Ep 117: Receiving a Child in Jesus' Name (w/ Nick Gill)

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What does Jesus tell us about 
how to receive others? 

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Well, our special guest this 
morning will tell us all about 

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that in just a bit. 
Welcome to the show. 

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I'm Daniel Dalp, and this is for
your Sunday morning drive. 

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We're the short podcast with the
goal of providing some 

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motivation, Dr. and 
encouragement and helping you 

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recenter your mind on those 
spiritual things on a hectic 

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Sunday morning. 
And like I said this morning, we

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have a special guest, a 
returning guest, brother Nick 

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Gill. 
This is Nick's second time 

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gracing our little Sunday 
morning drive and I'm so 

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thankful that he was willing to 
come back and join us. 

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Nick is a member of the Two 
Timbers Church of Christ in 

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Stamping Ground, KY, and he also
works as a grant administrator 

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in Frankfort, KY. 
Nick is also one of the most 

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sincere brothers I've ever met. 
And when you talk to him or, or 

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you're around him or you're 
communicating with him, it's 

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clear that he loves Jesus and he
loves others. 

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And although many of you may not
have met him in person, I know 

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that's going to come through in 
his thoughts this morning. 

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Nick, thank you for being on the
show. 1 last piece of 

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housekeeping. 
I'm conducting A listener survey

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to gather some feedback on the 
show. 

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So when you have some time, if 
you could check out the link in 

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the show notes or visit for your
Sunday morning dr.com and take 

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that survey, I'd sure appreciate
it. 

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Now make sure you don't take it 
during church or while you're 

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driving, but if you have time 
today, if you could circle back 

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and check that out, it would 
really help me out. 

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Anyway, let's go ahead and get 
the show on the road. 

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This is episode 117, receiving a
child in Jesus name. 

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Let's go to church. 
Are we there yet? 

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Good morning. 
As you're driving to worship 

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today, I'd like to invite your 
family to think about something 

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Jesus said that completely 
turned his disciples 

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understanding of greatness 
upside down. 

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But before we read the passage, 
I've got a question for the kids

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in the car. 
Kids, what do you think changed 

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in your parents lives after you 
were born? 

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Parents give them a minute to 
answer. 

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They might say you got less 
sleep, had more laundry, spent 

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more money, or had to change 
your schedule. 

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Maybe they'll even notice that 
you worried more or spent a lot 

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more time taking care of someone
beside yourself. 

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The truth is, when you receive a
child into your family, your 

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whole life changes. 
Your priorities change. 

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Your plans are interrupted. 
Your time isn't just your own 

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anymore. 
And here's the remarkable thing 

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from the world's perspective, a 
child doesn't help you climb the

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ladder of success. 
They don't increase your status.

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They don't make you more 
productive. 

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They simply require your love, 
your attention, your patience, 

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and your sacrifice. 
I think that's exactly why Jesus

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chose a child in Mark 9. 
The disciples have just been 

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arguing about who among them is 
the greatest. 

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They're thinking about rank, 
recognition and importance. 

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But Jesus doesn't point to a 
king or a rabbi or a scholar or 

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some wealthy benefactor. 
He takes a child into his arms 

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and says, whoever receives one 
such child in my name receives 

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me. 
It's important to notice what 

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Jesus doesn't say. 
He doesn't say become childlike.

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That is an important teaching, 
but it's found elsewhere. 

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Here Jesus says receive a child.
To receive someone means more 

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than simply noticing them. 
It means welcoming them, making 

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room for them, caring for them, 
accepting responsibility for 

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them. 
It means allowing your life to 

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be interrupted for their good. 
And then Jesus adds 3 remarkable

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words in my name. 
Now, as the conversation goes, 

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he's talked about an outsider 
casting out demons in his name 

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and about giving someone a cup 
of water because they belong to 

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the Christ. 
The thread running through the 

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whole passage is that these 
people are connected to Jesus. 

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In other words, to receive 
someone in Jesus name is to 

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welcome them to care for them 
because they matter to him. 

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Suddenly the question isn't can 
this person advance my agenda? 

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The question becomes, does this 
person matter to Jesus? 

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Because if they do, they should 
matter to me. 

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That's a beautiful reversal of 
the disciples argument. 

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Because they keep asking who is 
the greatest and Jesus keeps 

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asking whom are you willing to 
receive? 

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So here's one last challenge. 
As you pull into the parking lot

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this morning, before you leave 
your car, ask yourself, who 

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might Jesus want us to receive 
today? 

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Maybe it's somebody who's 
visiting for the first time. 

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Maybe it's someone sitting by 
themselves. 

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Maybe it's an elderly member who
hasn't had many conversations 

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lately. 
Maybe it's a child who needs 

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someone to notice them. 
Maybe it's someone who's been 

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carrying a heavy burden that no 
one else can see. 

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As your family walks into the 
building today, don't just look 

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for your friends. 
Look for someone who matters to 

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Jesus and make room for them in 
your mourning. 

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Because Jesus says that when we 
receive those who matter to him,

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we receive him. 
And when we receive him, we 

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receive the Father who sent him.
So perhaps greatness in God's 

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Kingdom isn't found at the top 
of the ladder after all. 

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Perhaps it's found in the 
ordinary, often unnoticed 

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moments when we gladly make room
in our lives for the people who 

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matter most to Jesus. 
Nick, those were some excellent 

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thoughts and boy, are they 
relevant to so many 

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conversations happening or that 
should be happening in our world

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right now. 
Those were his thoughts. 

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Now it's time for you to share 
yours. 

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Our discussion questions for 
this week are, since Jesus calls

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us to receive those he cares 
about, how might that affect the

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way we view people? 
Our culture is quick to 

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overlook, dismiss, or reject. 
How can we prevent ourselves in 

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the future from using qualifiers
and making judgments that Jesus 

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does not? 
And who might Jesus want us to 

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receive today? 
Hey, thank you for listening. 

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Thank you for taking time, if 
you can, to fill out that 

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listener survey. 
Thank you for Nick for being on 

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the show again. 
I can't wait to have you back 

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next time. 
Keep receiving people, keep 

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caring about people, and do it 
the way that Jesus does. 

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It makes a difference. 
And hey, I'll see you Sunday.