So over the last 6 weeks we talked about how important it is that people see more of how good God is through us, His Body on Earth. Through the way we show patience, kindness, generosity, love and forgiveness. So now you do all those things and wonder what it does.

Let me share 2 of many little experiences we had with you. For about 1.5 years we have been running every morning on our hill. First it was an effort for me to loose wat, then it became part of the wake up routine and my time with God. During our run we run into many people and say good morning. A little while ago a neighbor came up to me and told me how we inspired her through our running to run as well, so she started. Another older man also came up another time and told us how he felt inspired to walk just by watching us in the morning. So we left an impact there just by living our lives. Another one is our brunch. We have been doing it for many years. Many neighbors came through and its always a wonderful time. Now since we have kept it simple people started coming up to us and telling us that they want to host a brunch as well. So it happened. But not just with the brunch also a thanksgiving meal was hosted in someone’s house.  So people are inspired by what we do and how we live our life.

Now again looking at the father in the story of the prodigal son we notice that he broke all cultural rules and invited his son back in. What do you think his neighbors are thinking about that? I bet all they could do is being inspired by that love. Just imagine this, we all start living in those principles of the father in our communities. Its impossible that we don’t leave an impact or inspire people. It will inspire them so much that they want to know what’s different about us. That they want to know the Father and His love for them.

So ask God this week what he wants to use in your life to inspire people in your community. It might be something you haven’t even thought about. Maybe God wants to use something totally different in your life that you have to stand against culture and etiquette to do the right thing. Ask the father and remember that he wants to use you to inspire people!

Hey our friend

We hope your week was awesome!! We baked cookies last week as a north beach team for Valentine’s day to hand out to different people. It was a lot of fun and people got encouraged. We also had a great game night, and this time our DTS students joined us. We want them to be inspired so when they go home they have ideas on loving their neighbors and neighborhood. I got to speak at a business man meeting to encourage local business people. Jen blessed neighbors through a visit with bridie a sweet dog we are watching for friends while they are gone.

Jen and I have been doing good too. We got to go on a delayed date night for valentines day. It was fun!

So don’t forget this week to ask God how he wants to inspire people through you!

God bless you

Markus and Jen

So over the last 5 weeks we talked about how important it is that people see more of how good God is through us, His Body on Earth. Through the way we show patience, kindness, generosity, love and… this week forgiveness.

It amazes me how the prodigal son comes home, tells the father how he sinned and wasn’t worthy to be a son anymore. The fathers response is a big hug and telling everyone how his son who was dead returned and is alive. There wasn’t even an instance of saying I told you so. No the father totally forgave him and didn’t look at the past. You should think that after all the humiliation he faced through that he would at least hold on to some offense. But no nothing, he totally forgave the son and established him back into the family. Jesus showed us that really clearly as well at the end of His life at the cross. He asked God to forgive the people that put him there. There was no hesitation and he did not keep offense, no he just forgave them. That is powerful. We also see again that it was undeserved, like many of the other things we talked about in the last week.

I understand, it is sometimes not easy to do that and it is very easy to get offended. But offense and un-forgiveness is not portraying a loving father and a father who wants to reconcile. Offense and un-forgiveness is also affecting our lives in a negative way too. So since we are his representatives we have to do it for the sake of others and for the sake of us. So let’s get started. Let’s ask God to show us people in our life we hold offense to and people we haven’t forgiven. Then let’s take steps to forgive them. A book that gave me a deeper understanding of the need to let offense go and forgive is called The bait of Satan by John Bevere. You can click on this link to find it.

So let’s show the goodness of God by forgiving people.

Hey our friend

February is in full swing. Last week we relaunched our small group in the New Year since we were gone for the January one. We also had our bi yearly bay area meeting to evaluate the different works in the bay area. It was as usual encouraging. How is your February going? How is God partnering with you to show his love to people in your surroundings? Remember that you can and are making a difference where you live!!

So don’t forget this week to ask God who you have to forgive and if there is offense that you have to release to Him!

God bless you

Markus and Jen

So how were you able to be generous last week? Im sure God gave you opportunities for it! You can be sure that you changed something in this world!!

One of the key things during the story of the prodigal son is love. The father choose to love his son and it cost him a lot. Love is not a fluffy feeling, it is a choice. When you look at the definition in 1. Corinthians 13 you find out that love is a lot of action and again its not out of being deserved, its out of love. And that father showed so much love. He gave up his honor, his money, some of his status and many more things just because he loved his son so much. When he finally came home he showed his love in an action by running up to him and ending up in a big hug and again it was undeserved. Jesus did the same thing during his life. He even said that the greatest love is to lay down our lives for a friend and he did that. But not just that, he showed love to prostitutes, tax collectors and many others. He even showed love to a dead man (Lazarus) by bringing him back to life. He never choose his action by the response of people or if its deserved, no he choose it always by the meaning of love. I don’t know if you have seen the movie wonder woman, but in one of the scenes the evil one tells her about all the bad things humans did and why they deserve to die. Her response to that was Its not about what they deserve, its about what I believe and I believe in love! That is the gospel in action and love is the gospel in action.

So again how can we apply this to our daily life. Loving someone always cost us something. So showing love to someone that deserves it is easy, but we need to show love to someone that does in our eyes not deserve it. So maybe share a loving word or do something nice for somebody at work or in your neighborhood that is not considered a nice person. Love on people that might not have the same opinion then you do and might not replicate it. Loving someone unlovable or undeserved  is hard, but when you do it changes them and you and you get to experience more of the love of God for yourself.

Hey our friend

Its already February. The year goes by fast! We had a wonderful brunch again and a great Haeusser hangout. It so great to see how more and more community exists. Its also great to see how people start seeing the need for community more and more. Please keep prainyg with us for here and other places that people are inspired to create community and love on the people around them. It will benefit everyone. Lets change this world by loving our neighbor and with that doing what Jesus called us to do!

Remember this week “Its not about what they deserve, its about what I believe and I believe in love!” So lets let God love his children through us!!!

God bless you

Markus and Jen