Gathered, Filled, Sent

A devotional for Friday

“Again he said, ‘Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I am sending you.’”
John 20:21 (NLT)

Church is absolutely a place where we gather. We worship together, hear God's Word, receive grace, experience community, and remember that we belong. But gathering was never supposed to be the end of the story. We gather so God can fill us, and God fills us so He can send us. We receive grace so we can extend grace. We experience the love of Jesus so we can carry His love into the places we go every day. Sunday morning should change Monday morning. What happens around God's table should shape what happens around our dinner tables, lunch tables, conference tables, cafeteria tables, and every other place God sends us. We don't leave Jesus behind when we leave church. We carry His presence with us. We gather. We are filled. And we are sent. That's not simply what our church does; it's the kind of people God is forming us to become.

Question/Challenge:
What can you carry from God's table into one of the tables He sends you to this week?