• Blog
  • ABOUT
  • BIO
  • BOOK
  • Contact
Picture

Kingdom Encounters

4/22/2021

0 Comments

 
Picture
Jesus was a master artist who used stories to paint word pictures of abstract things that are invisible and difficult to see—things like God and God’s kingdom. I think that’s one reason the Apostle John called Jesus the Word. His stories help us see what life is supposed to look like.  

​​Picasso once said, “If I paint a wild horse you may not see the horse, but surely you will see the wildness.” That’s the way it is with the pictures Jesus painted, we don’t always see God, but his stories help us to see the wild and mysterious nature of God’s character. God’s heart for righteousness, justice and peace jump out of the word pictures and capture the imagination of those who listen to his stories. God’s desire and passion for people will make an impression on your heart and leave you wanting more passion in your life. Listen long enough and you’ll notice you’re included in the story; you’ll begin to encounter the wild and crazy love God has for people.
Picture
Picture
I want to invite you to take what we’re calling at Church of the Promise, the Kingdom Encounter Challenge! Over the next few weeks I challenge you to re-read some of the word pictures Jesus paints about the kingdom of heaven on earth. Look close. Listen and reflect on the words. What do you see? What do you hear? Do the pictures comfort you or disturb you? Do the pictures call for a response? Do they move you to action or do they invite you to rest? 
Picture
If you're not sure where to start reading here are a few of my favorite stories Jesus told about the kingdom of heaven: Luke 12:13-34; 13:18-21; 14:15-24; 15:1-32 and Matthew 13:1-23; 24-30; 31-35; 44-46. 
Picture
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Author

    ​Larry Stoess is an author, public speaker, and urban church planter. He loves telling stories about how dreaming with God will empower people to make old and broken things new again. Larry and a band of friends founded the Church of the Promise in Louisville's Portland neighborhood; The Table, a pay-what-you-can community café; and Promise Housing Plus, a non-profit construction company. He has written about their experience of dreaming with God in his new book: Think Red.

    Archives

    April 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

Committed to Think Red 

​THINK RED TOGETHER PROMOTEs CONVERSATION AND shares INNOVATIVE IDEAS THAT will INSPIRE OTHERS TO IMAGINE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT BASED ON THE VALUES, VISION, AND MISSION OF JESUS. WE ENCOURAGE OPEN AND HONEST COMMENTS. WE WELCOME YOUR STORIES, EXPRESSIONS OF ART, POETRY, AND THEOLOGICAL REFLECTION. however, ALL POST MUST ALIGN WITH OUR CONDUCT AGREEMENT. 
​

Conduct Agreement 

Privacy Policy / Conditions 

Everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is ​like a wise man who
built his house on the rock.

---
Jesus

Contact Us

    Stay Connected

Submit

Copyright 2020 Larry Stoess

  • Blog
  • ABOUT
  • BIO
  • BOOK
  • Contact