Good Deeds: Organizing…Community Building for the Holidays & Beyond “Everyone can be great, because everyone can serve.” Martin Luther King, Jr. “This country will not be a good place for any of us to live in unless we make it a good place for all of us to live in.” “I have found that among its other benefits, giving liberates the soul of the giver.” What does it mean to let our light shine?  "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. Jesus said, “Let your light shine before others” — Matthew 5:16A He explained that no one lights a lamp just to hide it under a basket. A lamp is meant to be placed on a stand to give light to everything around it. Whether you're timid or outgoing, you're called to be a light to the people around you. He knew troubling times were ahead and that we needed to be lights in those times in order for others to survive and thrive. In a world that is filled with darkness, believers are to be the lights shining through the darkness to lead people not only to safety but to the arms of Jesus. Never dull your shine for somebody else.” “Simply shine your light on the road ahead, and you are helping others see their way out of darkness.” “Nothing can dim the light that shines from within.” “Let your light shine today, and let your personality blossom, too. "Never dull your shine for somebody else.” — Tyra Banks “Nothing can dim the light that shines from within.” — Maya Angelou "The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it." —John 1:5 (NIV) What Does it Mean to Let Your Light Shine? Offer HOPE when there is none. You offer encouragement when it is needed most. Offer KINDNESS despite being surrounded by hate. Offer COMPASSION in a world that cares about the bottom line. Offer Patience – BALANCE when you're met with impatience. ... "Good Deeds" is a phrase that refers to positive and altruistic actions or acts of kindness that individuals perform to benefit others or contribute to the greater good. Good deeds can take various forms and may include acts such as helping someone in need, volunteering, donating to charity, offering support or encouragement, or simply showing kindness and compassion in everyday interactions. Empathy is the ability to understand and share another person's experience, including their feelings, perspectives, and needs: Benefits: Empathy can help you build better relationships, show compassion, and help others. It can also reduce your own distress by helping you understand and reduce the other person's Why is Community Building important? Broaden knowledge Sense of Belonging Improve mental health Promote empathy Address social and economic issues Sense of Harmony Compassionate Goodwill What is a benefit of community building? When you engage in communities, you broaden your knowledge base. The simple act of interacting with a more diverse range of people can generate more perspectives and opinions to consider. As a result, communities help to promote a better sense of understanding and empathy, as well as clearer communication skills. (RECAP from Last Year) 5 Stages of Forming a Group: Psychologist Bruce Tuckman first proposed this model in 1965. It's a useful framework for understanding team behavior. These stages are commonly known as: Forming, Storming, Norming, Performing, and Adjourning. (mid-1960s by Bruce W. Tuckman) Tuckman's model explains that as the team develops maturity and ability, relationships establish, and leadership style changes to more collaborative or shared leadership.Tuckman's stages of group development are a model that describes the five stages a team goes through as it develops: Five stages of forming a group 1 — Forming: The initial meeting of a new team, where members are excited but cautious. This is a time to build trust and relationships, and to define goals and responsibilities. 2— Storming: A stage where team members argue with each other, the tasks, and the leadership. This is a time when the team has moved from low confidence to enough confidence to assert itself. 3— Norming: A stage where group norms and roles are established. 4— Performing: A stage where the team is comfortable with each other and their work, and productivity is high. The leader rarely intervenes, and conflict is usually constructive. 5— Adjourning: The stage where the project ends Morgan Scott Peck, famous for his widely read book “The Road Less Traveled,” went beyond individual psychology to explore how groups function together. His focus was on building more than just surface-level connections—he referred to it as “True Community.” Let’s delve into the four stages of community development proposed by Scott Peck: Pseudocommunity, Chaos, Emptiness, and True Community. Four Stages of Community Development 1 — Pseudo community: This is where individuals pretend everything is fine, even if there are differing thoughts and feelings. On the outside, it may appear friendly, but it conceals true thoughts and emotions. To progress beyond this stage, it takes courage and a willingness to go deeper than the surface. 2 — Chaos: Moving from pretense to genuine connection can be messy. Conflicts arise, and things may seem unruly. However, according to Peck, this chaos is necessary for authentic community. Embracing this discomfort is a key factor in personal growth and understanding others. 3 — Emptiness: After the chaos settles, there’s a stage of emptiness. Here, individuals let go of old ideas and become open to new possibilities. It’s not a frightening emptiness but rather a space where true community can take root. 4 — True Community: The ultimate goal is “True Community,” where individuals have navigated through challenges to form deep connections. This community is characterized by understanding, respect, and a shared purpose for everyone’s well-being.

