St. John UMC Revelations
Volume XXI Issue I | January, 2025
Change: Is It Just Talk or Action?
I was not born yet, but I do remember hearing an excerpt of one of President Kennedy’s speeches. The excerpt that I am talking about is where President Kennedy said, “Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country”. If you could sum up what President Kennedy was talking about in one word, what word would you choose? Would the word that you would chosen been “change”?
Just recently I was riding somewhere where I happened to notice a church sentence sermon that said “Become the change we talk about”. How are we willing to become agents of the change that we want to see happen? We cannot be agents of change if we are going to do things the same way we have always done things. If we do not change, then all we do is the same old thing day after day, month after month, and year after year. When we do the same old things the same old way, why are we not surprised that things are not getting anywhere?
We always talk about New Year’s Resolutions every year. This year, concerning the Kingdom of God here on earth, let’s turn the talk into action. Pray and ask the Lord what He is calling you to change or work on this new year. Pray and also ask the Lord how you can turn your talk into action. Consider starting a some sort of Small Group ministry like a Visitation ministry, a prayer group ministry, or any kind of other small groups where people can study God’s Word, have fellowship and engage in some kind of ministry.
Years ago, during Vacation Bible School the adults studied a book called “Beyond Your Backyard”. While we were studying that book someone mentioned that we could start a ministry where we visit people in the nursing homes. Later, another idea came to mind which was to start a small group that will help people learn to play guitar, study God’s Word, and have fellowship. We launched that small group as we started the new year. It started with two guitar players who had been talking to other guitar players about this idea. We called our group the Guitar Fellowship. Every Friday night for months, there at least five to seven who showed up.
A small group setting can provide an environment where believers could have meaningful and life-changing fellowship that can help seekers to accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. A small group can also enable people to deepen their faith. A small group ministry could also create an environment where seeds could be planted or water seeds that have already been planted (see I Corinthians 3:6). One of the best ways to reach people who might otherwise not be reached is through a small group ministry. A small group ministry can be a doorway for the great commission for making disciples (Matthew 28:19).
The original small group was Jesus’s twelve disciples. They did not just talk about “change”, they “changed” the world and turned it upside down. What are we willing to do to become the agents of change that we talk about in 2025?
A thought provoking poem….
Doubt sees the obstacles, faith sees the way;
doubt sees the darkest night, faith sees the day;
doubt dreads to take a step, faith soars on high;
doubt questions, “Who believes?” while faith answers “I.”
From Timeless Treasures
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