“...[T]his is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us.”
From -1 John 3:16 -24
This is a sermon preview for the second sermon in our series on 1 John. To view livestreams, click here.
International Ministries Global Servants Carlos Bonilla & Mayra Giovanetti make living and teaching the commands aimed at a disciple a core part of their work. They not only teach how to teach, but they live with and teach by example. They once shared a story about Laura Erica, a seminary student they worked with who started a discipleship program in Nicaragua.
The goal of every teacher is to see the student learn and succeed. In discipleship, our goal is to see our disciples becoming disciplers who continue acquiring knowledge, vitally living out the Word, and educating others. We met Laura Erica, who at the time was a seminary student and the National Youth President,on our first day in Nicaragua in 2013. A mutual friend had connected us through Facebook, so when we arrived for the final day of the National Baptist Convention of Nicaragua’s annual sessions, she found us and introduced herself in person
During the next four years, Laura Erica became part of our family, and us part of hers. She continued and completed her studies at the Baptist Theological Seminary in Managua and her involvement in the National Youth Ministries. She'd teach us the local culture, and she would be integrated with our family and learn how we teach. She watched our every move and came with us when we started the discipleship groups in the regions We are so blessed to see how Laura Erica continues organizing her own Ministry Story discipleship groups. Even without her own transportation, she moves around. She is following what she learned with us those four years and giving of herself "to do even greater things than these" as Jesus in John 14 encouraged all of us who are his disciples. Each believer and follower of Christ is to be a disciple that disciples others, "teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you" as Jesus commanded us in Matthew 28. The discipleship encounters in Iberoamerica and the Caribbean continue….” From the Ministry Stories of International Ministries Global Servants Carlos Bonilla & Mayra Giovanetti
Love in the Christian fellowship isn't simply a feeling. It's an action which reflects the love of Christ. Believers can have confidence in their relationship with God because of his action on our behalf. And this confidence should encourage us to follow his command to love one another. The Spirit testifies to the truth of the Good News of Jesus, and empowers us to follow his commands. Christ lives in us by the Spirit and the Spirit spurs us on to good works.
Join us April 28th, as we welcome Mayra Giovanetti in worship, we learn what it means to live proclaiming the Lord and his love, and as we have a special Spaghetti lunch in honor of these Global Servants working in International Missions for decades.