We’re talking about being tied up for purpose, not “a purpose” or “on purpose” just purpose. At the beginning of the year, we kicked off with our theme of “Purpose.” Each weekly devotional connects back to our purpose. In the text (Matthew 21 and Mark 11), we read about a donkey and her colt who have been tied up, never used by anyone, with owners who were amicable with them being used, as it was prophesied (Zechariah 9:9) that they would be used by Jesus during His triumphal entry. Matthew 21:1-11 As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, 2 saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt by her. Untie them and bring them to me. 3 If anyone says anything to you, say that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away.” 4 This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet: 5 Say to Daughter Zion, ‘See, your king comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey, and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’”[ a ] 6 The disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed them. 7 They brought the donkey and the colt and placed their cloaks on them for Jesus to sit on. 8 A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9 The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted, “Hosanna[ b ] to the Son of David!” “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”[ c ] “Hosanna[ d ] in the highest heaven!” 10 When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, “Who is this?” 11 The crowds answered, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.” Mark 11:2-6 2 “Go into the village in front of you, and immediately as you enter it you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever sat. Untie it and bring it. 3 If anyone says to you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ say, ‘The Lord has need of it and will send it back here immediately.’” 4 And they went away and found a colt tied at a door outside in the street, and they untied it. 5 And some of those standing there said to them, “What are you doing, untying the colt?” 6 And they told them what Jesus had said, and they let them go. The prophecy referred to in Matthew 21:4-5 comes from Zechariah 9:9 Hosanna means Lord save us now 6 points about being tied up for purpose: Recognize Multigenerational Purpose (passing the mantle): • The donkey and her colt were not tied up alone, they were together in purpose; and prepared for the moment. • When we have children and/or people connected to us sometimes our gift, mantle is something that is shared or passed along (e.g. Elijah and Elisha in (2 Kings 2:13-15). • It’s likely Jesus road the donkey on the more difficult parts of the journey and the colt in the city. • I’m tied up, you’re tied up, we’re we’re tied up together for our respective purposes. 2 Kings 2:13-15 13 He then picked up the mantle of Elijah that fell from him. When he returned and stood by the bank of the Jordan, 14 he took the mantle of Elijah that had fallen off him, struck the waters and said, “Where is Adonai, the God of Elijah?” As he indeed struck the waters, they parted here then there. Then Elisha crossed over. 15 When the sons of the prophets at Jericho saw him some way off, they said, “The spirit of Elijah has rested on Elisha.” So they came to meet him and bowed down to the ground before him. Visibility • Be visible, while tied up for your specific purpose. •Jesus had th e donkey and colt on reserve since the Old Testament or the beginning of time. What to do/not do while you’re while you are tied up and when you’re waiting to be deployed into purpose? • Be prepared, be ready, be relevant. • Don’t wander fr om your assignment during your waiting period. Sometimes when things are not happening as fast as we want or the way we would like, we try to trade in our gifts for what trending or bargain with God for another calling — when all along we’ve been called for a specific purpose. Psalms 46:10 God says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” Let your answer (to God) be YES! • The donkey, colt, and their caregivers did not resist the request. • When we answer the call of God in any capacity we’re out to be willing to go where He is taking us. • God is always with us, so He’ll never send us somewhere alone. • Only God is omnipresent, Satan is not, nor is he God's equal. • When the donkey and colt were called they were cooperative and fulfilled the prophecy carrying Jesus during His triumphal entry. Palms represent victory. • They were waved and laid down before Jesus indicating He was the one they were waiting for, the Messiah. • The victory was Jesus overcoming death and the grave. • The people were shouting Hosanna which means "Lord save us now" Peace. • Jesus entering Jerusalem riding a donkey and/or colt symbolized the arrival of peace. • Operating in our purpose we should be ushering the peace and presence of God when we’re on assignment. • As children of God who are called according to His purpose, we are agents of Peace as Elder Shan Wilson shared in the Advent Series' devotional on PEACE .

