Empowering Global Service Through Faith and Grace

Devotional

Day 1: God's Repetition is Significant

God's repetition in His Word is not accidental but intentional. It serves as a reminder of His promises and His faithfulness, even when we falter. It's a call to pay attention to the repeated words and themes, as they hold deep significance and are meant to guide us in our spiritual journey ([14:46]).

Psalm 119:33-34 - "Teach me, Lord, the way of your decrees, that I may follow it to the end. Give me understanding, so that I may keep your law and obey it with all my heart."

Reflection: Reflect on a repeated theme or word in your recent Bible study. What is God trying to communicate to you through this repetition?

Day 2: God's Promises are Unchanging

Despite our unfaithfulness and our tendency to create chaos, God remains faithful. He remembers His promises and fulfills them, not because we are good, but because He is good. His promises are unchanging and reliable, providing us with hope and assurance ([40:53]).

Numbers 23:19 - "God is not human, that he should lie, not a human being, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?"

Reflection: Reflect on a promise from God that you are holding onto. How does God's unchanging nature give you confidence in this promise?

Day 3: God's Goodness in Our Unfaithfulness

Even in our unfaithfulness, God's goodness prevails. He calms the storms we create and remembers His covenant with us. This is a testament to His grace and mercy, reminding us that our salvation is not based on our goodness but on His ([43:16]).

Lamentations 3:22-23 - "Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness."

Reflection: Reflect on a time when you were unfaithful, yet experienced God's goodness. How did this experience deepen your understanding of God's grace and mercy?

Day 4: God's Sovereignty in Our Lives

God's sovereignty is evident in our lives. He guides our journey, even when we stray. His sovereignty is a reassurance that He is in control, even when our circumstances seem chaotic ([16:07]).

Proverbs 19:21 - "Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails."

Reflection: Reflect on a situation where you saw God's sovereignty at work in your life. How did this experience strengthen your trust in God's control over your life?

Day 5: God's Power in Our Weakness

In our weakness, God's power is made perfect. He uses our shortcomings to display His strength and to fulfill His purposes. This is a reminder that our strength comes from God, not from ourselves ([45:20]).

2 Corinthians 12:9 - "But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me."

Reflection: Reflect on a time when you felt weak, yet experienced God's power. How did this experience change your perspective on your own strength and God's power?

Sermon Summary

In this sermon, I discussed the upcoming mission trip to India, where a team of ten from our church, including myself, will be partnering with Bible Fellowship of India. We aim to explore and understand how we can mobilize our church to serve in India and empower other churches to do the same. We will be working in a school, offering primary literacy and music programs for younger students and an introduction to nursing for older students. We also plan to introduce basketball to the school and provide teacher development. Additionally, we will be preaching and teaching in a church and at a Bible college, leading worship, and even doing a concert.

The second part of the sermon focused on the story of Abraham in Genesis 20. I highlighted the ripple effect of sin, using Abraham's repeated deception about his wife Sarah as an example. I emphasized how sin can lead to numbness, where we become desensitized to our wrongdoings, and devaluation of others, where we reduce people to objects or liabilities. I encouraged the congregation to reflect on their own actions and to strive for consistency in their spiritual maturity and obedience to God.

Key Takeaways

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Sermon Clips

1. "What we understand is one church cannot reach all of the people who live in this area. And so we cooperate together with other local bodies to empower other churches so that when churches grow and the gospel is shared, it's a win for the kingdom, which means it's a win for us." - 07:38

2. "We are going to be growing that partnership from Coates For the City to much more than that. And so we're excited. And so he's going to be here that evening as well, to be able to share all of the things that are going on in his church." - 09:10

3. "We, through our tithes and offerings, are going to provide the meal, okay? The ticket helps us know how many we need to plan for. And then all of the money, 100% every $5 that's spent per person is going straight to missions on the mission fields, okay?" - 10:59

4. "We're trying to explore and grow and understand how we, as Willow Ridge Church and them as Bible Fellowship of India, can not only mobilize our church to serve in areas that we are in India, but then also how can we empower other churches to serve." - 01:18

5. "We will be speaking and ministering to people who have never heard the. Name of Jesus, much less know that. Life and salvation is found in Him and him alone." - 05:13

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