Map Makers: From ME to US.

“Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”

LOVE GOD WITH ALL… That Start with your perspective of God. As we get a full perspective of God we see ourselves for what we really are…

Broken: Trusting in Christ alone can make us whole, we freely admit our own brokenness and trust our lives into Jesus' hands. (Romans 3:23-26)

Follower: We are all in. Holding nothing back, we will pursue his presence, prioritize his word, and align everything in our lives with his loving leadership. (Mark 8:34)

Worshiper: We give God our full attention. This is more than singing; this is rooting ourselves in the reality of God’s transformational work. (Romans 12:1-2)

As this transformation takes place in us the Holy Spirit convicts our hearts to LOVE OTHERS.

Let’s be specific for a moment: Individually you are important to God. On an individual level God loves you and cares about you. I believe God would have sent Jesus just for you!

Those illustrations you heard about God putting your picture on the refrigerator somewhere in heaven is wonderful picture of how individually important you are.

As important as your individual God path Illuminates our brokenness. Our primary brokenness is how self centered we are. Jesus came to save us from that.

He calls us to follow him. Where did he go? To the cross. He selflessly followed God’s direction. Therefore we pick up our cross and walk the path of obedience.

Which the re-wiring of our minds, to focus on God before me. Transformed by the renewing of my mind.

That first movement, trail is about “ME”

But in the TRANSFORMATIVE WORK GOD TRANSFORMS THE ME TO US. God wants actually cares about a FAMILY PICTURE NOT JUST A SELFIE.

I AM HERE BECAUSE OF GRACE!

I AM BROKEN. Trusting in Christ alone can make me whole.

I AM A FOLLOWER: I am all in. Holding nothing back, I will pursue his presence, prioritize his word, and align everything in my life with his loving leadership.

I AM A WORSHIPPER: I give God my full attention. This is more than singing; this is rooting myself in the reality of God’s transformational work.

THE NEXT TRAIL IS THE TRANSFORMATION OF THE INDIVIDUAL MIND TO “US” MIND.

What does that look like:

The starting point is this. I am broken, so that must mean others are broken too. If I am following Jesus, who graciously embraced by brokenness with Grace, I am picking up my cross, and I am being transformed: THEN I SHOULD BE A GRACE GIVE ALSO.

Grace Giver: We pass it on. We humbly extend the same grace and forgiveness Jesus shows us. (Colossians 3:12-17)

Colossians 3:12–17 ESV

Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Colossians 3:13 (FSB): Believers must have patience with one another, even while enduring difficult situations.

forgiving one another Even in the community of believers, the actions of some offend or hurt others; how believers respond is critical. Experiencing God’s forgiveness shows that believers must forgive one another (Luke 7:47).

Luke 7:47 ESV

Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven—for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little.”

It seems to be harder to do this with the people closest to us.

Truth Teller: We communicate well. It starts by listening and responding well. We also boldly speak the truth, whether it’s challenging or encouraging. (James 1:19)

James 1:19 ESV

Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger;

People Lover: We do life together. Committed to building community, we will inconvenience ourselves to initiate and deepen relationships with others. (John 13:34-35)

John 13:34–35 ESV

A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

The context of this verse is the last supper. The night prior to Jesus crucifixion. It starts with Jesus washing their feet.

He inconveniences himself. To build relationship.

He initiates a deepening relationship. Washing feet is intimate. Especially washing the feet of people on the trail.

We get intimate with others.

We eat with them.

My life will be the map that leads others to Jesus.

I am broken.

I am following Jesus.

I am a worshipper being transformed by the Holy Spirit.

I am a grace giver passing on the grace that has been given to me.

I am a truth teller committed to listening and responding well.

I am a people lover committed to building inconveniencing myself to initiate and deepen relationship with others.

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