Wesley Word-Nov. 10, 2021

Jessica Hall   -   November 10, 2021

To go along with service on: Sunday, November 14, 2021 

Experiencing Grace

Exploring Truth

Look In The Mirror
James 1:17-27

We live in an increasingly image-obsessed culture, one in which everyone is more and more concerned about how they look, the kind of image they portray, physically, personally, and professionally. This is most apparent in the realm of social media. The question everyone seems to be asking themselves, and everyone around them, is, “How do I look?”.

Physically speaking, if we want to know how we look, we look in a mirror. The mirror allows us to see ourselves as other people see us. Is our hair sticking up? Is there something in our teeth? The mirror will tell us.

The question very few people seem to be asking, however, is, How do we look, spiritually? If we had a spiritual mirror, what would that mirror reveal about us?

According to the Book of James, we do have a spiritual mirror, the Bible, the Word of God. The Bible tells us what we, as Christians, should look like and shows us how we fall short of that. As Christians, we are trying to look like Jesus. The Bible tells us what Jesus is like and helps us to see in what ways we do, and in what ways we do not, look like him. 

If we were to look at ourselves in a physical mirror and see a piece of food stuck in our teeth, and we did not take a toothpick and get it out, that would not make much sense. That is exactly what it is like, James says, “for those who read the Bible but do not do what it says.” So, let us not just be hearers, but also doers, of the Word.

Questions for Reflection/Discussion:

  1. What do I need to do to look more like Jesus?

Expressing Love: Family/Mission Activity

Copy cat: Pair up members of your family and have them stand facing each other. Invite them to come up with actions that the other partner will “mirror”, performing them as a reflection in a mirror. We should work to imitate Jesus, just as we have imitated the members of our family. Every day we should ask ourselves in what ways we looked like or didn’t look like Jesus. You might talk with your family about how they did or did not look like Jesus today or this week.

Announcements: 

 

  • WOW (Worship on Wednesdays) TONIGHT! 
    • 5:30-6:00 catered meal-pasta from Sal Vitale’s
    • 6:00 Mid-week worship
    • 6:30-7:30 Small groups for kids, youth, and adults
  • Muscatine Children & Youth Choir Concert: Sunday, November 14th, 4 pm @ Wesley
  • Lay Leaders Needed: We have opportunities available for anyone interested in serving on Trustees or the Staff-Parish Relations Committee. If you are interested, please contact Pastor Brian.
  • Community Thanksgiving Service: Wednesday, November 24th, 6:00pm at Church of the Living Water (3120 Park Avenue West, Muscatine)