 27, Psalm 84

• Sing to the Lord: Sweet Hour of Prayer (p 632), More About Jesus (p 498)

• Listen for His Voice

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As children, we think our parents are the smartest people in the world. Then we become teenagers and declare that, in fact, they know nothing at all. Hopefully, somewhere in the following decade or so, we come to the realization that, generally speaking, with age comes wisdom. When my father would try to impart some tidbit of wisdom to me, he would often say, “Just trust me in this. I’ve lived a few more years than you.”

20 years ago I committed myself to a Saturday morning prayer group based mainly on the fact that my father believed deeply in the value of prayer. I’ve seen attendance in that group fluctuate from mere handfuls to several dozen. Today there is just a handful again. But that’s okay, because I realize there are other groups meeting elsewhere at various times. Except for one other person my age, my prayer partners are from my parents’ generation. I treasure listening to their prayers. My own faith is bolstered when I hear them recount God’s faithfulness throughout their lives. One profound thing I’ve learned from them is that in this life, we never fully arrive. They still trust that even at their age God will continue to guide and grow them in their walk with Him.

Six decades ago, some had the vision to clear a wheat field and sow seeds that sprouted into three steeples, majestically pointing to the heavens. At that time, they were young and ambitious. Their desire was to proclaim to the surrounding community the good news of the gospel. Today we reap the benefits of their sacrifice and prayer. What will the next generation be able to say of us?

MARCH 11-17: WEEK 5 IMAGINE A PLACE…WHERE THE OLD ARE CHERISHEDIsaiah 41:20 “So that the people may see and know, may consider and understand, that the hand of the Lord has done this, that the Holy One of Israel has created it.”

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Peter declared at Pentecost that Joel’s prophecy from centuries earlier had been fulfilled. “In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions and your old men will dream dreams” (Acts 2:17, Joel 2:28). Young men of all generations have had visions for differing tasks with God providing the strength to carry them out. They rest on the dreams God gave to men who have gone before. God’s spirit has been poured out on all people - young and old - and He is still giving visions and dreams for the advancement of His kingdom. In order to fulfill the mission, each must interact with the other.The psalmist said that the righteous “will still bear fruit in old age, they will stay fresh and green” (Psalm 92:14).

Lord, please help me to cherish the opportunity to listen when others say, “Come and listen, all you who fear God; let me tell you what he has done for me” (Psalm 66:16).

HELP FOR YOUR SPIRITUAL JOURNEY THIS WEEK:

• Search the Scripture: Key Words: proclaim, the patriarchs. Suggested reading: Psalm 90, Psalm 37:25

• Sing to the Lord: Tell Me the Story of Jesus (p 205), All the Way My Savior Leads Me (p 559)

• Listen for His Voice

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MARCH 18-24: WEEK 6 IMAGINE A PLACE…WHERE ALL ARE WELCOMEMatthew 18:2-4 “He called a little child to him, and placed the child among them. And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me.”

A young stranger walked into a church late, disrupting the serene ambiance of the service. He was unkempt and smelly, with long disheveled hair and torn jeans – long before ripped jeans were an acceptable fashion statement. The members watched uncomfortably as he passed pew after pew, none of them making the slightest gesture to offer him a place. Finally reaching the front, he plopped to the floor in the middle of the aisle right in front of the preacher, distracting everyone. Just then, an elderly gentlemen with beautifully coifed silver hair and a finely tailored suit approached the stranger. The people sighed in relief believing this revered church statesman would certainly “handle” the situation. But in astonishment, they watched as he lowered himself to the floor and sat cross-legged next to the stranger with his arm around him for the remainder of the service. The sermon that morning emanated from a seat on the floor rather than the pulpit.

Jesus had a habit of associating with people that were considered by the religious leaders of his day to be unacceptable. He invited a tax collector to be one of his close associates, ate with “sinners”, touched unclean lepers, and talked to women of ill-repute. When explaining who is a neighbor, He used a hated Samaritan to herald the example of compassionate behavior. He employed a lowly child to demonstrate the true posture of greatness in the kingdom of heaven. All of these were examples of His unconventional acceptance of the least, the last, and the lost.

My local grocery store claims to have a “helpful smile in every aisle.” In my experience, they generally live up to their promise. Wouldn’t that be a great

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policy for a church? For a stranger to walk into our church and find helpers everywhere to welcome them and show them where to find their heart’s true desire?!

We’re embarking on an adventure to not only be welcoming in our demeanor, but to present our building as a welcoming space. When we entertain people in our homes, we clean the house and set out our finest linens and china in an effort to offer guests our best. Why wouldn’t we do the same as we invite them to learn and worship with us?

Jesus, teach me how to align my time, talent, and treasure with the hymnist who penned, “He welcomed sinners to his breast. I want to be like Jesus” (I Want to Be Like Jesus – Thomas Chisholm).

