Embodying God's Love: A Mission of Relationship

Devotional

Day 1: Sent with Purpose: Embracing Jesus’ Instructions

Jesus intentionally sent out the twelve disciples, giving them specific instructions for their mission. While these directions were tailored to their time and context, the heart behind them remains relevant: God calls His people to step out in faith, trusting His guidance even when the path is unfamiliar or challenging. The mission is not about rigidly following every detail, but about understanding the heart of God’s call—to be sent, to proclaim, and to participate in His kingdom work. As you consider your own life, reflect on how God might be sending you, not just to a distant place, but into your everyday relationships and routines, equipped with His presence and purpose. [17:58]

Matthew 10:5-15 (ESV)
These twelve Jesus sent out, instructing them, “Go nowhere among the Gentiles and enter no town of the Samaritans, but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. And proclaim as you go, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons. You received without paying; give without pay. Acquire no gold or silver or copper for your belts, no bag for your journey, or two tunics or sandals or a staff, for the laborer deserves his food. And whatever town or village you enter, find out who is worthy in it and stay there until you depart. As you enter the house, greet it. And if the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it, but if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you. And if anyone will not receive you or listen to your words, shake off the dust from your feet when you leave that house or town. Truly, I say to you, it will be more bearable on the day of judgment for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah than for that town.”

Reflection: Where do you sense God nudging you to step out of your comfort zone this week, and what would it look like to respond with obedience and trust?

Day 2: The Kingdom Is at Hand: Proclaiming Good News

The central message Jesus gave His disciples was to proclaim that the kingdom of heaven has come near. This kingdom is not just a distant hope, but a present reality that transforms lives, relationships, and communities. It is a kingdom marked by healing, restoration, and the invitation to live in the fullness of relationship with God. As followers of Jesus, we are called to carry this message wherever we go, embodying the hope and wholeness that comes from knowing Christ. The urgency and beauty of the kingdom should shape our words, our actions, and our priorities each day. [21:54]

Matthew 4:23 (ESV)
And he went throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction among the people.

Reflection: Who in your life needs to hear or experience the hope of God’s kingdom today, and how can you intentionally share that hope with them?

Day 3: Freely Received, Freely Give: Living Generously

Jesus reminded His disciples that the gifts, healing, and life they had received were not for them to hoard, but to give away freely. The call is to live with open hands, offering grace, love, and compassion to others just as we have received from God. Sometimes, fear or insecurity can hold us back from sharing what God has done in our lives, but Jesus invites us to trust Him as the source and to pour out what we have been given. Whether it’s a word of encouragement, a helping hand, or simply being present with someone in need, we are called to reflect the generosity of our Savior. [34:25]

Acts 3:6 (ESV)
But Peter said, “I have no silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk!”

Reflection: What is one way you can freely give to someone today—out of the abundance God has given you—without expecting anything in return?

Day 4: Presence Over Prestige: Investing in Relationships

Jesus instructed His disciples to stay and invest in the homes and lives of those who welcomed them, rather than seeking personal gain or moving from place to place for greater influence. The mission is not about what we can accumulate—whether resources, recognition, or numbers—but about building genuine, lasting relationships that foster growth and transformation. True ministry happens in the context of presence, consistency, and authentic community, where we pour into others and allow God’s peace and blessing to flow through us. [38:36]

Philippians 2:3-4 (ESV)
Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.

Reflection: Who is someone you can intentionally invest in this week, not for your own benefit, but to build them up and share God’s love in a meaningful way?

Day 5: Praying for Boldness: Becoming Willing Workers

The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Jesus calls us to pray not only for others to be sent, but for ourselves to be launched out of our comfort zones into His mission. This requires humility, courage, and a willingness to be used by God, even when we feel inadequate or unprepared. As we pray for boldness, we open ourselves to God’s leading, trusting that He will provide what we need and use us to bring His kingdom to those around us. Let this be a week where you ask God to fill you with urgency, compassion, and the willingness to go wherever He sends. [55:17]

Luke 10:2 (ESV)
And he said to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”

Reflection: Will you take time each day this week to pray for God to send you—and others—into His harvest, and what specific step can you take to act on that prayer?

