A man with leprosy came to him and begged him on his knees, “If you are willing, you can make me clean.” Mark 1:40
Back on April 15, a team of staff and ministry leaders from GraceWay were able to attend the Forest Lakes District Spring Conference. The speaker, Dave Rhodes, presented on discipleship; the main talk addressed how to best bring transformation to those who don’t know God. Dave used the story of Jesus cleansing a leper to expose how we sometimes duplicate the example of the Pharisees (avoiding the unclean among us, in an effort to stay uncontaminated). But in this same story, we are reminded that the righteousness of Jesus has the power to make that which is soiled and sinful, renewed. We can carry this same message, that our renewal came from the righteousness that Jesus extended to us, not from behaviors or even obedience (which of course is a good thing). Be encouraged! God has placed us in a good town, albeit among people that are dirty and discouraged from living wrongly. We aren’t asked to avoid them. Nor save them through our moral example. We humbly carry the good news of our transformation (through Christ’s righteousness) into these circles. And we can trust that Jesus continues to save, transform, and remove ugly scars!