Embracing God's Call: The Power of Adjustment

Devotional

Day 1: God's Invitation to Deeper Relationship

God is constantly at work around us, inviting us into a deeper relationship with Him. This invitation requires us to be attentive and open to His call, recognizing that He desires to involve us in His work. Our role is to share in this new life with Christ and invite others to join us. By being aware of God's presence and activity in our lives, we can respond to His invitation and experience a more profound connection with Him. This awareness allows us to see opportunities to serve and love others, reflecting God's love in our daily interactions. [28:02]

Isaiah 55:6-7 (ESV): "Seek the Lord while he may be found; call upon him while he is near; let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the Lord, that he may have compassion on him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon."

Reflection: How can you be more attentive to God's invitations in your daily life, and what steps can you take to respond to His call today?

Day 2: Embracing Necessary Adjustments

Adjusting to God's will is essential for spiritual growth. This involves both faith and reason, as we trust in God's higher ways and allow Him to guide us. Adjustments may be small or significant, but each one is an opportunity to experience God more fully. By aligning our lives with His will, we open ourselves to His transformative power, allowing Him to shape us into the people He created us to be. This process requires humility and a willingness to let go of our own plans in favor of His perfect plan. [42:07]

Proverbs 3:5-6 (ESV): "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths."

Reflection: What is one area of your life where you need to adjust to align with God's will, and how can you begin to make that adjustment today?

Day 3: Learning from Biblical Examples

Figures like Noah, Abraham, and Moses demonstrate the importance of making adjustments in response to God's call. These adjustments often require leaving behind comfort and familiarity, stepping into the unknown with faith. By studying their lives, we can learn how to trust God in uncertain times and be encouraged to make necessary changes in our own lives. Their stories remind us that God is faithful and that He equips us for the journey He calls us to undertake. [44:20]

Hebrews 11:8-9 (ESV): "By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. By faith he went to live in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs with him of the same promise."

Reflection: Reflect on a time when you had to step out in faith like a biblical figure. How did God show His faithfulness to you during that time?

Day 4: Daily Habits and Spiritual Growth

Our spiritual journey involves daily adjustments, as we deny ourselves and take up our cross to follow Christ. Developing habits that draw us closer to God is crucial, as small changes can lead to significant spiritual growth. By intentionally incorporating practices such as prayer, Bible study, and service into our daily routines, we create space for God to work in our lives and transform us from the inside out. These habits help us stay aligned with God's will and deepen our relationship with Him. [59:44]

Colossians 3:16-17 (ESV): "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him."

Reflection: What is one small habit you can incorporate into your daily routine to draw closer to God, and how can you start implementing it today?

Day 5: The Power of Saying Yes to God

Embracing a "yes" attitude towards God's invitations can transform our lives. By being open to His leading, we allow God to do amazing things through us, enriching our lives and impacting those around us. Saying "yes" to God means trusting Him with our future and being willing to step out in faith, even when the path is unclear. This openness to God's will enables us to experience His power and presence in new and profound ways, leading to a life that is richer and more fulfilling than we could ever imagine. [01:02:24]

2 Corinthians 1:20 (ESV): "For all the promises of God find their Yes in him. That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory."

Reflection: What is one area of your life where you feel God is inviting you to say "yes," and what steps can you take to respond to His invitation today?

Sermon Summary

In our journey of faith, we often find ourselves at crossroads where God invites us to adjust our lives to align with His will. This week, we explored the concept of adjustment in our spiritual walk, drawing parallels to everyday experiences like using a GPS or navigating a corn maze. Just as a GPS recalibrates our route when we make a wrong turn, God calls us to adjust our paths to follow His direction. However, unlike a GPS that adapts to us, God asks us to adapt to Him, trusting that His ways are higher and His plans are greater than ours.

Throughout the Bible, we see examples of individuals who made significant adjustments in their lives to follow God's call. Noah, Abraham, Moses, Ruth, and Esther all faced moments where they had to leave behind comfort and familiarity to embrace God's plan. These adjustments were not just about changing actions but about transforming their entire being to become who God intended them to be.

In our own lives, adjustments may involve altering our plans, relationships, or even our thinking. It requires a blend of faith and reason, trusting that God's perspective is far beyond our own. As we make these adjustments, we open ourselves to experiencing God in new and profound ways, allowing Him to work through us to reach others.

The challenge is to say "yes" to God, to give Him a "yes day" or even a "yes lifetime," where we are willing to follow His lead without hesitation. This willingness to adjust and align with God's will leads to a life more abundant than we could ever imagine, filled with opportunities to serve and share His love with others.