Sermon Summary

Today, we gathered to honor fathers—both those present and those we hold in our hearts—and to reflect on the deeper meaning of being sent out as followers of Jesus. While we celebrate and appreciate the fathers among us, we also recognize the complexity of this day for many, holding space for both gratitude and grief. Above all, our focus is on God, our good Father, who loves us unconditionally and calls us into relationship and mission.

Turning to Matthew 10, we see Jesus sending out the twelve disciples with specific instructions. This moment is rich with meaning: the number twelve echoes the twelve tribes of Israel, signaling a new beginning and a fulfillment of God’s promises. Jesus’ instructions are not just a historical footnote, but a call to discern the heart behind the commands. The disciples are told to go first to the lost sheep of Israel, not because others are excluded, but because God’s grace always seeks out those who have wandered, offering them another chance to respond.

The mission Jesus gives is clear: proclaim that the kingdom of heaven has come near, and demonstrate this reality through acts of healing, restoration, and generosity. The disciples are to give freely, just as they have freely received. They are not to be motivated by personal gain, prestige, or comfort, but by a deep dependence on God and a willingness to invest in genuine relationships. Jesus emphasizes presence and hospitality—staying with those who welcome them, building lasting connections, and blessing those who receive them.

We are reminded that the mission is not about what we can accumulate or how many people we can gather for our own sake. It’s about embodying the kingdom, loving God and neighbor, and being willing to step out of our comfort zones. Sometimes, this means risking failure or feeling inadequate, but it is better to try and stumble than to hold back what God has given us. The call is to pray for workers, to be willing to be sent ourselves, and to let the urgency of God’s love for the world move us to action. As we remember Christ’s sacrifice at the table, we are invited not just to receive, but to participate—giving freely, loving deeply, and living on mission every day.

Key Takeaways

1. The Heart of Mission Is Relationship, Not Results Jesus sends his disciples not to accumulate followers or personal accolades, but to invest deeply in those who are receptive. The focus is on presence, hospitality, and genuine connection, rather than on numbers or outward success. True kingdom work is measured by the depth of our relationships and the authenticity of our love, not by what we can gain or achieve. [38:36]
2. Freely Received, Freely Given The gifts and grace we have received from God are not meant to be hoarded or used as leverage over others. We are called to extend the same generosity, compassion, and forgiveness that was first shown to us. When we withhold grace or approach others with judgment, we betray the very heart of the gospel that transformed us. [34:25]
3. God’s Mission Begins with the Willing, Not the Equipped The disciples were ordinary people—fishermen, tax collectors, those with doubts and insecurities—yet Jesus entrusted them with a world-changing mission. Our sense of inadequacy is not a disqualification, but an invitation to depend on God’s power rather than our own. The willingness to step out, even when we feel unprepared, is often the very thing God uses to accomplish his purposes. [35:44]
4. The Kingdom Is for the Lost, the Overlooked, and the Unlikely Jesus’ instructions to focus first on the lost sheep of Israel remind us that God’s heart is always for those who have wandered or been left behind. The mission is not about exclusivity, but about persistent grace that seeks out the forgotten and offers them a place in God’s family. We are called to embody this same relentless love, refusing to give up on anyone. [28:06]
5. Mission Requires Letting Go of Comfort and Control To be sent out as Jesus’ followers means releasing our grip on comfort, security, and self-interest. We are invited to pray bold prayers—to ask God to cast us out of our comfort zones and into the harvest. This is not a passive hope that someone else will go, but a willingness to be the answer to our own prayers, trusting that God will provide what we need as we go. [53:55]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[01:00] - Honoring Fathers and Opening Prayer
[05:00] - Blessing and Praying Over Fathers
[10:31] - Introduction to Matthew 10 and the Mission
[16:41] - Reading the Sending of the Twelve
[17:58] - Understanding the Context of Jesus’ Instructions
[21:54] - The Significance of the Twelve and the New Covenant
[23:40] - The Mission to the Lost Sheep of Israel
[26:26] - The Challenge of Witnessing Close to Home
[28:06] - God’s Persistent Grace for the Lost
[31:14] - The Call to Do as Jesus Did
[33:06] - Depending on God’s Power, Not Our Own
[34:25] - Freely Giving What We Have Received
[37:19] - Avoiding Selfish Motives in Ministry
[38:36] - The Importance of Presence and Relationship
[47:51] - Embracing the Mission Despite Inadequacy
[53:55] - Praying for Boldness and Willingness
[56:26] - Living with Urgency for the Kingdom
[58:19] - Communion: Remembering and Participating
[60:25] - Daily Prayer Challenge and Announcements
[79:48] - Closing Prayer and Sending Out

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

Matthew 10:1-15 — (Jesus sends out the twelve disciples with instructions for their mission.)

