Hey guys!

Here are three things to spark your inner missional flame:

💥 INSPIRED BY

Martyr: A Witness Who Gives Life

People loved my Grandma Taylor. She was this sweet little Irish woman who migrated to the States as a child. According to my dad, she was the most gentle creature who ever lived. I always adored her. Growing up during the summers, we’d visit her and my Grandpa on road trips to Kentucky. She never learned to drive and she taught me a super secret Irish recipe for french toast, passed down through the ages: add vanilla.

She passed away as I entered adulthood in my early 20s. Years after her death, I was speaking with one of my dad’s childhood friends. “You know, I’m a Christian because of you Grandma Taylor,” he told me. He sang her praises to me. She shared the gospel with him, loved on him, and blessed him in many ways. So much so that his life changed.

The words “testify,” “testimony,” and “witness,” are like a family.

We get the word “martyr” from this family.

A martyr was originally understood as someone who bore witness to the truth about Christ.

A testimony is not simply the theological faith you declare.

It is not less than that. But it also includes the good works we bear.

The idea of martyrdom as those who are killed for their testimonies only developed later in history.

My Grandma was a metaphorical Christ. The allusive attributes of Jesus burst through the nuances of her life. The beauty of Christ was consistent with the words of Christ she’d preach.

My grandma’s witness did not cost her her life. But it sure did give life to those around her.

🛠️ EQUIPPED BY

How Metaphorical Christs Change the World

Last week, I shared about Metaphorical Christs.

What happens when believers obey God’s word?

What impact does obedience have on the world? On society? On institutions? In our communities?

What change comes to the world through obedience to Christ?

It’s hard to change the world. How do we change something uncontrollable?

With the Spirit’s help, we can change something that has social and cultural ramifications.

1 Timothy and Titus tell us two surprising ways we can change the world: godliness and good works. This is how metaphorical Christs change the world.

🚀 SENT WITH

Mark 6:20b (The Message)

-Matt