We’re talking about a story – God’s Story - in our current blog series. If you haven’t read the first two posts, go back and do that now.
In the Bible, there is a thread that weaves through the pages from Genesis and to Revelation. That thread is God’s Story. It’s a story where we see God as our Creator and God as our Redeemer. The Hero of the Story is Jesus. And Jesus is a generous Hero. He invites us to participate in the Story with Him. He says, “Come be my friend and come be my partner in doing what I want done in this world.”
Leonard shared these words last week:
When God invites us to be his friend, he makes us the parchment where his rescue story of hope, grace, love, truth, and holiness is being written in our own lives.
Isn’t that beautiful? God’s rescue story is written in our lives! Hope, grace, love, truth, holiness, and so much more are woven into our own story when we say, “Yes!” to his invitation of friendship in Jesus. And what a great story it is to tell.
At 4GEN, we offer a disciple-making training called “Too Good to Keep.” Part of that training is learning to tell our own hope stories of God rescuing and bringing us to himself. (Jesus is the Hero of that story, too.)
I wonder, follower of Christ, how long has it been since you’ve reflected on your Hope Story? Let’s do that now. Get your journal or some paper; write down your thoughts to the prompts below:
Think back to what life was like for you before you became a friend of Jesus. What were some ways you expressed a need for hope in your life? What did your relationships, experiences, or achievements look like?
People sometimes turn to romantic relationships, binge-watching movies, athletics, making money, or etc., to fill their emptiness before Christ. Is that part of your story? Perhaps you grew up in a family with parents who showed you the goodness of Jesus. You felt secure. Write that down.
Write 3-5 sentences describing your life before you met Jesus.
Now, recall the time when you heard about the hope that comes from friendship with Jesus. How old were you? Where were you? Was there any specific moment that caused you to turn towards him? Were there any people that pointed you to Jesus? Who were they, and what was it about them that impacted your hope story?
Write 3-5 sentences describing the time you heard about the hope that a friendship with Jesus brings.
Reflect now on the time when you said yes to God’s invitation to be his friend. Where were you, and who were you with? When you said yes, do you remember what you were asking him to do? Was there any commitment you were making to him? What difference did saying yes to God’s invitation make in your life at that moment?
Write 3-5 sentences describing the time you said yes to a friendship with Jesus.
Lastly, what difference does it make in your hope story to be following Jesus now? What are you grateful for? Looking back from when you first said yes to a friendship with Jesus to now, how has a friendship with him made a difference in your life?
Write 3-5 sentences sharing the difference following Jesus has made in the past and makes now in your life.
Now take the 12-20 sentences you wrote above and combine them into one single short story. This is your Hope Story! Spend some time this week thanking God for how he has written his story into your life!