Faithfulness to God: Embracing The Big Dare

Devotional

Day 1: Embracing Covenant Faithfulness

Faithfulness to God offers a life of abundance free from the weight of shame and guilt. This commitment is rooted in the covenant established through baptism, which serves as a continual reminder of God's unwavering faithfulness and our call to live in response to that grace. [47:24]

Lamentations 3:22-23 - "The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness."
Reflection: How does remembering your baptismal covenant with God influence your daily actions and decisions?

Day 2: Daring to Live Out Our Vows

"The Big Dare" invites us to embody our vows of worship, growth, service, sharing, and giving, thereby allowing others to experience Jesus through our actions. This challenge is a commitment to not only personal growth but also to communal transformation. [48:49]

James 2:17-18 - "So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. But someone will say, 'You have faith and I have works.' Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works."
Reflection: What is one tangible way you can demonstrate your commitment to "The Big Dare" in your community this week?

Day 3: Prayer as Daily Communion

Prayer is a vital practice for nurturing our relationship with God, and committing to pray five times a day helps us to recognize and live in God's presence continually. Integrating prayer into our daily routines allows us to embrace our identity as God's beloved children. [52:52]

Psalm 119:164 - "Seven times a day I praise you for your righteous rules."
Reflection: Can you identify five specific moments in your day when you can pause to pray and acknowledge God's presence?

Day 4: Understanding Baptism's Transformative Power

Baptism is a multifaceted sacrament that initiates us into a life of grace, marks a covenant with God, incorporates us into the church, opens our hearts to the Holy Spirit, and connects us to the family of God. This understanding deepens our appreciation for the transformative journey baptism begins. [40:04]

Galatians 3:27-28 - "For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus."
Reflection: How does your baptism shape the way you view your identity and purpose within the body of Christ?

Day 5: Segmenting the Year for Spiritual Growth

Breaking the year into manageable segments can help us focus on fulfilling our baptismal and church membership vows. The period leading up to Easter Sunday is an opportunity to deepen our commitment and live out the principles of our faith more intentionally. [50:50]

Ephesians 4:15-16 - "Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love."
Reflection: What is one aspect of your baptismal vows that you can focus on improving during this first segment of the year?

Sermon Summary

In the message delivered at the Floris UMC Traditional Service, the focus is on the concept of faithfulness to God rather than the typical New Year's resolutions that often lead to feelings of shame and guilt. The emphasis is on the covenant relationship with God, which is affirmed through the act of baptism, regardless of the method—sprinkling, dunking, or pouring. The message encourages individuals to consider their faithfulness as part of God's healthy plan for their lives, highlighting that God's mercies are new every morning and that God desires for them to live abundantly without shame or guilt.

The message introduces the idea of "The Big Dare," which challenges the community to live faithfully to Christ and to encounter Jesus in a deeper way throughout the year. This challenge is rooted in the vows made to the church and to God, which encompass worship, growth, service, sharing, and giving. The goal is to lean into these areas of life and to encounter Jesus in a way that allows others to encounter Him through the community's actions.

The message also touches on the importance of community and the beauty of worshiping together. It calls for a commitment to pray five times a day, from the moment of waking to the end of the day, as a way to draw closer to God and to live as God's beloved children in the world. Practical suggestions are offered for incorporating prayer into daily routines, such as during meals and at bedtime.

The message delves into the Wesleyan understanding of baptism, outlining five key points. First, baptism is seen as an entry into a deep relationship with God's grace, which begins a process of sanctification, leading towards perfection through God's grace. Second, baptism marks a covenant relationship with God, connecting individuals to the faithfulness of God over time and to the new covenant established by Jesus. Third, baptism is the entryway into the church, the body of Christ, and is seen as incorporation into God's mighty acts of salvation. Fourth, baptism opens hearts to a greater influence of God's Holy Spirit, empowering and shaping lives in the way of Jesus. Finally, baptism links individuals in an enduring relationship with the family of God, making them joint heirs with Jesus Christ.

