Destination Jesus
Destination Jesus Series
First, we are so happy that you have decided to participate in a Hearts Together Women’s Break-time Gathering - the Destination Jesus Series. Maybe there are only two of you joining together today, or maybe there are several more. The size of your gathering does not matter. What does matter is that you have decided to take a break from life’s busyness to unite in faith with the other women in your life. At Hearts Together Women, we believe that as we join with other Christian women to pursue Jesus, the atmosphere changes in our midst - right where our lives are happening.
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As we begin the Destination Jesus Series, it is important to acknowledge that the entire Bible is a Jesus book. Cover to cover, it is a story of redemption which is only and ultimately fulfilled in the person of Jesus Christ. The Old Testament points to Him, prophesies His coming and promises the salvation He alone can provide. It illustrates through many people and various complicated often chaotic circumstances our desperation for Him and the settledness only He can bring. The New Testament goes on to reveal Him to us - all He is, all He has for us, and all He asks from us, which is simple faith.
Destination Jesus is about our hearts finding true fulfillment - a place of settledness in the person of Christ. The deepest longings of our hearts are fulfilled in Jesus. Our hearts were created to be His dwelling place and therefore to worship Him and to follow after Him. Scripture is clear: every step we take in following the Lord’s leading is God’s way of bringing us closer to the person of Jesus Christ. He is our destination, and in Him we find our true home.
Destination Jesus takes us back to our roots, back to the calling of Abraham, and shows us how our stories are intricately woven into God’s own story, as revealed in His Word.
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God’s Heart
Opening your heart to God’s Word is a beautiful, life-altering experience. God’s Word is His heart. As we read it and reflect upon it, the Holy Spirit speaks to our hearts and guides us according to His perfect will for our lives.
The idea of legacy and family history has been highlighted in recent years by websites that provide family history records or DNA testing that trace the details of a person’s ancestry. Connection to the past and our roots gives us a sense of belonging and a deeper understanding of who we are. In Abraham - his life, his faith and his story - we discover our roots and our history as followers of Christ.
Abraham operated out of faith in the God who called him. He said yes in a very big way, and every move he made was made in faith. Because of that faith, God established a covenant with him that laid the foundation upon which generations of believers have been used by God to build His Church - the Body of Christ.
Our stories are just as much a part of God’s story as Abraham’s story was. His faith contributed to our ability to take part in this story - just as our faith contributes to the participation of believers after us. Abraham’s legacy of faith is our legacy. It is the legacy of every believer who follows after Christ and lives a life of faith in Him.
Genesis 12:1-4:
1 Now the LORD said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. 2 And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” 4 So Abram went, as the LORD had told him.
Hebrews 11:1 tells us that faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. The words assurance and conviction indicate a settled confidence, not merely a wish or even hope. Faith is imperative to our lives as Christians. It is the vehicle through which we say our yes and follow our God into the most abundant life. Paul teaches us in Romans 3:21-26 that the righteousness of God is ours - is manifested in us - through faith in Jesus Christ. Abraham built a legacy of faith as He followed God into his destiny - a destiny rooted deep in the person of Jesus Christ.
Romans 4:19-21:
19 He [Abraham] did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was as good as dead (since he was about a hundred years old), or when he considered the barrenness of Sarah’s womb. 20 No unbelief made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, 21 fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised.
Despite the circumstances Abraham found himself in and the logical conclusions he could draw from them, he didn’t waver into the trap of unbelief. He grew strong in faith as he gave glory to God and remained convinced that God would fulfill His promises to him, which indeed He did.
Hebrews 11:8:
By faith, Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going.
Abraham didn’t know where he was going when God asked him to leave everything he knew, but God knew. We don’t always know where we are going when we say yes to God, but He knows. God knows.
Ultimately, He is always taking us to Jesus. Jesus is our destination - if only we have the faith to follow and a heart willing to say yes.
Share Your Heart
Consider the following discussion starters as you share your hearts with one another:
Have you ever followed the Lord into uncertainty, or have you ever looked to Him in the midst of uncertainty? Share these experiences with one another. Discuss the victories as well as the failures you may have had in following the Lord.
Are you waiting for God to fulfill a promise? What helps you keep faith in the waiting? Encourage one another in the Lord.
Romans 4:20 says of Abraham that, “he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God.” How do you think giving glory to God helped Abraham to grow strong in faith? Has glorifying God ever strengthened your faith?
The Cries of Your Heart
At Hearts Together Women, we believe that the Lord hears the cries of our hearts.
We also believe in prayer partnership because God’s Word teaches us that partnering with one another in prayer is powerful.
James 5:16 says, “Therefore…pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.”
And Jesus encourages us, “When two of you get together on anything at all on earth and make a prayer of it, my Father in heaven goes into action. And when two or three of you are together because of me, you can be sure that I'll be there” (Matthew 18:19-20, The Message).
What amazing promises!
Here is how prayer partnership works at a Hearts Together Gathering:
After we share in the Word and discussion, your facilitator will ask each woman for her prayer requests. All you need to do is share your requests - the cries of your heart - because we all have them.
We encourage you to request prayer for 1) your own needs; 2) the needs of your family and loved ones; and 3) the needs you see around you - in the workplace, the school, the neighborhood or even the nation.
After the requests are shared, your gathering facilitator will lead in a prayer for the needs that were put forth.
In the following days, we encourage you to pray for the requests of the other women in your gathering. They will do the same for you. That’s what prayer partnership is all about!
As we partner with one another in prayer, we trust the Lord will meet with us and answer us in accordance with His perfect will.
Your Heart to His
Maybe you felt the Holy Spirit stirring something in your heart during this gathering. It doesn’t have to end here. Take it home. In the followings days, continue to pursue Him. Spend some time alone and quiet, away from the noise of life - just you and Jesus.
Tell Him the cries of your heart. He is listening; He cares, and He does answer. Praying is kind of like having a conversation with your best friend. He created you, so He already knows everything about you. He just wants to be with you.
After you pray, reread the Scriptures and thoughts under God’s Heart. Reflect upon the verses and how they speak to you and your life.
Here are some things you might contemplate and pray about:
We talked about how as Abraham glorified God, he grew strong in faith. Abraham often faced circumstances that were uncertain and disappointing; yet, he glorified God. You may also be facing some uncertainties and some disappointments. Glorifying God in the midst of the difficulty will strengthen your faith. Remember, He is with you and leading you closer to Himself. Lean in and glorify Him. Trust that He will strengthen your faith as you do.
This is just between you and Jesus - your heart to His. Make space in your busy days to spend some time with Him.
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Do you have a Bible? If not, there are many digital options - Bible apps, etc. We suggest starting with John’s Gospel.