The Value of the Oil - JESUS Anointed at Bethany (Mark 14:3-9) We have to know the value of this oil, we have to also know the purpose of this oil. Dr. Myles Munroe said, "when we don't know the purpose of something, abuse and misuse is inevitable" The Oil is sent from GOD through the HOLY SPIRIT This oil breaks yokes and is given to us through obedience to the WORD of GOD. The Overflow of Oil - The Widow's Olive Oil (2 Kings 4:1-7 & Psalm 23:4-5) The LORD said, "In this season, the oil will not stop flowing!" The benefits of obedience is grain, new wine and OIL. In this season, we have to watch the distractions and we have to be careful to not get caught up in what it looks like because GOD doesn't want us to miss the fact that although we may go through some things, the OIL WILL NOT STOP FLOWING. As the oil is flowing, we must be sure to note that it's also harvesting and planting time very similar to Joseph. The widow had enough to pay back the debt and live off of it. This oil won't stop flowing in this season, but it's not just for the season. The Oil of Wisdom (Proverbs 3:13-15) The Bible says in Ecclesiastes 7:12 NLT that wisdom and money can get us almost anything, but only wisdom can save our lives. As the oil is flowing, it isn't just about money, but as we study our WORD, we will receive the increase of wisdom, knowledge, understanding and discernment. It's important to note that we must be good stewards over our money in order to harvest, plant and save for the future. We also need the wisdom to know that satan will come with deception and manipulation. We can't confuse Godly oil with the oil sent to confuse us, we must test every spirit. The oil sent to confuse us, is oil that has been tampered with and manipulated by satan. Satan can try to duplicate it like Pharaoh's sorcerers and magicians, but they can only get so far...we will know that we know that every good and perfect gift comes from GOD! Preparing for the Oil As we head into the season of the oil flowing, we want to be spiritually, mentally and emotionally prepared to receive it. The LORD doesn't want us to miss it. Isaiah 43:19, the LORD is doing something new, will we not be aware... As we prepare ourselves to receive this overflowing oil, wait with great anticipation and excitement that the LORD wants to bless us and be ready to receive just what you have been praying for.

We will be taking a look at the 5 Stages of Grief from the book "5 Stages of Grief" written by Elisabeth Kubler Ross & David Kessler, but then looking at what GOD says about each stage as well as some principles that we can use to work through grief. As we read through the different stages of grief and look at the Scriptures, we will use the SOAP method (shown below) as it pertains to the Scriptures. SOAP Method Scripture – read through the Scriptures, and meditate on the Scriptures when you get a chance. Observation – Think about the following: What are your thoughts on the Scripture? What do you believe GOD is saying in the verse(s)? How can satan manipulate the WORD to fit his agenda? Application – How can you take this WORD and apply it, even while grieving? Prayer – In prayer, be honest and acknowledge where you are; pray the WORD of GOD and give HIM thanks! Five Stages of Grief with Scripture References ONE: Denial Denial is the first of the five stages of grief. In this stage, the world becomes meaningless and overwhelming. Life makes no sense. We are in a state of shock and denial. We go numb. We wonder how we can go on, if we can go on, why we should go on. “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” – Proverbs‬ ‭4‬:‭23‬ ‭NIV‬‬ “He says, 'Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.' ” –Psalms‬ ‭46‬:‭10‬ ‭NIV ‬ TWO: Anger Be willing to feel your anger, even though it may seem endless. The more you truly feel it, the more it will begin to dissipate and the more you will heal. There are many other emotions under the anger and you will get to them in time, but anger is the emotion we are most used to managing. The truth is that anger has no limits. It can extend not only to your friends, the doctors, your family, yourself, and your loved one who died but also to God. You may ask, “Where is God in this? Underneath anger is pain, your pain. It is natural to feel deserted and abandoned, but we live in a society that fears anger. “Be angry, and do not sin; ponder in your own hearts on your beds, and be silent. Selah” – Psalm 4:4 ESV 26 “In your anger do not sin”[ a ]: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, 27 and do not give the devil a foothold." –Ephesians 4:26-27 NIV THREE: Bargaining We become lost in a maze of “If only…” or “What if…” statements. We want life returned to what is, what was; we want our loved ones restored. We want to go back in time: find the tumor sooner, recognize the illness more quickly, stop the accident from happening…if only, if only, if only. Guilt is often bargaining’s companion. The “if onlys” cause us to find fault in ourselves and what we “think” we could have done differently. We may even bargain with the pain. We will do anything not to feel the pain of this loss. We remain in the past, trying to negotiate our way out of the hurt. 28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” –Matthew 11:28-30 FOUR: Depression After bargaining, our attention moves squarely into the present. Empty feelings present themselves, and grief enters our lives on a deeper level, deeper than we ever imagined. This depressive stage feels as though it will last forever. It’s important to understand that this depression is not a sign of mental illness. It is the appropriate response to a great loss. We withdraw from life, left in a fog of intense sadness, wondering, perhaps, if there is any point in going on alone. Why go on at all? 17 "The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears them; HE delivers them from all their troubles. 18 The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. 19 The righteous person may have many troubles, but the LORD delivers him from them all." –Psalm 34:17-19 NIV FIVE: Acceptance This is often confused with the notion of being “all right” or “OK” with what has happened. This is not the case. Most people don’t ever feel OK or all right about what has happened. This stage is about accepting the reality of what has happened and recognizing that this is a new reality. We learn to live with it. It is the new norm with which we must learn to live. In resisting this new norm, at first, many people want to maintain life as it was before. In time, through bits and pieces of acceptance, however, we see that we cannot maintain the past intact. It has been forever changed and we must readjust. We can never replace what has been lost, but we can make new connections, new meaningful relationships, and new inter-dependencies. Instead of denying our feelings, we listen to our needs; we move, we change, we grow, we evolve. We may start to reach out to others and become involved in their lives. We invest in our friendships and in our relationship with ourselves. We begin to live again, but we cannot do so until we have given grief it's time. “A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.” Proverbs 11:25 NIV “Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope.” –1 Thessalonians 4:13 NIV “Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with all of you.” – 2 Thessalonians 3:16 NIV "Having Hope will give you courage. You will be protected and will rest in safety. You will lie down unafraid, and many will look to you for help." – Job 11:18-19 NLT