The message acknowledges the challenges of committing to New Year's resolutions and instead proposes a more manageable approach by breaking the year into four parts, with the first part focusing on the period leading up to Easter Sunday. This approach is designed to deepen the commitment to the vows made in baptism and membership to the church. The community is encouraged to visit TheBigDare.org for resources and to engage with the five commitments outlined on a card provided to the congregation, which includes living deeper in the way of Christ and leaning into worship life more faithfully.

Key Takeaways

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Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

Matthew 3:16-17 (NIV) — > "As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, 'This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.'"

2. Romans 8:16-17 (NIV)
> "The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory."

3. Lamentations 3:22-23 (NIV)
> "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."

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Observation Questions

What does Matthew 3:16-17 reveal about Jesus' identity and relationship with God?
According to Romans 8:16-17, what is the significance of being "heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ"?
How does Lamentations 3:22-23 describe God's mercies and faithfulness?
In the sermon, what are the five key points of the Wesleyan understanding of baptism? ([38:36])

Interpretation Questions

How does the affirmation of Jesus as God's beloved Son in Matthew 3:16-17 relate to our own baptismal identity? ([37:27])
What does it mean to be "joint heirs with Jesus Christ" as mentioned in Romans 8:16-17, and how does this shape our understanding of our relationship with God? ([43:43])
How can the concept of God's mercies being "new every morning" from Lamentations 3:22-23 help us approach our daily lives without shame or guilt? ([47:07])
The sermon suggests breaking the year into four parts to deepen our commitment to our baptismal vows. How might this practical approach help in maintaining faithfulness throughout the year? ([50:21])

Application Questions

Reflect on your own baptism. How does knowing that you are beloved by God and a place where God's Spirit dwells influence your daily actions and decisions? ([37:27])
"The Big Dare" challenges us to live out our vows of worship, growth, service, sharing, and giving. Which of these areas do you find most challenging, and what steps can you take to improve in that area? ([48:46])
The sermon encourages praying five times a day. How can you incorporate this practice into your daily routine? What specific times of the day will you set aside for prayer? ([52:18])
How can you lean into the community aspect of worship more faithfully? What changes can you make to ensure you are participating in worship weekly, either in person or online? ([52:18])
The sermon emphasizes living without shame or guilt and embracing God's new mercies every morning. Is there a specific area in your life where you struggle with shame or guilt? How can you remind yourself of God's daily mercies in that area? ([47:07])
Baptism is described as an entryway into the church and a covenant relationship with God. How can you actively participate in the church community to fulfill this covenant? ([41:34])
The sermon mentions visiting TheBigDare.org for resources. Have you explored this website? What resources or ideas did you find helpful, and how can you implement them in your faith journey? ([49:48])

Sermon Clips

1) "God wants you to live into the abundance of the life that God has planned for you and being faithful. Faithful to who he has called you to be through Jesus Christ." [47:24] (Download)

2) "What if you said a prayer with your waking moment in the morning? [...] Help me work as your beloved daughter, your beloved son in the world today." [53:41] (Download)

3) "What do it look like if we leaned, if we dared to lean into those areas of our life and that we sought to encounter Jesus in a deeper way this year together?" [48:49] (Download)

4) "Baptism opens our hearts also to a greater influence of God's Holy Spirit. [...] That Spirit empowers us, begins to shape our hearts and our lives in the way of Jesus." [42:13] (Download)

5) "Through the covenant of baptism, through the amazing nature of God's grace, we become part of God's family. Paul writes, we are heirs with God and joint heirs with Jesus Christ." [44:10] (Download)

6) "Our baptism sets us on a path empowered by the Spirit to be world changers, to be people that can look at a situation and see that there's a different way through grace and love and compassion." [45:56] (Download)

7) "Baptism places us in a deep relationship with God's grace. [...] God begins to move us in a process that we call sanctification, going on toward perfection through God's grace." [40:04] (Download)

8) "Baptism also marks us in a covenant relationship with God. [...] This continuing stream of God's commitment to us is something that we enter into when we enter into the waters of baptism." [40:04] (Download)

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