November 9th, 2023
Thursday, November 9th
Close to the Fire
By: Chrissy Cooney
There is a modern-day parable that talks about a man who regularly attended services at his church and then suddenly stopped going. After a few weeks, a pastor from the church went to visit the man on a blustery winter night.
The man invited the pastor into his home and the two sat by the warmth of a blazing fire in the fireplace. After watching the fire in silence for several minutes, the pastor took the tongs and used them to pick up a white-hot burning ember from the center of the fire and place it on the hearth. The two sat in silence a while longer and the ember, all alone now on the hearth, lost its flame, lost its glow, and finally went cold completely.
After a while longer, the pastor realized it was time to leave. He stood up slowly, picked up the cold, dead ember, and threw it back into the middle of the fire. Immediately it caught fire again, glowing brightly with the warmth and light from the logs and coals around it. As the pastor left, the man thanked him for his fiery sermon and promised to be back in church the following Sunday.
We’re meant to do this thing called life together. We’re meant to walk together, to love each other, to encourage each other and learn from one another. In Mark 12:29-31 a religious teacher has asked Jesus which of the commandments is the greatest; Jesus replies, “The most important commandment is this: ‘Listen, O Israel! The Lord our God is the one and only Lord. And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.’ The second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ No other commandment is greater than these.’”
As followers of Christ, we are to love Jesus with all that we are and all that we have; and we’re to do that IN COMMUNITY. If you try to do it alone, you’ll find yourself losing your glow and eventually growing cold. If you want to successfully live the Christian life, these are your commandments: love God and love others. Stay close to the fire!
Close to the Fire
By: Chrissy Cooney
There is a modern-day parable that talks about a man who regularly attended services at his church and then suddenly stopped going. After a few weeks, a pastor from the church went to visit the man on a blustery winter night.
The man invited the pastor into his home and the two sat by the warmth of a blazing fire in the fireplace. After watching the fire in silence for several minutes, the pastor took the tongs and used them to pick up a white-hot burning ember from the center of the fire and place it on the hearth. The two sat in silence a while longer and the ember, all alone now on the hearth, lost its flame, lost its glow, and finally went cold completely.
After a while longer, the pastor realized it was time to leave. He stood up slowly, picked up the cold, dead ember, and threw it back into the middle of the fire. Immediately it caught fire again, glowing brightly with the warmth and light from the logs and coals around it. As the pastor left, the man thanked him for his fiery sermon and promised to be back in church the following Sunday.
We’re meant to do this thing called life together. We’re meant to walk together, to love each other, to encourage each other and learn from one another. In Mark 12:29-31 a religious teacher has asked Jesus which of the commandments is the greatest; Jesus replies, “The most important commandment is this: ‘Listen, O Israel! The Lord our God is the one and only Lord. And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.’ The second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ No other commandment is greater than these.’”
As followers of Christ, we are to love Jesus with all that we are and all that we have; and we’re to do that IN COMMUNITY. If you try to do it alone, you’ll find yourself losing your glow and eventually growing cold. If you want to successfully live the Christian life, these are your commandments: love God and love others. Stay close to the fire!
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