Christian Living on God's Invitations

illustration

Jesus Discerned Between Invitations

Author

Keywords

Scripture

1 Kings 19:11-13, Exodus 33:12-14, Isaiah 30:15-21, Mark 5:25-34, Mark 1:35-38, Psalm 46:10

Jesus knew his spiritual journey depended on responsiveness to God’s invitations. Although his job was the most crucial in human history, Jesus did not get compulsive, preoccupied or unable to practic...

illustration

Jesus’ Hidden Invitations

Author

Adele Ahlberg Calhoun

Keywords

Scripture

1 Kings 19:11-13 , Exodus 33:12-14, Isaiah 30:15 , Mark 1:35-38, Luke 5:15-16, Psalm 46:10

Jesus’ actions, in and of themselves, often make no sense unless we see them as responses to some hidden invitation—an invitation received from time spent alone with his Father. When Jesus was interru...

Quote

Author

Bob Goff

Keywords

Every day God invites us on the same kind of adventure. It's not a trip where He sends us a rigid itinerary, He simply invites us. God asks what it is He's made us to love, what it is that cap...

illustration

The Maturation Process of the Soul

Author

Ronald Rohlheiser

Keywords

Scripture

Malachi 3:2-3, 1 Peter 1:6-7, Proverbs 17:3, Psalm 66:10-12, Isaiah 48:10, John 15:1-2

The human soul is like a fine wine that needs to ferment in various barrels as it ages and mellows. The wisdom for this is written everywhere, in nature, in scripture, in spiritual traditions, and in ...

illustration

An Invitation to Act

Author

Adele Ahlberg Calhoun

Keywords

Scripture

Exodus 14:15-16, 2 Kings 5:9-14, Deuteronomy 30:19-20, John 5:1-9, Mark 10:46-52, Psalm 107:19-20

I am struck by all the things Jesus didn’t say or do in response to the litanies of pain and defensiveness he heard from people. Jesus didn’t say to the man, “You sound like a victim to me; what are y...

liturgy

Gracious God, thank you for telling us

Author

Mark D. Roberts

Keywords

Gracious God, thank you for telling us what to do and also what not to do. We need your invitation. And we also need your wise prohibition. Help us, we pray, to receive all that you have for us with w...

liturgy

Inspired by 1 Samuel 3:10-11

Author

Austin D. Hill

Keywords

Scripture

1 Samuel 3:10-11

Then the Lord came and stood there, calling. Like the prophet Samuel, we reply to God, “Speak. Your servants are listening.” And the Lord replied, “I am about to do something that will make the ea...

liturgy

O LORD GOD, The first act of calling is

Keywords

O LORD GOD, The first act of calling is by your command in your Word, ‘Come to me, return to me’; The second is to let in light, so that I see that I am called particularly, and perceive the swee...

liturgy

God welcomes all who come to him

Author

Jacob Traeger

Keywords

Scripture

Isaiah 55:6

God welcomes all who come to him. In weakness or strength. With much, or with little. Seek the Lord, while he can be found Call on him while he is near And be confident that Jesus will look upon you w...

Quote

Author

Augustine of Hippo

Keywords

God is always trying to give good things to us, but our hands are too full to receive them.

liturgy

Good Father, we thank you for inviting

Author

Austin D. Hill

Keywords

Good Father, we thank you for inviting us to your table. You invite us to your heavenly feast, but we don’t show up to the party. Rather, we ignore your invitation, we get distracted by other work we ...

liturgy

God invites us into his healing presence

Keywords

Scripture

Exodus 15:26, Isaiah 6:10, 3 John 1:2, Psalm 147:3, Jeremiah 17:14, Isaiah 53:5

God invites us into his healing presence with these words: “I am the Lord, who heals you.” Diseased, depressed, dysfunctional, defeated, we come hungering for health that only God can provide. God c...

Quote

Author

Adele Ahlberg Calhoun

Keywords

Jesus learned how to discern between invitations. He learned discernment by first saying yes to God's invitations to rest, wait, pray, forgive, remember and love. Time with God was not a luxury th...

liturgy

Gracious and loving God, you invite us

Author

Chip Hardwick

Keywords

Gracious and loving God, you invite us to the table, yet we resist your grace. It is sometimes easier to float around outside of the Christian community than it is to invest fully in it. You invite ot...

liturgy

Inspired by Judges 2

Author

Dustin Ray

Keywords

Scripture

Judges 2:null

Pastor: Oh God, you have been so gracious to us. You have given us so many wonderful gifts—they outnumber the stars in the sky! You have kept your promises to us, and you have been faithful! All: But ...

liturgy

Come to the Table

Author

Lisa Ann Moss Degrenia

Keywords

Scripture

Matthew 11:28-30, Revelation 19:9, Psalm 23:5-6, Isaiah 55:1-2, Luke 14:16-17, Luke 22:19-20, John 6:35, Psalm 34:8, Isaiah 25:6, Matthew 22:2-4, Proverbs 9:5-6

In the midst of all you are facing Your burdens Your responsibilities Your hustle Hear the invitation “Come to the Table” In the midst of all you are facing Your longing Your ambition Your distractio...

liturgy

You Call, based on Isaiah 55

Author

Lisa Ann Moss Degrenia

Keywords

Scripture

Isaiah 55:null

Holy One of Israel, of all Your love is unfailing, steadfast, sure You call Your mouth opens wide Your hand opens wide Your storehouse opens wide Your heart opens wide You call Come, Listen, Receive...

liturgy

God with us, your very nature

Author

Austin D. Hill

Keywords

God with us, your very nature demonstrates that you reach out to us. You are the God who sends, and you’ve sent us to spread your love to others. However, we get too comfortable keeping our faith to o...

