Weekly Message / Prayer Request

Acts 2:42 Men’s Fellowship

“When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight. They asked each other, ‘Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?’” Luke 24:30-32 NIV

Last week we began our discussion on the great commission and ultimately God’s purpose for our lives. And we discovered together how each one of us can play such an important role in making an impact for Christ. For the mission each one of us has been given from God is tailored perfectly to who we are. How exciting it is to be on mission and to be living the life He desires for each one of us.

But I know this is not the case for many people because I am the first person to admit how easy to fall into a life that is not on mission. For it is easy to fall to sin and live a life contrary to what God desires. The god of this age has blinded each one of us from seeing God’s glory in Christ (2 Corinthians 4:4). Therefore it should be of no surprise why the burning desire to live a life on mission does not come from within our own lives for we are not capable of seeing through a blinded eye.

God has presented us a remedy to this problem (2 Corinthians 4:6) and has shown to each one of us how to have this burning desire to live a life on mission. And much of His insight on how He works in each one of us comes from the passage of Luke shared at the beginning of the message.

For I find this story very interesting because of what the two disciples mention when Christ disappears from their sight. They just shared a meal with Christ and their eyes were opened when He disappears. Would that not cause your heart to burn? When your dinner guest miraculously disappears, would that not get you excited to know you were sitting with the risen Lord?

But this is not what they cite as their reason for their heart to burn. Instead they mention, ‘Were not our hearts burning within us while He talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?’ They cited a moment which occurred prior to this miraculous disappearance when they were on the road to Emmaus.

I find this very insightful because something special evidently happened when they were on the road to Emmaus. Something so profound that caused the disciples to reference their time with Christ on the road to Emmaus, not His miraculous disappearance or their meal shared with the risen Lord.

When you study the scriptures you will notice that two things happened: (1) Christ walked with them on the road to Emmaus and (2) shared the scriptures with them (Luke 24:25-27). Two very simple things.

From this I believe these two disciples recognized where the burning desire to stay on mission comes from. It is not from miraculous signs or even inviting Christ into your home. The burning desire within your heart to stay on mission comes from spending time with Christ on the road of life and reading the scriptures. This is the key to staying on mission.

God presented us with a similar roadmap at the beginning of the book of Psalms upon where it is written:

“Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night.” Psalm 1:1-2 NIV

Here God says find counsel with Him and delight in the scriptures continuously day and night. It is the same two principles which was shared to the disciples on the road to Emmaus.

Brothers, I believe we need to surrender ourselves and learn from the lesson these two disciples on the road to Emmaus shares. We can do nothing on our own to cause our heart to burn for Him. Yet when we walk with Christ daily (or find counsel with Him) and study the scriptures, our heart will be stirred and burn for Him with a fire that cannot be put out by the powers of this world.

This is a life on mission and this is the life God desires for each one of us. Join me on mission as we walk the road together…



Prayer requests

Craig – pray that he will be able to continue to seek God, pray for his parents to find God in their lives, pray for a friend Cathy who has liver cancer

Steve – pray that he will be kept healthy
Ramon – pray for strength and healing of wife, pray that he will be able to help his mother fix her garage door

Gary – pray for strength in working with IRS, pray that he will have the strength to work extended hours as his staff is shorthanded

Greg – pray for all the people within the Church who is having trouble and need comfort

Ernie – pray for the health of his wife, pray that his daughter may be able to lock in a good rate for their mortgage and people will be able to help

Gary Cercone – pray that daughter Jennifer and grandson Josh will have a safe return from vacation and continued blessings from the Lord

David – pray that the Spirit will lead him in his life and guide him in everything he needs

Mark – pray for continued financial discernment with His money, pray for better understanding on showing the deep love he has for his wife

***Pray for relationship building throughout the Northshore Christian Church


Continued prayer needs

Tim – pray that his son will hear God and that he will be able to provide the right parenting necessary

Carmine – pray for the personal problems of a friend while she is going through a divorce

Keith – pay that Christian guidance will be brought into the life of Cory, pray for a friend Nate who continues to be without work

Monte – praise for new employment with Direct TV

Norman – praise for the health of daughter in dealing with her seizures

Larry – pray for leadership in leading group of men with CTL, pray for the Marriage Seminar which is coming quickly and the leaders of this seminar in order to strengthen families

Kelcy – praise for the success of his mother’s surgery, pray for the surgery of Al Moran’s shoulder, pray for pastors and staff

Dick – pray for strength in new employment

Joe – pray that his condo may sell and that he may finally be settled here in Mukilteo

Chad – pray for continued seeking of purity in his life


Future Meetings

Wednesday, April 9th, 7:00-9:00 pm, regular meeting in the Fireside room at Northshore Christian Church

Wednesday, April 23rd, 7:00-9:00 pm, regular meeting in the Fireside room at Northshore Christian Church

Wednesday, May 7th, 7:00-9:00 pm, regular meeting in the Fireside room at Northshore Christian Church


Memory Verse

“Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and has anointed us is God, who also has sealed us and given us the Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.” 2 Corinthians 1:21,22 NKJV