Are you looking for PEACE in your life? The clutter in our minds and physical spaces often prevents us from focusing and hearing what God is saying to settle our spirit and give us His peace. God's peace has everything to do with our commitment, our walk, and our relationship with Him. Guest Devotional Speaker, Vernessa Fountain, shares this Advent message of the Peace of God and what we can do to access it in our lives today.

Inflation has you concerned? Preparing for a new year makes you anxious? Replace uncontrolled anxious thoughts with HOPE – feelings of expectation and desire for a certain thing to happen. Put your HOPE in Christ this holiday season. Guest Devotional Leader, Shan Wilson, shares this week's Advent message of being an agent of HOPE in your workplace, place of business, and church. Find out what HOPE really means this season and what scriptures help us apply exercise faith and hope in our lives.

What are the qualities of a thought leader? Why is thankfulness an essential tool for today's leaders? Understand the five pillars that make a thought leader go from one of many to a true industry leader while aligning with Biblical principles (I Samuel 9), what defines thankfulness today, and how to express it outwardly to those around you.

In Jude 1:3, the author Jude writes a letter of encouragement we can draw from even now, he starts by saying, “Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints. (KJV)”

3 Ways to be the light 1. Do what’s right, when everyone else is going left. As a leader, do what God’s Word says is right, and not what the world says. God is still our plumbline that we measure our decisions, success, and even failures. A light that burns consistently is hot, so it’s important to set yourself apart from the world. Be seen doing good. You have to be in this world, but you don’t need to participate in the things that can cannibalize your faith. Why use the term cannibalize? Because it refers to consuming something of the same species. We do not want to be overtaken by those we think are our peers, being the light involves sanctification (being set apart for special use or purpose). So when the world is going left, we're focused on living a life that is set apart where we're focused on being the light to help people find direction, restoration, and salvation in Christ. 2. Be unwavering in your decisions. God expects us to be the light and empowers us to do so. Be firm and committed to the Lord in everything you do in life, business, family, leadership...in any environment where you're making decisions and/or leading others. Be aware of the impact of distractions, they will come and shouldn't be ignored or denied. Some distractions are intentional, while others do need to be addressed at the moment because they are emergent in nature. Even then, don’t allow the distraction to cause you to waver in the intensity of your beliefs. Use discipline, sacrifice, and courage to maintain your focus on God and being light in the darkness. Pray in a different way. Talk to God frequently throughout the day. Little prayers. Chats. The more we talk to God, the more He speaks to us. The more we fast and focus on hearing His voice, the clearer we will hear Him. Give God time to answer you, He wants to strengthen you and download His plans for your life to you! 3. Trust God in all things.  Challenges come at every level. Sometimes it may appear those challenges have dimmed our light. Other times we're comparing our light and effectiveness to the light of others, and wonder where we fall in the gaze of others. Remember the purpose of your light and function in that purpose. Trust God and trust the process He is taking you through. This means not skipping steps, and being thorough and accountable to him, to our clients, colleagues, and peers accordingly. Whether you’re on the mountain top of victory, in the valley of discouragement, or coasting through your day, trust the direction and instruction God has given you. He has given you the strength for this part of your journey.