I SEE THEM

My Ekklesia Family

Before we can welcome people into God's family, we must first learn to see people through God's eyes.

SCRIPTURE REFERENCES

Primary Scripture

John 4:35 (NLT)

"Wake up and look around. The fields are already ripe for harvest."

Supporting Scriptures

Luke 19:1-10; Mark 10:46-52; Matthew 9:36; Romans 15:7

When Jesus spoke these words in John 4, He had just finished a conversation with the Samaritan woman at the well. The disciples were focused on food. Jesus was focused on people.

The disciples saw lunch.

Jesus saw a harvest.

The disciples saw a Samaritan woman.

Jesus saw a future witness.

The disciples saw differences.

Jesus saw potential.

The phrase "look around" literally means to lift your eyes and perceive what God is doing.

The harvest was never the crops.

The harvest was people.

One of the greatest dangers in modern Christianity is becoming so busy with church that we stop seeing people.

We see attendance.

We see budgets.

We see schedules.

We see programs.

But do we see people?

Jesus saw people that others overlooked.

He saw Zacchaeus hiding in a tree.

He saw blind Bartimaeus sitting beside the road.

He saw Matthew at a tax collector's booth.

He saw a woman who had been rejected by society.

The Kingdom of God advances when God's people learn to see what everyone else ignores.

The first step toward biblical hospitality is not opening a church door.

It is opening our eyes.

As Ekklesia prepares for Family & Friends Day and our 15th Anniversary Celebration, let us remember:

People do not need another event.

People need to be seen.

Someone will walk into worship carrying grief.

Someone will walk in carrying fear.

Someone will walk in carrying disappointment.

Someone will walk in wondering if God still loves them.

Will we see them?

Not their clothes.

Not their politics.

Not their background.

Not their mistakes.

Will we see their value?

Today ask the Holy Spirit:

"Show me someone I have overlooked."

Because the first act of hospitality is recognition.

The first act of love is attention.

The first act of discipleship is seeing people the way Jesus sees them.

Let's Pray...

Father, Open our eyes.

Forgive us for becoming distracted by the things around us while missing the people You have placed before us.

Teach us to see beyond appearances.

Teach us to see beyond assumptions.

Teach us to see beyond our comfort zones.

Help us recognize the lonely, the hurting, the discouraged, and the searching.

Prepare Ekklesia Christian Life Ministries to become a place where every person feels seen, valued, loved, and welcomed.

May we reflect the heart of Jesus, who never overlooked a soul.

In Jesus' Name,

Amen.

Jesus sees you.

He sees your victories.

He sees your struggles.

He sees your questions.

He sees your pain.

And He still calls you to follow Him.

If you have never trusted Christ, today is a good day to begin.

If you have drifted away, today is a good day to come home.

If you are looking for a church family committed to growing in Christ together, we invite you to grow with Ekklesia Christian Life Ministries.

Relationship before religion.

Transformation before performance.

Jesus before everything.

LoveUmorethanUkow, Steph