The Christ Way
Read: Philippians 3:7-14
Seventy years ago in July 1936, two teenagers had their first date while attending the Grand Mesa Baptist Youth Assembly. They attended camp on Grand Mesa and dated each other each summer through 1941.
Two persons they met at Grand Mesa camps influenced their lives powerfully. One was W. F. Ripley, Director of Christian Education for the Colorado Baptist Convention and Dean of Camping with Eastern and Western Colorado Baptist Youth Assemblies. He was a fine Christian man who inspired us to seek to live Christ-like lives. The other was Esther Christopher of Ft. Morgan, another beautiful Christian person. She taught a class on the Life of Prayer that inspired us to place prayer high on our agenda. Both of these persons radiated great love and devotion to God and inspired us to walk in the footsteps of Jesus through all our adult years: The Christ Way.
Through these two and through outstanding American Baptist missionaries and ministers who spoke at Colorado Baptist camps and youth conventions came God’s call to us to live Christ-centered lives. This is the life described in Philippians 3:7-10 in words that speak “...of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus the Lord... that I may gain Christ and be found in Him.” This close, all-supreme bond with Christ is central to walking The Christ Way. Join with us in thanking God for the Christians you have known who led you into your own meaningful personal relationship with Jesus.
With this came also The Call to Christian Personhood: “having the righteousness that comes from God through faith in Christ” (v. 9). These words suggest the godliness or Christ-likeness these persons exemplified through the transforming power of the Holy Spirit. This Christian personhood is described as “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control” (Galatians 5:22). Join with us in thanking God for the beautiful Christians filled with the power and displaying the fruit of the Spirit who have inspired you to seek to be a beautiful Christian too.
This week these thoughts are shared along with the message of Easter: “That we may know him and power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death” (v. 10). The presence and the power of Christ’s resurrection along with the sacrifice of taking up our crosses and following in His footsteps are at the very heart of walking The Christ Way. Join with us in thanking God for those who have enabled you to experience that power and to endure the suffering that sometimes comes with it in your journey through life in and with Christ.
Prayer: Lord, may your presence and power enable us to live and to walk The Christ Way. Amen.
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Bill and Mary Ann Kastning
Retired AB Pastor and Spouse
Members of FBC/Delta, CO
This devotional was written
to celebrate their 60th wedding
anniversary in March.
Contact Bill and Mary Ann
at
momdadk@doci.net.
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