Ridgeland Church Podcast

Today Pastor Jared taught about Solitude as the last of our "private" spiritual patterns based off the life and teaching of Jesus. Here are some questions to reflect on this week:Do you find it easy or difficult to be by yourself? What about being quiet and still by yourself, doing nothing but sitting and listening?What do you gravitate toward doing when you have a few minutes alone? Being productive? Social media? Where is the first place your mind tends to go?Do you find it easy to express to God your true feelings and desires, even the ones you would rather keep hidden? What do you think prevents you from wanting to express them?

Discussion and Reflection:1. In Jesus’ prayer in John 17, He prays that we, His disciples, would be one as He the Trinity is one with God. What do you think it looks like to be “one” with God and community in the same way that God the Father and Jesus the Son are one?2. What does it mean in your life to be sent? How do we live on mission?3. What do you think God’s invitation to participate in our own refinement might look like? Have you ever prayed for God to refine something out of your life?

Examen:Become aware of God’s presence.Review the day with gratitude.Pay attention to your emotions.Choose one feature of the day and pray from it.Look toward tomorrow.

Questions:How might we limit the work of Jesus by assuming what he has come to do and who he has come to serve?How can we reveal the prejudices that we have in our hearts about who we want Jesus to ignore, thus justifying our ignoring of people?What would it mean for you practically to have the faith of the Canaanite women?

Pastor Jared reminds us that every person bears the indelible image of God. Drawing from a wealth of scriptures across the Old and New Testaments, we see a consistent theme emerge: our Creator calls us to care for all people, regardless of their status or origin. The message challenges us to reconsider how we view and treat others, especially those society often overlooks - the poor, the foreigner, the widow, and the orphan. As image-bearers of God, we're tasked with a profound responsibility to uphold the dignity of every individual we encounter. This isn't just a lofty ideal; it's a practical call to action that should shape our daily interactions, our use of resources, and our priorities. By embracing this truth, we align ourselves more closely with God's heart and participate in bringing His kingdom to earth.