HELP FOR YOUR SPIRITUAL JOURNEY THIS WEEK:

• Search the Scripture: Key Words: proclaim, the patriarchs. Suggested reading: Psalm 90, Psalm 37:25

• Sing to the Lord: Tell Me the Story of Jesus (p 205), All the Way My Savior Leads Me (p 559)

• Listen for His Voice

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MARCH 25-31: WEEK 7 IMAGINE A PLACE…WHERE CHRIST IS ADOREDZechariah 14:9 “On that day there will be one Lord, and his name the only name.”

Abraham received a promise from God for a son, but it was 25 long and confusing years before the day dawned when he held the provision in his arms. Joseph had a God-given dream, but languished in bondage for 13 years before he rose from prison to palace in a single day. David was anointed by Samuel to be the next king of Israel, but then lived in caves for years, fearing for his life, before the crown finally rested on his head. Prison to palace, cave to crown; the Bible is replete with examples of those who were given promises, dreams, and the anointing from God but waited years for its fulfillment.

God announced through the prophet Zechariah that the Messiah would arrive “gentle and riding on a donkey” (9:9). But it was centuries before Jesus rode into Jerusalem on that colt to shouts of “Hosanna”! For us, it’s not just another Palm Sunday for waving branches and shouting praises. It’s an opportunity to make this a place where Christ is truly adored continually; where because of that, worship flows out of the doors and saturates a thirsty community.

We live in a world that more and more idolizes the absurd, even the profane. It encroaches daily into our spaces, attempting to contaminate us with its insidious depravity. What does it look like to be a place where Christ is adored? Zechariah gave another prophecy concerning a time yet to be. “The Lord will be king over the whole earth. On that day there will be one Lord, and his name the only name…On that day HOLY TO THE LORD will be inscribed on the bells of the horses” (14:9, 20). Displaying our adoration just may look and sound like a people whose actions and reactions intermingle with the cadence of bells that reverberate with HOLY TO THE LORD. To counteract the absurd and the

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profane, our lives need to resurrect the holiness we have been called to. “Be holy, because I am holy” (Lev. 11:44, 45, 1 Peter 1:16). Jesus said, “If you love me, keep my commandments” (John 14:15). Does the inscription on your life ring loud and true or is it a bit muffled?

Paul told the Philippians, “Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Phil 2:9-11). Until then, “we wait for the blessed hope – the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:13).

Lord, until that day, help us to acclaim our adoration for You by a life that reflects Your holiness to a broken world.

HELP FOR YOUR SPIRITUAL JOURNEY THIS WEEK:

• Search the Scripture: Key Words: resurrect, holiness, adore. Suggested reading: Col. 3, 1 Thes. 5:23, Ezek. 47:1-12

• Sing to the Lord: Holiness unto the Lord (p 503), I Am Resolved (p 487)• Listen for His Voice

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APRIL 1-7: WEEK 8 IMAGINE A PLACE…WHERE MORE IS AVAILABLEJohn 20: 1 “Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary...”

Mary watched with utter desperation beyond her power to do anything as her Lord was crucified. She crumbled under the weight of despair beyond any grief she thought possible as they placed Him in the tomb. Now bewilderment overwhelmed her beyond what any finite mind could comprehend as she viewed an empty tomb. Then she heard her name, “Mary!” She’d heard that voice before – first when, with thundering authority, He cast out her tormenting demons. Now, with tender tone, her risen Lord was speaking her name, melting all the anxiety of the previous days. It was “immeasurably more than [she] could ask or imagine” (Ephesians 3:20).

Clinging to His feet, she was commissioned to go and tell others what she had seen. Yet the disciples, upon hearing her testimony, wallowed in disbelief unwilling to imagine =the more that was available. Thomas was the biggest doubter of them all, even in the face of his fellow disciples’ claims to have seen the risen Lord. “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe” (John 20:25).

Through Pastor’s sermons, we’ve spent the last eight weeks journeying with Jesus. We’ve allowed Him to transform us, realign our priorities, and correct any compromises. We’ve been challenged to make decisions, to proclaim our faith, and overcome times of testing with faithfulness. We’ve anticipated resurrection of our dreams and visions of all that God has in store for our individual lives and our church.

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In our devotional time, we started on the banks of the Red Sea wondering what it would be like to be there. But the underlying challenge was to seek the wonder of His presence rather than the thrill of the miracle. Hopefully, with a new and renewed sense of whose we are, we stand ready on the banks of the Red Sea again. With our priorities attuned to the will of God, we can imagine a place where more is available than [we’ve] ever imagined.

When the Israelites trembled in fear with the Egyptians hot on their trail, God spoke. “Why cry out to me? Speak to the Israelites. Order them to get moving” (Exodus 14:15, MSG). There’s a time to reflect, a time to cry out, and a time to seek. But eventually, there comes the time to stop imagining and searching. There comes the time for action, a time to obey when God speaks.

Have you, like Mary, confidently heard Him speaking your name and refused to remain like Thomas, still languishing in unbelief? It’s Resurrection Sunday and Jesus is speaking again to those who have been worshiping at His feet, “Go and tell!” (John 20:17). It’s time! Get a move on!

“He is Lord! He is Lord! He is risen from the dead and His is Lord! Every knee shall bow, every tongue confess That Jesus Christ is Lord” (He is Lord, Anonymous).