Observation Questions

What specific instructions did Jesus give the twelve disciples as He sent them out in Matthew 10:5-15?
According to the sermon, why did Jesus tell the disciples to go first to the “lost sheep of Israel” instead of the Gentiles or Samaritans? ([23:40])
What actions were the disciples told to perform as they proclaimed the kingdom of heaven?
In the sermon, what is the significance of Jesus telling the disciples, “Freely you received, freely give”? ([34:25])

Interpretation Questions

The sermon mentions that the heart of mission is relationship, not results. What does it mean for mission to be about presence and hospitality rather than numbers or outward success? ([38:36])
Why do you think Jesus wanted the disciples to depend on the hospitality of others instead of bringing extra supplies or money? How does this relate to trusting God? ([37:19])
The disciples were ordinary people with doubts and insecurities. How does their example challenge our ideas about who is “qualified” to serve in God’s mission? ([35:44])
The sermon says that God’s mission begins with the willing, not the equipped. What does this mean for people who feel unprepared or inadequate? ([47:51])

Application Questions

The sermon challenges us to invest deeply in relationships, not just invite people to church programs. Who in your life could you be more present with or intentionally build a deeper relationship with this week? ([38:36])
“Freely you received, freely give.” Is there a way you have been holding back grace, forgiveness, or generosity from someone? What would it look like to give as freely as you have received from God? ([34:25])
Jesus sent the disciples to the “lost sheep”—those who had wandered or been overlooked. Who are the “lost” or overlooked people in your circles, and how might you reach out to them? ([28:06])
The sermon talks about letting go of comfort and control to follow Jesus’ mission. What is one area of comfort or security you might need to release in order to be more available for God’s work? ([53:55])
The disciples were told to stay with those who welcomed them and invest in those relationships. How can you practice hospitality or presence with someone who is open to you, rather than just moving on quickly? ([38:36])
The pastor encouraged everyone to pray daily for God to send out workers—including ourselves—into the harvest. Will you commit to praying this prayer each day this week? What might change if you do? ([01:00:25])
Sometimes we feel unqualified or afraid to step out in faith. What is one step you can take this week, even if you feel inadequate, to participate in God’s mission? ([47:51])

Sermon Clips

We are ultimately looking for the heart of what Jesus is trying to communicate to his followers, but right there out of the gate, there's a significant thing that in that same sort of sense that would be easy for us to miss because we are in our culture in a very different time, in a very different place, and don't always think about things the same way they think about them. [00:20:02]

As you go to where you're sent, and they are being sent. They're not trying to collect. They're not trying to gather everybody in here. They're not trying to just take the safe route. Regardless of how they feel about going out, they are being sent out into the places where they reside and beyond, into communities, towns, villages. [00:28:47]

This kingdom. This kingdom where things are different. This kingdom where life to the full is beautiful. And where Jesus is helping us understand what it means to truly live in the relationship we were originally created to live in. We missed the mark and chose our own way. But he is calling us back to participate in this thing. And he is accomplishing the work on our behalf. [00:29:35]

Jesus is calling us to participate with him in this relationship and in this kingdom in a way where our goal is to be like him. To work towards the things he worked towards. And the reality is these things, the healing, life to the full, the cleansing of these ailments, these have been given to you. And so he is saying if they were given to you, expect to give them back to others. If life was given to you, I am sending you back out to give life to others. Freely you received, freely you go give. [00:33:25]

If life was given to you, I am sending you back out to give life to others. Freely you received, freely you go give. This was a gift that was given to you and impacted you. I want to send you back out to participate in sharing the good news of this message. And I do not want you to hold anything back that you have been given. Give freely. [00:33:54]