Key Takeaways

1. God's Invitation to Adjust: God invites us to adjust our lives to align with His will, much like a GPS recalibrates our route. However, unlike a GPS, God asks us to adapt to Him, trusting that His ways are higher and His plans are greater than ours. This adjustment is not just about changing actions but transforming our entire being to become who God intends us to be. [28:02]
2. Biblical Examples of Adjustment: Throughout the Bible, figures like Noah, Abraham, Moses, Ruth, and Esther made significant adjustments to follow God's call. These adjustments often involved leaving behind comfort and familiarity to embrace God's plan, demonstrating that true faith requires a willingness to step into the unknown. [42:07]
3. The Blend of Faith and Reason: Adjusting to God's will requires a blend of faith and reason. While we often lean on reason, especially when planning something new, faith calls us to trust in God's higher perspective, knowing that His thoughts and ways are beyond our understanding. [47:40]
4. Saying Yes to God: The challenge is to say "yes" to God, giving Him a "yes day" or even a "yes lifetime." This willingness to follow His lead without hesitation opens us to experiencing God in new and profound ways, allowing Him to work through us to reach others. [54:59]
5. The Abundance of Adjusting to God: By adjusting our lives to align with God's will, we open ourselves to a life more abundant than we could ever imagine. This abundance is not just for our benefit but also for reaching others and sharing God's love, leading to a community enriched by His presence. [62:24]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[05:00] - Community and Connection
[10:30] - Generosity and Giving
[15:45] - Experiencing God Series Overview
[20:00] - God's Constant Work Around Us
[28:02] - Invitation to Adjust
[32:00] - GPS and Life Adjustments
[37:40] - Corn Maze Analogy
[42:07] - Biblical Examples of Adjustment
[47:40] - Faith and Reason
[54:59] - Saying Yes to God
[59:44] - Daily Adjustments
[62:24] - Abundance in Adjusting
[65:06] - Invitation to Respond

Bible Study Guide

Bible Study Discussion Guide

Bible Reading:

Isaiah 55:9 - "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts."
John 17:3 - "Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent."
Luke 9:23 - "Then he said to them all: 'Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.'"

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Observation Questions:

How does the sermon compare God's guidance to a GPS system, and what is the key difference highlighted? [37:40]
What are some examples from the sermon of biblical figures who made significant life adjustments to follow God's call? [42:07]
According to the sermon, what does it mean to give God a "yes day" or a "yes lifetime"? [01:02:24]
How does the sermon describe the relationship between faith and reason when adjusting to God's will? [47:40]

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Interpretation Questions:

What might it mean for someone to adjust their life to align with God's will, as described in Isaiah 55:9? How does this relate to the concept of God's ways being higher than ours?
In what ways does John 17:3 define eternal life, and how does this understanding influence the adjustments we make in our spiritual journey?
How does the call to "deny themselves and take up their cross daily" in Luke 9:23 relate to the idea of making daily adjustments in our lives to follow God? [59:44]
How does the sermon suggest that small adjustments can lead to significant spiritual growth and experiences with God? [54:59]

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Application Questions:

Reflect on a recent situation where you felt God was asking you to adjust your plans. How did you respond, and what was the outcome? [47:40]
Identify a relationship in your life that might need adjustment to better align with God's will. What steps can you take this week to make that adjustment? [44:20]
Consider a habit or tradition in your life that might be hindering your spiritual growth. What is one small change you can make to address this? [54:59]
How can you incorporate the practice of giving God a "yes day" into your daily routine? What might be the challenges and benefits of doing so? [01:02:24]
Think about a time when you relied more on reason than faith in making a decision. How might you balance faith and reason more effectively in future decisions? [47:40]
What is one specific way you can open yourself to experiencing God in a new and profound way this week? [01:02:24]
How can you encourage others in your community to make adjustments in their lives to align with God's will? What role can you play in supporting them? [01:05:06]

Sermon Clips

{"text": "I hope that you're feeling it as an individual. I hope that you're constantly, your eyes have been turned differently. Like you don't just go about your day with head down, but you start looking around at the people when you're in the grocery store, when you're at the sports field, sitting in the stands with other parents. All these other opportunities that we get, I hope you're looking around and you're asking, God, where are you working around me? Why is that so important? Because he is pursuing a love relationship with you. He invites you into what he's doing.", "start": "1718.49"} [00:28:38] (34 seconds)

{"text": "And I actually want to just kind of give you all a pat on the back. One of our values here is openness. That was one of the things I identified. So I've been with y 'all for a couple years now. It was about March, two years ago, that Lori and I came on here and started doing life with y 'all. And being here, one of the great things that I did at that time to get to know the church family was we started looking at our values.", "start": "2873.13"} [00:47:53] (27 seconds)