May 21st, 2024
Will You Answer?
Hey there! I’m Preston Owens, and my family and I moved here from Southeast Missouri back in August 2018. Over the past five years, I’ve had the privilege of serving in various ministries at Generation Church. About a year ago, we felt called back to Missouri, to a small town named Dexter. Despite the challenges of leaving, we knew this was where God wanted us to be.
Reflecting on our journey, I’m reminded of a question my parents often asked: “If everyone jumped off a cliff, would you do it too?†This brings to mind a story from 2005 in Turkey where 1,500 sheep followed each other off a cliff. Surprisingly, only 450 died because the initial ones cushioned the fall for the rest. This incident underscores the need for leadership—without a shepherd, sheep are lost and vulnerable.
This ties into Jesus' ministry. He was moved by compassion when He saw crowds of people who were like sheep without a shepherd. Compassion, a defining trait of Jesus, is more than just feeling pity or empathy. It compels us to act, to alleviate the suffering we see.
Jesus saw the condition of the crowds—they were confused and helpless. This observation led Him to urge His followers to pray for more laborers to tend to the spiritual needs of the people. This wasn’t about amassing a larger following but about creating more shepherds to guide the lost.
Every believer is called to be part of the solution. We’re all tasked with representing Jesus in our daily lives and praying for more workers in the harvest. You might be the answer to someone’s prayer, called to step into a role you never imagined.
When I was 16, a health scare led me to a deeper commitment to Christ. At a summer camp, I felt a strong call to ministry. Sometimes, we hesitate to dive into what God calls us to do, but Jesus uses a powerful term in Matthew 9:38. The Greek word “ebalo†means to thrust or throw out. It’s a call to action, urging us not to wait but to jump in and serve.
Churches often face a sending problem rather than a calling problem. We need to be willing to step out of our comfort zones and into God’s plan, even if it means things get a bit messy.
So, let’s stand together, pray earnestly for more workers, and be open to the possibility that we might be the ones God is sending. Jesus first calls us to Himself, and from there, He sends us out to make a difference.
What will we look back on 20 years from now? Let’s be a church that raises leaders, pastors, and missionaries, impacting the world because we answered the call to pray and act.
Reflecting on our journey, I’m reminded of a question my parents often asked: “If everyone jumped off a cliff, would you do it too?†This brings to mind a story from 2005 in Turkey where 1,500 sheep followed each other off a cliff. Surprisingly, only 450 died because the initial ones cushioned the fall for the rest. This incident underscores the need for leadership—without a shepherd, sheep are lost and vulnerable.
This ties into Jesus' ministry. He was moved by compassion when He saw crowds of people who were like sheep without a shepherd. Compassion, a defining trait of Jesus, is more than just feeling pity or empathy. It compels us to act, to alleviate the suffering we see.
Jesus saw the condition of the crowds—they were confused and helpless. This observation led Him to urge His followers to pray for more laborers to tend to the spiritual needs of the people. This wasn’t about amassing a larger following but about creating more shepherds to guide the lost.
Every believer is called to be part of the solution. We’re all tasked with representing Jesus in our daily lives and praying for more workers in the harvest. You might be the answer to someone’s prayer, called to step into a role you never imagined.
When I was 16, a health scare led me to a deeper commitment to Christ. At a summer camp, I felt a strong call to ministry. Sometimes, we hesitate to dive into what God calls us to do, but Jesus uses a powerful term in Matthew 9:38. The Greek word “ebalo†means to thrust or throw out. It’s a call to action, urging us not to wait but to jump in and serve.
Churches often face a sending problem rather than a calling problem. We need to be willing to step out of our comfort zones and into God’s plan, even if it means things get a bit messy.
So, let’s stand together, pray earnestly for more workers, and be open to the possibility that we might be the ones God is sending. Jesus first calls us to Himself, and from there, He sends us out to make a difference.
What will we look back on 20 years from now? Let’s be a church that raises leaders, pastors, and missionaries, impacting the world because we answered the call to pray and act.
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