Many sports champions have emphasized “pressure is a privilege,” underscoring that it’s a privilege to be in a position where others are expecting big things of you in the heat of the moment. As we journey into the New Year amidst growing instability around the world, we consider what a great privilege it is to be people entrusted with the Gospel in difficult times, and what big expectations God puts on those with that privileged Good News. That is the idea behind our 2024 ministry theme…

Pressure Is a Privilege: We Will Rise to Expectations of the Great Commission.

With this theme comes three layers of missional focus:

1. We will RISE to the privilege of Gospel-centered living. We are privileged to possess the Gospel of the life-changing message of Jesus Christ. Over 3 billion people in over 7,000 people groups around the world are currently unreached by this treasured Good News. To whom much has been given, much is expected… and required. The Gospel demands of us nothing less than absolute surrender in our daily relationships, our life pursuits, our time investments, our sacrificial “faithing,” and our financial stewardship.

2. We will RISE to the privilege of the Great Commission. We will embrace God’s missional mandate (Matthew 28:19-20) by cultivating discipleship pathways across the streets, across the states, and across the seas. We will not shy away from bold missional enterprise to reach youth for Christ, resource and strengthen communities, and invest in building kingdom leaders who are intentional about developing the next generation of young people.

3. We will RISE to the privilege of a persevering faith in difficult times. As we see the escalation of hostilities in our world, we will let the pressure remind us that “for such a time as this” we have been entrusted to be ambassadors of Good News hope in a bad news world. We are in this moment by divine design. We will not lose hope! We will not lose heart! We will not run from expectations to be light in the darkness, no matter how difficult life gets. We will rise to the expectation of perseverance in faith, knowing that He has promised “I am with you always, to the end of the age,” and we will do all that is sufficiently granted to us by the grace and power of God to instill faith, hope, and courage in others.

A Night of Celebration (Missions Banquet, March 21)

We would love to have you join us for Breakaway’s 2024 missions celebration banquet on March 21. It will be a festive evening of celebrating all that God is doing through this ministry. The evening will feature dinner, community awards, stories of hope, a silent auction, and many highlights of Breakaway’s impact at home and around the world. You can navigate to the RSVP link or email info@breakawayoutreach.com for more details. We cannot emphasize how special it will be to see you in person for this amazing night of fellowship and storytelling.

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Instantly the teacher sprang to her defense. “She can out-write any of you any day of the week!” he explained. Many years later, Kathleen gratefully recalled the moment: “I started that day to try to write as well as he said I could.”

Eventually, Kathleen Parker would win a Pulitzer Prize for her writing.

Jesus and the Vulnerable and Marginalized

As did Kathleen’s teacher, Jesus identified with the defenseless and vulnerable. When His disciples kept children away from Him, He grew angry. “Let the little children come to me,” He said, “and do not hinder them” (Mark 10:14). He reached out to a despised ethnic group, making the Good Samaritan the hero of His parable (Luke 10:25–37) and offering genuine hope to a searching Samaritan woman at Jacob’s well (John 4:1–26). He protected and forgave a woman trapped in adultery (John 8:1–11). And though we were utterly helpless, Christ gave His life for all of us (Romans 5:6).

When we defend the vulnerable and the marginalized, we give them a chance to realize their potential. We show them real love, and in a small but significant way we reflect the very heart of Jesus.

Jesus rebuked the disciples for seeking to sideline children. He actually welcomed open access to those who sought contact with Him. The rationale given was that “the kingdom of God belongs to such as these” (Mark 10:14). What could Jesus possibly mean? most likely went through the disciples’ minds. Our Lord then qualified what He said: “Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it” (v. 15). A child is more likely to express faith than a skeptical adult is. We are to follow their example and believe and rely on the promises of God. After this explanation, Jesus physically showed His acceptance by taking the children in His arms and blessing them.

Visit Breakaway Outreach to find out more about how you can defend the vulnerable and marginalized in your community.

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