Embodying Christ's Love: Living with Open Hands and Heart

Devotional

Day 1: Divine Strength for Open Living

Living with open hands and an open heart requires a strength that transcends human capability. This divine strength is a gift from the Holy Spirit, enabling believers to embody the love and kindness of Christ in their daily interactions. In a world that often rejects biblical truth, this empowerment allows us to love our enemies and do good to those who hate us, reflecting the heart of God. The call to live openly is not just about personal transformation but about being a vessel of God's love and grace to others. As we rely on the Holy Spirit, we find the courage and ability to live out the teachings of Christ, even when it is challenging. [07:09]

"For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being." (Ephesians 3:14-16, ESV)

Reflection: In what areas of your life do you need to rely more on the Holy Spirit for strength to love others as Christ does?

Day 2: Sacrificial Love for Our Enemies

The call to love our enemies is a profound invitation to embody the sacrificial love of Christ. Just as Christ loved us while we were still opposed to righteousness, we are called to extend that same love to those who oppose us. This requires a strength beyond our own, a divine empowerment that only the Holy Spirit can provide. By loving our enemies, we reflect the heart of God and demonstrate the transformative power of the gospel. This sacrificial love is not about condoning harmful behavior but about choosing to respond with grace and mercy, trusting that God can work through our actions to bring about change. [17:08]

"But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you." (Luke 6:27-28, ESV)

Reflection: Who in your life do you consider an enemy, and how can you begin to show them the love of Christ today?

Day 3: Praying Beyond Self

Our prayer life should extend beyond our own needs and desires. James warns against asking with selfish motives, emphasizing that our prayers should align with God's heart for others. When we pray for the strength to serve and love others, God promises to pour His grace into our lives abundantly. This shift in focus from self to others transforms our prayer life and aligns us with God's purposes. By seeking God's strength to love and serve others, we become conduits of His grace and love in a world that desperately needs it. [09:06]

"You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions." (James 4:3, ESV)

Reflection: How can you adjust your prayer life to focus more on the needs of others rather than just your own desires?

Day 4: Living the Gospel Through Actions

The gospel is often out of season in today's world, but believers are called to preach it through their actions. By living with open hands and an open heart, we become ambassadors of Christ, reflecting His love and grace in a world that often rejects biblical truth. This means embodying the teachings of Christ in our daily lives, even when it is inconvenient or difficult. Our actions can speak louder than words, demonstrating the transformative power of the gospel to those around us. As we live out the gospel, we invite others to experience the love and grace of God in tangible ways. [24:00]

"Conduct yourselves wisely toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person." (Colossians 4:5-6, ESV)

Reflection: What specific actions can you take this week to demonstrate the love and grace of Christ to those around you?

Day 5: The Divine Exchange of Giving

God's promise is to pour into us as we pour out to others. When we choose to give kindness, mercy, and forgiveness, God promises to give back to us in abundance. This divine exchange enables us to be vessels of His love and grace in a world that desperately needs it. By living with open hands, we trust that God will provide for our needs as we seek to meet the needs of others. This lifestyle of generosity and service reflects the heart of God and invites others to experience His love and grace. [22:19]

"Give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you." (Luke 6:38, ESV)

Reflection: How can you practice generosity today, trusting that God will provide for your needs as you meet the needs of others?

Sermon Summary

Living with open hands and an open heart is a call to embody the teachings of Christ in our daily lives, especially in times when the gospel is out of season. In Matthew 7, we are reminded to ask, seek, and knock, not just for our own needs, but for the strength and grace to treat others as we would want to be treated. This requires a strength beyond our own, a divine empowerment through the Holy Spirit, to live out the love and kindness of Christ in a world that often rejects biblical truth.

We are living in a time where society is increasingly hostile to the teachings of Christ. People are not interested in sound doctrine and often reject the truth of God. In such an environment, how do we share Christ? The answer lies in living with open hands and an open heart, embodying the love and grace of God in our interactions with others. This means loving our enemies, doing good to those who hate us, and praying for those who spitefully use us. It is about being merciful, forgiving, and generous, reflecting the heart of God in all we do.

The call to live with open hands and an open heart is not about us; it is about others. It is about asking God for the strength to love and serve others, even when it is inconvenient or difficult. It is about being willing to go to the throne of grace, not for our own sake, but for the sake of those around us who are in need. This is the essence of living out the gospel in a world that is often hostile to its message.

Key Takeaways

1. Living with open hands and an open heart requires divine strength. We cannot embody the love and kindness of Christ in our own strength; we need the empowerment of the Holy Spirit to do so. This divine strength enables us to love our enemies and do good to those who hate us, reflecting the heart of God in our interactions with others. [07:09]
2. The call to love our enemies is a call to embody the sacrificial love of Christ. Just as Christ loved us when we were still enemies of righteousness, we are called to love those who oppose us. This requires a strength beyond our own, a divine empowerment that only the Holy Spirit can provide. [17:08]
3. Our prayer life should extend beyond our own needs. James warns against asking with selfish motives, emphasizing that our prayers should align with God's heart for others. When we pray for the strength to serve and love others, God promises to pour His grace into our lives abundantly. [09:06]
4. The gospel is often out of season in today's world, but we are called to preach it through our actions. By living with open hands and an open heart, we become ambassadors of Christ, reflecting His love and grace in a world that often rejects biblical truth. [24:00]
5. God's promise is to pour into us as we pour out to others. When we choose to give kindness, mercy, and forgiveness, God promises to give back to us in abundance. This divine exchange enables us to be vessels of His love and grace in a world that desperately needs it. [22:19]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:13] - Introduction: Living with Open Hands and Heart
[01:23] - The Challenge of Living Openly
[02:34] - The Need for Divine Strength
[03:47] - The Gospel Out of Season
[05:02] - Sharing Christ in Hostile Times
[06:17] - The True Context of Asking
[08:22] - A New Way of Praying
[10:29] - The Danger of Selfish Prayers
[12:46] - The Context of Asking for Others
[14:03] - Midnight Prayers for Others
[16:27] - The Call to Love Our Enemies
[19:54] - Living Out the Golden Rule
[22:19] - God's Promise of Abundance
[24:00] - Preparing for Hostile Times
[26:43] - The Power of Kindness and Forgiveness
[31:06] - A Call to Action: Ask, Seek, Knock
[34:21] - Conclusion: Living for Others

