December Focus: Obedience > Competence
Fully Alive’s focus for December is one of our Core Values… Obedience > Competence.
This December, we invite you to renew or reclaim the power and beauty of the word "obedience," and the role it has in becoming Fully Alive.
Consider these words of Jesus…
If you love me, keep my commands. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever—the Spirit of truth. John 14: 15-17
There are two things to notice in this passage.
First, obedience is a loving response to Jesus’ gracious leadership. Jesus points to the motivation of love… not fear, to prompt our obedience. Jesus is not a harsh leader that demands obedience. He is a loving, caring, and empathetic leader who invites it.
Second, obedience opens the door to experiencing the presence of Jesus through His Spirit. After extending His invitation, Jesus immediately promises to send the Holy Spirit to be with us forever. His presence brings peace, joy, and hope—gifts that are especially powerful in a season marked by both celebration and sorrow. Through obedience, we welcome His Spirit and the blessings that come with Him.
Will you renew your commitment to obeying Jesus this December?
Admittedly, this is not an easy decision for everyone.
For many, the word obedience sparks negative or painful feelings due to life experiences… especially ones relating to the Christian faith. Doe this describe your life? If so, please know that you are loved and highly valued… by Jesus and this community. Many here share your pain. Together, we can overcome that pain and reclaim the beauty and power of obeying Jesus.
Will you reclaim your commitment to obeying Jesus this December?
Paul gives us ample reason to do so...
In the second chapter of Philippians, the Apostle Paul paints a picture of Jesus’ love and obedience to His Father, and the Father’s response to it. Allow Jesus' example to give you hope and renewal this December.
Merry Christmas!
In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:
Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross!
Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Philippians 2: 5-11
