Latest / Eurasia Region Podcast / S1-E63 | Everyday Eurasia | Shahade Twal

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S1-E63 | Everyday Eurasia | Shahade Twal · Eurasia Region Podcast

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  Hello and welcome to the Everyday Eurasia podcast,
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  Inspiring Faith for Every Day. Each day we are on a journey
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  with Jesus in our churches, our homes, our workplaces, and in so
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  many different places around the world.
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  Is it beautiful that no matter where we are, we can walk with
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  him every single day? Jesus is the one who connects us
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  all and stands at the very center of our lives day after
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  day. Through this podcast, you'll
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  hear voices from across the region sharing devotionals that
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  reminds us of God's presence in our everyday moments.
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  Shahada, 12, is an ordained elder in the Church of the
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  Nazarene and serves at the Eurasia Region coordinating
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  Nazarene Missions teams, Alabaster, and partnership
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  Relations. Shahada and his family has
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  served in the Middle East and Jero to the Hartford Cross
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  Cultural Ministry, church planting, discipleship, and
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  helping local churches develop sustainable spaces for worship
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  and ministry. In this mini series, he shares
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  short devotional messages that connect biblical stories with
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  the purpose and impact of Alabaster.
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  Hi friends, today I want to share a short devotional about
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  Alabaster and we are starting with the story that gives
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  Alabaster its name. Take a breath with me and let's
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  invite the Lord to speak to us in this few minutes.
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  In Mark chapter 14, Jesus is in Bethany in someone's home
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  sitting at the table, and while he is there a woman enters with
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  a an alabaster jar filled with a very expensive perfume.
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  And Mark says she breaks the jar and pours it out on Jesus.
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  Now immediately the room reacts, people start calculating, people
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  start criticizing. They say why this waste?
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  This could have been sold and given to the poor.
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  But Jesus stops the criticism and he says something that
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  always touches me. He says she has done a beautiful
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  thing to me. And he adds this line in verse
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  8. She did what she could.
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  Let that sit for a moment. She did what she could.
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  Some people only see the price tag, but Jesus sees the heart.
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  Some people see too much, but Jesus sees beautiful.
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  And this is the heart of Alabaster.
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  Alabaster is not a fundraising trick.
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  It is not pressure. It is not guilt.
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  Alabaster is worship. It is the church saying, Jesus,
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  you are worth my best. It is US saying, I will pour out
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  what I have because I love you, Lord.
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  Sometimes real worship doesn't always look efficient.
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  Sometimes worship looks like someone breaking open what is
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  costly. Sometimes worship looks like
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  generosity that does not make sense to everyone in the room,
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  and Jesus does not shame that. On the contrary, Jesus defends
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  it. He says leave her alone.
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  He calls it beautiful. And then he says something about
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  legacy. He says that wherever the gospel
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  is preached, her story will be told.
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  What a blessing. Here is the challenge for us
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  today. Whenever we give to Alabaster,
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  we are doing something very similar.
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  We are pouring out love to Jesus.
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  We are also creating space for ministry that outlives us
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  because Alabaster helps provide places where people worship,
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  where children are discipled, where leaders are trained, where
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  the hurting are served, where the gospel, the good news is
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  proclaimed. And I know someone might still
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  ask why buildings? And here's the answer.
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  Buildings are not the mission. Jesus is, but buildings can
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  become a tool in the hands of God, a doorway for welcome, a
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  base for compassion, a home for worship, a place of salvation.
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  So today I want to invite you into a simple prayer and a
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  simple action. The prayer is, Lord, make my
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  heart generous and free. And the action is, is to do what
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  Jesus affirmed in that's woman in that woman's actions.
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  Do what Jesus affirmed in that woman's actions.
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  Do what you can, not, what someone else can not what you
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  wish you could. Do just what you can.
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  Offered with love to God, Let us pray.
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  Jesus. Thank you that you receive our
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  worship. Thank you that you see the heart
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  beyond the gift. Free us from fear and from
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  comparison. Teach us to love you with joy
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  and with courage. And as we give through
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  alabaster, would you use these gifts to create spaces where
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  people meet you, Spaces for salvation, for healing, for
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  discipleship, and for hope. In your name we pray.
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  Amen. Thank you for listening to the
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  Everyday Eurasia podcast, Inspiring Faith for Everyday.
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  For more Everyday Stories, subscribe on this podcast
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  channel, follow our socials, Facebook and Instagram, or our
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  newsletter snapshots. For our newsletter and further
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  information about the Euratia region, visit our website,
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  euratiaregion.org.