Series: Followers of Jesus
Message: In the Community
Preacher: Jessyka Dooley
Reflection: Jessyka Dooley
Live Wonder: Zan Long
Live Adventure: Zan Long
Live Purpose: Kyle Smith
Editor: Becky De Oliveira

Refresh: Begin with prayer. Ask for the Holy Spirit to open your heart to new understanding and for God’s character to be revealed.

Read: Romans 16:1-16  in the New Testament for Everyone (NTE). Note 1–3 insights or questions. 

Reflect: As I read through Paul’s greetings to his friends in Rome, I notice that these are people who have sacrificed. As you think about your church or your community, what does it mean to sacrifice? I would take a wild guess and say that when we think about sacrifice in a church setting, we think of two things: time and money. In today’s culture of always being busy, time has become something we do not give away freely. Often it can be easier to give money than to give time.

Looking through this section of Scripture, I don’t see Paul addressing people who give both their time and money freely, but rather people who have turned their entire lives and being over to serving Jesus. Paul addresses those who have risked their lives or even their good reputations for Him. He commends those who have opened up their homes to have church. Paul’s greeting has shifted my thought process when I think about sacrifice.

I’ve seen a handful of different positions people take when it comes to sacrificing for Jesus. I have fallen into many, if not all, of these postures myself:

1. Calculate your sacrifice. You only have so much money, so much time, so much energy you can give. You parse it out, and once you’ve met the quota you have set aside you can feel good about what you’ve done and how you’ve sacrificed for someone or something.

2. Sacrifice and complain. You break your back, bank, and brain sacrificing and giving all you have to someone or something, but make sure everyone knows you’re doing it. You complain about the amount that you put in and want to make how much you have been giving of yourself very noticeable to everyone.

3. Give your balanced best. This is the most healthy version of sacrifice I have seen or experienced. I believe that most of the people Paul named were not calculating their sacrifice or complaining about their sacrifice. They were living their lives as followers of Jesus and responding to the gentle nudges of the Holy Spirit to give and help wherever they could.

We live a completely different lifestyle than those in the early church, yes, but the Jesus we follow is still the same. When He calls us to give, to sacrifice, to go above and beyond, how should we respond?

Recalibrate: What role does sacrifice play in your journey of following Jesus?

Respond: What is the hardest teaching you encountered in this letter to the Romans? Reread the sections where it is found and pray through the text.

Research: What do you think the Seventh-day Adventist Church is known for in 2018? Not something from the past, but something that we are presently doing that people know about. Pretend you have never heard of the Seventh-day Adventist Church and do a Google search.

Remember: “Let me introduce to you our sister Phoebe. She is a deacon in the church at Cenchreae. I want you to welcome her in the Lord, as is proper for one of God’s people” (Romans 16:1-2, KNT).

Jessyka Dooley has served Boulder Adventist Church since 2015 when she first arrived as a pastoral intern. After returning to Union College in Lincoln, Nebraska, where she finished her degree, Jessyka returned as a full-time associate pastor in May of 2016. She grew up in Washington State and is a graduate of Auburn Adventist Academy. Jessyka is a dual citizen of the United States and Switzerland. She married Kiefer Dooley in October of 2018.

Scatter toys all over the floor. Picking each one up, talk about what you and your child love about this toy and then place it on the couch or on a seat. Do this with all the toys until they are all together. This is what Jesus does with us. He finds us wherever we have been scattered and brings us back together.

Try to find out how many Christian churches are in your local area. Imagine all the people who are a part of those churches and how much God loves them. Pray for God’s family, that we will be kind and good and gentle and patient with each other.

In Paul’s letter, he is talking about a group of people who love and serve the church. Are you doing anything for your church? I am a pastor, so it is pretty much assumed that I give all my time to the church. But the other day I had to ask myself a hard question: If I weren’t a pastor, would I give my time to the church? I was on my way to set up for our annual Halloween event and I was tired, worn out, and frankly just wanted to go home and watch T.V. I told myself, “Kyle, this is your job, just get it done!” When I arrived at the church, however, I saw tons of volunteers with huge smiles, excited and ready to serve. None of those people were paid, none of them were gaining anything for being there, and some even took time off work! I’ll tell you what, my attitude changed quickly—and it changed because of love. I saw that the people before me truly loved Jesus, and loved others. It reminded me that serving my church isn’t just my job. It is a response to my love for people and for Jesus. I would encourage you to get involved at church! There is no other thing that is more fulfilling.