Latest / HAVE FAITH LET IT BEGIN® / Finding God in a world that never stops: The Ministry of Simply Showing Up Ep 4

Transcript

Finding God in a world that never stops: The Ministry of Simply Showing Up Ep 4 · HAVE FAITH LET IT BEGIN®

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  Welcome to Have Faith, Let It Begin. This is Ariel Santana.
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  Can you believe I'm seven years old already? I'm old enough now to introduce my dad.
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  Ladies and gentlemen, your host, my dad, Angel Santana.
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  Hello, everyone, and welcome back to Have Faith, Let It Begin.
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  This is Angel Santana Jr.
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  Thank you so much for spending a few moments with me today, and welcome back
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  to our series, Slow Down, Finding God,
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  in the World That Never Stops, that 10-part series, devotional journey,
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  helping us discover what it means to live at the pace of Jesus Christ.
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  This is episode four, The Ministry of Simply Showing Up.
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  Oh, that's a good one. Today's episode is about something incredibly simple,
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  yet incredibly powerful. Showing up.
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  Not showing up with all the answers, of course. Not showing up to fix every
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  problem. Just showing up.
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  Sometimes we underestimate how much our presence can mean to someone who's hurting.
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  So today, let's slow down and open God's Word together.
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  Let's begin with a biblical perspective. Our primary scripture comes from Romans chapter 12, verse 15.
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  Rejoice with those who rejoice. Mourn with those who mourn.
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  The Apostle Paul reminds believers that Christian community isn't just about
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  celebrating victories together.
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  It's about walking beside one another through every time of their year in life.
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  Supporting this truth would be Job chapter 2. Let's do 11 through 13. All right, let's do Job.
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  When Job lost everything, his friends came to see him.
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  And the Bible will tell us that they sat with him on the ground for seven days and seven nights.
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  At first, they said nothing.
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  They simply sat with him in his grief.
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  Ironically, their greatest ministry happened before they started talking.
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  Later, when they tried to explain Job's suffering, they got much of it wrong.
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  But in those first silent moments, their presence spoke louder than their words.
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  Jesus demonstrated this beautifully. In John 11, before raising Lazarus from
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  the dead, Jesus met Martha and Mary in their grief.
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  He didn't rush past their pain.
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  He stood with them. He wept with them.
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  The shortest verse in the Bible may also be one of the most powerful.
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  Jesus wept. John chapter 11, verse 35.
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  Before Jesus performed the miracle, he shared in their sorrow.
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  That is the ministry of presence.
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  So what's our main message today? One of the greatest lies we tell ourselves is this.
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  I don't know what to say. So we don't call. We don't visit.
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  We don't send the card. We don't stop by. We stay away because we're afraid
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  of saying the wrong thing.
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  But here's the reality. Most people don't remember exactly what you said during
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  one of the hardest days of their lives.
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  They remember that you were there. They remember the hug, the handshake,
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  the quiet conversation, the hand on their shoulder, the prayer.
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  Sometimes they simply remember seeing your face.
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  In a world that's always rushing to the next thing, showing up has become a rare gift.
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  Jesus never treated people as interruptions.
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  He stopped. He listened. He noticed. And he made people see.
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  Think about that. He made people feel seen. Wow. And that's exactly what we're called to do.
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  You don't have to have all the answers. You don't need the perfect Bible verse.
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  You don't need the perfect speech.
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  Sometimes the most Christ-like thing you can do is sit beside someone and remind
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  them they don't have to walk alone.
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  Here's your heart check. Let's pause together.
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  Is there someone you've been meaning to check in on? someone who's grieving,
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  recovering, feeling lonely, or simply going through a difficult time in their life?
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  Have you avoided reaching out because you didn't know what to say?
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  Maybe God isn't asking you to have the perfect words. Maybe he's simply asking you to show up.
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  So here's your faith challenge.
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  Reach out to the one person that you've been thinking about.
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  Call them, visit with them. Send them a handwritten card.
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  Invite them to coffee. Pray with them. Or simply tell them.
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  Or you can simply tell them, you know what? I was thinking about you today and
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  I wanted you to know you're not alone.
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  Don't worry about saying everything perfectly. Just be present.
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  Sometimes your presence becomes God's encouragement.
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  You know, recently I took it upon myself to write to every member in our congregation with a letter.
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  Every letter was different. Every letter was unique. And every letter came from
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  the heart. I made it short and sweet.
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  And you wouldn't believe how many people came to church that haven't been to
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  church in a while. You wouldn't believe how many people had to come to say thank
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  you because I needed that letter.
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  Think about that. Here's today's takeaway.
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  Sometimes your presence become God's encouragement. People may forget your words,
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  but they'll remember, they'll actually, they'll rarely forget that you showed up.
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  Think about that. They forget your words, but they'll rarely forget that you showed up.
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  The ministry of Jesus wasn't built only through sermons.
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  It was built through relationships, meal after meal after meal,
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  Conversations after conversations.
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  Persons after person.
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  He walked with people. He listened to people. He loved people.
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  May we become people who don't just promise to pray, but who are willing to
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  stand beside someone while they pray?
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  Slow down. Notice people. Be present.
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  Because sometimes showing up is exactly what love looks like.
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  Amen. Heavenly Father, thank you for always being present with us.
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  Even in our darkest moments, you never leave us or forsake us.
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  Teach us to reflect that same faithful presence in the lives of others and give
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  us the courage to reach out,
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  the compassion to listen, and
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  the wisdom to know that we don't always need the perfect words. Help us.
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  Help us become more like you.
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  Help us, people who show up with love, grace, and the heart of Christ,
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  and use our presence to remind others that they are seen, valued, and deeply loved by you.
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  We ask this in your precious name. In Jesus' name we pray, amen.
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  So that's all I've got for you today.
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  Remember to keep the faith, slow your pace and let God lead the way.
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  Thank you for listening and don't forget that this Sunday I will be at my church preaching.
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  Until next time, never forget to have faith.