If we get too focused on, I don't have the ability to heal, something may be wrong with me. But I think that's starting in the wrong place. The realization is I need to know the source of life. I need to pursue the source of life with everything so I can be with him, become like him. And through that, he might choose to do some of those things through me. [00:34:45]

There is a boldness and a confidence that these folks were displaying. But the emphasis here we want to focus on is who is the source that we are going to? How are we growing in that nature to become like him despite our insecurities and uncertainties and possibly not feeling like we could ever be that? [00:35:16]

You are not in this for what you receive back out of this. You are being sent out not for what you can gain. It breaks my heart sometimes. And I'm going to talk about how this is applicable to us in our world at times. It breaks my heart sometimes how much we, the capital C church, preach the good news in a way that benefits us. And we do it in the name of a mission. [00:37:27]

Sometimes we miss the mark on what this mission is about. We didn't read the instructions right and we're building it backwards because we didn't get the heart behind the message. This is not about what we accumulate for ourselves. [00:39:55]

There is something about presence, about a consistent presence and community that's important. As you are sent out into those places, you must develop the kind of presence and relationship that is establishing something long lasting. [00:40:50]

We talked last week about this idea of being cast out much like the demons that are being cast out, that same word cast out. God, pray that the workers would be cast out, sent out, launched out of their comfort zone into this mission. The heart of what we're being sent to do is go and connect with those who are willing to let us in. [00:46:54]

Are we passionate about the message because we are passionate about the source of the message, the one who gives life, the one who we are spending time with and we believe he is so good we can't help but invite other people into that? [00:47:51]

Maybe not by healing leprosy but by sitting with someone who is sick and hurting. We may not have everything we need to bring healing but we have what we need to care for, to meet the needs of the people where they are, to care for them in the hurt that they're experiencing, for them to know we value and love them, for them to get an opportunity to realize how much we value and love him. [00:48:28]

We must love the Lord our God with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength, and we must do the second one which is similar: love our neighbor as ourselves. And if we are not doing those things, it is hard for us to accomplish any of the other tasks. Fulfill—on these two things all the other law, all the prophets hinge on and hang on those two commands. [00:48:57]

The kingdom is built on this concept of inviting others in, realizing that all are apart, that the heart is that all would come to be restored, no one would be left behind. Even those who have been missing the mark, there is still grace and opportunity. [00:49:20]

I would love to get to the heart of the mission and the message and stop making excuses as to why I can't, what I don't know, what other way would be easier and more comfortable for me to do it, and allow myself to step into that prayer like we talked about last week where we simply say, God, the harvest is plentiful but the workers are few, could you cast us out of our comfort zone and provide the workers by pushing me, by pushing those around me, by helping me push those around me so that we can do the work that you've called us to, proclaiming your kingdom and the goodness of who you are because I believe with everything here that it's worth it. [00:50:07]

Are we being intentional or are we just hoping somebody will wander through the door? Are we hoping we can just convince somebody to walk through the door but I'm no help to you, go ask him, or am I a willing worker who is humbly ready to serve and participate, leaning as best I can on his teaching and having the courage and the boldness to go? [00:52:25]

Not just taking him as a gift for myself, but what has been given freely to me, I want to give back freely to others. And so as I partake, I am also proclaiming my participation, my desire to be with, become like, and do as he did. We do this in remembrance of him. [00:59:05]

But Father, you've also called us to be faithful to obeying you, to following you, to following in your footsteps to be like you. And so as we remember fathers and the ways that we strive to be like them, the ways that we follow in their footsteps or the ways that we've been called to obey and to honor, Father, I pray that we would remember first off our Heavenly Father and to remember to obey, to follow, to serve, to become more like you every day. [01:19:48]

Not just a people who sit and consume of your goodness, but those who fill up with that goodness, that love, that grace, that compassion, so much that we can't help but to let it pour back out of us. Send us out to be your people this week. [01:20:23]

Ask a question about this sermon

Chatbot

What are the core instructions for mission work?

How does the sermon define the kingdom of heaven?

In what ways should believers imitate God's love?