<strong>EXPECTING GREATER THINGS FOR OTHERS</strong>

Our Scripture reference for 2016 is 2 Thessalonians 1:11, 12. In this passage, Paul prays a prayer for the Church in Thessalonica. This prayer is a model for what and how we desire to pray for others. A brief overview of this passage encourages us to:
<ul>
	<li>Pray always for others</li>
	<li>Desire that others would be worthy of this calling</li>
	<li>Desire that God would fulfill all the good pleasure of His goodness in their lives</li>
	<li>Desire that others have the power to fulfill the things that they have faith to do</li>
	<li>Desire that the name of our Lord Jesus Christ would be glorified in others and they are glorified in Him</li>
	<li>Desire that all of this is done according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ</li>
</ul>
As we <strong>Expect Greater Things For Others</strong>, it will push us outside of our comfort zones. It is easier to maintain fellowship with those who are like us… Those who believe what we believe… Those who share our morals and values. Alternatively, we tend not to readily develop and maintain fellowship with those who are not like us, do not believe what we believe and/or share our morals and values.

To <strong>Expect Greater Things For Others</strong>, means doing things that are not comfortable to the flesh. It means making decisions that some may call ‘foolish’ or ‘ridiculous.’ It means following the leading of the Holy Spirit even when (and sometimes especially when) it goes against every fiber of our human, rational being. It means being like Jesus. Everything that Jesus did was designed to accomplish greater things for us. Additionally, everything that Jesus is still doing is designed to accomplish greater things for us.

Consider this line from the song, <em>I’m Not Perfect</em>. Composer, Dee-1 shares, “They say I hang out with the thugs. If I recall right, Jesus hung out with the thugs…”