Summerfest - 5 Day Reading PlanSample

DAY 5 - THE POWER OF AN INVITATION
by Rob Stanmore (Young Adults Pastor - Hills Campus)

I vividly remember sitting in a circle at Connect Group during High School, when the leader at the time, would pick out an empty chair and place it in the circle before we began. 

It was a constant and visual reminder that there isn’t someone here that should be here.

We called it “The Empty Chair”

It was a constant reminder there was people in my life that need Jesus.

Whether they once knew him and drifted away, or that had never had a real encounter with the love of Jesus.

The humbling truth is we are now occupying a chair that was once empty.

We were once on the other side of a friend or family member’s prayer that one day we would know Jesus.

We now have the honour of extending the same invitation to those around us.

I love this incredible story we read today about Philip & the Ethiopian.

Philip didn’t seem to expect to meet the Ethiopian, however he was attentive to the Holy Spirit guiding him in one moment which changed the Ethiopian’s life forever.

The Ethiopian had heard of the things of God, however he needed the missing piece — Jesus.

I want to encourage you today to think about who you can invite to Summerfest?

Who is the empty seat in your world right now?

Like Philip, being open to the Holy Spirit’s lead, I want to encourage you to think what God might want to do through you today?

Could it be a phone call, a text, a meet-up, a FaceTime — or even a Zoom.

I believe God graces us for these conversations, like he did Philip, where he was given a boldness & a confidence to share the power of an invitation to the good news.

Questions:

(1) Who the person you are believing to invite to Summerfest?

(2) What is the best way for you to invite them today?

Prayer:

Dear Jesus. Thank you for the incredible good news of the Gospel. I pray today that you will give me a new boldness & confidence to invite my friend to Summerfest this year. I believe You are what they need. In Jesus Name. Amen.

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Thank you for reading this plan. On behalf of our Young Adults team, I want to truly honour you for committing to this plan & spiritually preparing yourself for all God is going to do at Summerfest!

We believe God is going to do something extraordinary through your life & those in your world.

We love you,

Rob & Amanda Stanmore