Quote

Author

Julian of Norwich

Keywords

God wishes to be seen, and he wishes to be sought, He wishes to be expected, and he wishes to be trusted.

liturgy

Ask, Seek, Knock

Author

Jenny Child

Keywords

Scripture

1 John 5:14, James 4:3, Matthew 13:45-46, Jeremiah 29:13, Matthew 6:33, Matthew 7:7-8, Romans 8:15-16, Mark 10:46-52

May we ask according to your will, not according to our desires, for you will give us what is right for us. May we seek you as the pearl of great price, not half-heartedly but with our whole being, fo...

liturgy

Leader: Oh God, You have been so gracious to us.

Author

Trinity Lutheran Church, Lisle, Illinois

Keywords

Scripture

Psalm 36:5-12, James 1:16-18, Jeremiah 2:13, Psalm 103:10-12, Exodus 20:3, Proverbs 3:5-6

Leader: Oh God, You have been so gracious to us. You have given us so many wonderful gifts—they outnumber the stars in the sky! You have kept Your promises to us, and You have been faithful! Peop...

liturgy

Inspired by Amos 5:18-24

Author

Jacob Traeger

Keywords

Scripture

Amos 5:18-24

God has come to us and revealed Himself fully to us Yet too often we hide ourselves from His love and salvation Instead of focusing on you, Lord God, we focus on ourselves Instead of trusting yo...

liturgy

Our God, we have been slow to stand and

Author

Laura B. Murray

Keywords

Our God, we have been slow to stand and slow to act. We have been unmoved in the face of wrongs. Rather than welcoming others, we have put up walls. We have served this god of self-preservation. But y...

Quote

Author

Rebecca Manley Pippert

Keywords

When God is seeking a person, he will not allow my fear, my feeling of intimidation or my lack of knowledge or experience to prevent that person from finding him.

liturgy

We hear you knocking, O God, as you

Keywords

Scripture

Revelation 3:20, Matthew 7:7-8

We hear you knocking, O God, as you stand outside the locked doors of our hearts, waiting and wanting to enter. Help us to throw open those doors, that in this time of worship you may come in as a liv...

liturgy

Inspired from Isaiah 43

Keywords

Scripture

Isaiah 43:null

Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk th...

liturgy

God of the common and of the uncommon.

Author

Richard Herman

Keywords

Scripture

Colossians 3:17, Matthew 5:16, Psalm 34:18, Isaiah 43:18-19, James 5:14-15

God of the common and of the uncommon. You meet us in the ordinary routines of life–when we play and when we rest, while we work and while we worship. And You reveal yourself in the extraordinary, too...

illustration

Reaching Out to God

Author

Nahum Sarna

Keywords

In the Law and the Prophets, God reaches out to man. The initiative is His. He communicates, we receive. Our God-given free will allows us to be receptive, to be accepting, to turn a deaf ear, to reje...

illustration

Trusting in God’s Good Gifts

Author

Rachel Marie Stone

Keywords

Scripture

Genesis 2:, Genesis 3:, John 6:35, John 10:10, 1 Corinthians 10:16, James 1:17

God wants to feed his people. In keeping the one tree from them, God protected Adam and Eve. When they broke table fellowship with God, they suspected that God was withholding something good, that thi...

liturgy

Almighty God, throughout our days you

Author

Laura B. Murray

Keywords

Almighty God, throughout our days you seek us, yet we dismiss your presence. You stand ready to reveal yourself to us, yet we are distracted by our self-interests. Forgive our selfishness. Holy Spirit...

christian living on God's Invitations

illustration

illustration

illustration

illustration

liturgy

liturgy

liturgy

liturgy

liturgy

liturgy

liturgy

liturgy

liturgy

liturgy

liturgy

liturgy

liturgy

liturgy

liturgy

liturgy

liturgy

liturgy

illustration

illustration

liturgy

A

B

C

D

E

F

G

H

I

J

K

L

M

N

O

P

Q

R

S

T

U

V

W

Genesis

Exodus

Leviticus

Numbers

Deuteronomy

Joshua

Judges

Ruth

1 Samuel

2 Samuel

1 Kings

2 Kings

1 Chronicles

2 Chronicles

Ezra

Nehemiah

Esther

Job

Psalm

Proverbs

Ecclesiastes

Song of Solomon

Isaiah

Jeremiah

Lamentations

Ezekiel

Daniel

Hosea

Joel

Amos

Obadiah