Bible Study Guide

Bible Study Discussion Guide: Living with Open Hands and an Open Heart

Bible Reading:

Matthew 7:7-12
2 Timothy 4:2-3
Luke 6:27-38

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Observation Questions:

In Matthew 7:7-12, what does Jesus promise to those who ask, seek, and knock? How does this relate to how we should treat others? [01:42]
According to 2 Timothy 4:2-3, what challenges do believers face when preaching the Word in a time when sound doctrine is not endured? [03:16]
In Luke 6:27-38, what specific actions does Jesus command us to take towards our enemies? How do these actions reflect the heart of God? [16:43]
How does the sermon describe the societal context in which we are called to live with open hands and an open heart? [04:05]

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Interpretation Questions:

What does it mean to live with open hands and an open heart in a world that often rejects biblical truth? How does this reflect the teachings of Christ? [05:30]
How does the empowerment of the Holy Spirit enable believers to love their enemies and do good to those who hate them? Why is this strength beyond our own? [07:09]
The sermon mentions that our prayer life should extend beyond our own needs. How does this align with the biblical instruction in James 4:3 about asking with the right motives? [09:06]
How does living with open hands and an open heart serve as a testimony of Christ in a hostile world? What impact can this have on those around us? [24:00]

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Application Questions:

Reflect on a time when you found it difficult to love someone who opposed you. How can you rely on the Holy Spirit to help you respond with love and kindness in similar situations? [17:08]
Consider your current prayer life. Are your prayers more focused on personal needs or on the needs of others? How can you shift your focus to align more with God's heart for others? [09:06]
Think of a person in your life who might be considered an "enemy" or someone who has wronged you. What specific action can you take this week to show them love and kindness? [16:43]
In what ways can you embody the sacrificial love of Christ in your daily interactions, especially in environments that are hostile to biblical truth? [05:30]
Identify a situation where you can practice living with open hands and an open heart, even if it is inconvenient or difficult. What steps will you take to prepare for this? [05:02]
How can you be an ambassador of Christ's love and grace in your workplace or community? What specific actions can you take to reflect God's heart in these settings? [24:00]
Reflect on the promise that God will pour into us as we pour out to others. How does this encourage you to be more generous with kindness, mercy, and forgiveness? [22:19]

Sermon Clips

We are living at a time in verse three says for the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine in other words a time will come has come in previous societies and we are entering into that time in our world today where people are no longer interested in truth. [00:03:43]

The context of asking it begins when we choose to do something for someone else when it is no longer personally convenient for us that's where it all starts it's midnight that's not convenient where a friend comes to your house at midnight. [00:13:11]

We have so many people living in the midnight hour now who are hungry they are starving for direction they're starving for life hope in the future and the fact that it's not being satisfied is driving them to anger it's driving them to division. [00:14:12]

Love your enemies do good to those who hate you do good in the office go out and get a coffee for the person that's talking about you behind your back all the time lying about you do good to those across the hall may take them a cake if or do something just do good. [00:17:41]

Give and it will be given to you good measure pressed down shaken together and running over will be put into your bosom for with the same measure that you use it will be measured back to you so let me just let me just encapsulate what we've just read. [00:21:02]

If you're willing to give these things out to others I will give them to you in measure in such a measure you can't even contain it I will pour back into you if you're willing if you squeak out mercy I'll squeak mercy back into you if you generously give it you will generously receive. [00:22:21]

We have to ask now we've got to prepare for the day we're now in and moving into a day of hostility towards the things of God a day when God's people are going to be called revilers and bigots and haters and dividers a day when you will be vilified. [00:24:05]

I remind you that going to the cross changed the course of history we don't remember a lot of names back then but we do remember the name of Jesus Christ the Son of God a lot of people in this generation may not remember your name but they will remember your kindness. [00:25:29]

I believe in my heart we're entering into the last season of this world as it has been known I don't know how long the season will be but this moment of lawlessness warned about in the scripture is now on us you know that if you're if you're even connected to society at all. [00:30:21]

You and I have to go into the pages of Scripture and say holy spirit you got to take me now where I can't go you've got to give me now what I don't have you've got to make me into what you have destined me to be because I can't do it in myself. [00:30:58]

Help us Lord God for we can't do this in our own strength and they thank you for it in Jesus name no no worship gonna worship just for a moment and we're gonna stand here in the annex and also in our satellite churches and I want to any campus churches rather. [00:33:14]

The key to the victory in this is a transference in a sense of living for ourselves and starting to live for the sake of others and it is a transference and it's something that only God can do God God has to put that in the heart because lift left to ourselves we will just live for ourselves. [00:35:31]

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Embodying Christ's Love: Living with Open Hands and Heart

Devotional

Day 1: Divine Strength for Open Living

Day 2: Sacrificial Love for Our Enemies

Day 3: Praying Beyond Self

Day 4: Living the Gospel Through Actions

Day 5: The Divine Exchange of Giving

Sermon Summary

Key Takeaways

Youtube Chapters

Bible Study Guide

Sermon Clips

Chatbot

Embodying Christ's Love: Living with Open Hands and Heart

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