Living OUT Loud in our Worship in our Work and in our Witness… What have you done to Live OUT Loud?

Let the peace of Christ keep you in tune with each other, in step with each other. None of this going off and doing your own thing. And cultivate thankfulness. Let the Word of Christ – the Message – have the run of the house. Give it plenty of room in your lives. Instruct and direct one another using good common sense. And sing, sing your hearts out to God! Let every detail in your lives – words, actions, whatever – be done in the name of the Master, Jesus, thanking God the Father every step of the way.

But there were also lying prophets among the people then, just as there will be lying religious teachers among you. They’ll smuggle in destructive divisions, pitting you against each other – biting the hand of the One who gave them a chance to have their lives back! They’ve put themselves on a fast downhill slide to destruction, but not before they recruit a crowd of mixed-up followers who can’t tell right from wrong.

Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say.

This quarter is all about Discipleship and Learning OUT Loud. To be a great disciple for Christ it is helpful to go forth with accurate knowledge. As Peter points out there, have been, are and will be religious teachers who teach incorrect, destructive and misguided lessons. These individuals end up recruiting a group of followers who end up being equally mixed-up and misguided.

Our goal as Christ followers is to be a living example of Jesus with skin on. To be shining examples of what God’s love can do. To this end, we need to keep in tune with one another, instruct and direct one another and let the Message shine through each of us. To do this we need to learn as much as we can, spending time in the Word of God reading and understanding for ourselves his purpose for our lives.

This quarter is dedicated to our continuing education as Christ followers and our efforts to spread the good news and truth about God and Jesus’ love for everyone everywhere. So what are you planning to do to learn and in turn use what you learn this month?

Write it down and feel free to share your OUT Loud moment by dropping this page into the collection basket or going to www.StJohnsMCC.org and clicking on the virtual Living OUT Loud wall under Main Menu on the left. We will post these OUT Loud moments in the Friendship Hall and on line and want to hear from you every month!