Faithfulness to God's Word: A Life of Service
Summary
### Summary
Today, we gathered to reflect on the faithfulness of God and the importance of living a life devoted to His Word. We began by praying for our children, asking that they be filled with God's Word and Spirit. We also celebrated the success of our recent Vacation Bible School (VBS) and looked forward to our upcoming outreach at a local apartment complex, emphasizing our mission to share the name of Jesus with our community.
We delved into Psalm 119, focusing on the psalmist's desire to be faithful to God's statutes until the end of his life. This passage reminds us that God's Word should be the guiding force in our lives, not just for a moment but for our entire journey. We also touched on Ezekiel 36, where God promises to give us a new heart and spirit, enabling us to walk in His statutes.
Reflecting on recent experiences with death and loss, we considered how Jesus spent His final hours serving others, even washing the feet of His disciples. This example challenges us to live our lives in service to others, regardless of how much time we have left. We also shared personal stories, including a mission trip to Colombia, to illustrate the importance of having God's guidance and protection in our lives.
The psalmist's plea to turn away from worthless things and focus on God's commandments resonated deeply. We were reminded that our desires should align with God's will, and our lives should reflect His love and righteousness. The ultimate goal is to live a life that honors God, not for our gain but for His glory.
As we concluded, we prayed for those seeking to know Christ and for the believers to fall in love with God's Word anew. We also prayed for the upcoming VBS outreach, asking for God's blessing and guidance.
### Key Takeaways
1. God's Faithfulness and Our Response: God's faithfulness is unwavering, even when we falter. He walks alongside us, never pushing us away. Our response should be a life devoted to His Word, seeking to be faithful until the end. This commitment requires daily surrender and a heart open to His guidance. [28:54]
2. Living with Eternal Perspective: Reflecting on Jesus' final hours, we see a life of service and humility. Instead of seeking personal gain or entertainment, Jesus chose to serve others. This challenges us to live with an eternal perspective, focusing on how we can serve and disciple others in our remaining time. [46:04]
3. Guidance and Protection: Just as we need guidance in dangerous situations, we need God's direction in our spiritual journey. His commandments act as guards, keeping us on the right path and away from harm. Trusting in His guidance leads to a life of safety and fulfillment. [49:56]
4. Aligning Desires with God's Will: The psalmist's prayer to incline his heart to God's testimonies rather than selfish gain is a powerful reminder. Our desires and ambitions should align with God's will, seeking His glory rather than our own. This alignment brings true satisfaction and purpose. [53:34]
5. The Transformative Power of God's Word: Engaging with God's Word transforms our hearts and minds. The psalmist's longing for God's precepts and his commitment to meditate on them continually is a model for us. Immersing ourselves in Scripture leads to a life that reflects God's love and righteousness. [01:02:11]
### YouTube Chapters
[0:00] - Welcome
[28:54] - VBS Outreach and Community Mission
[41:14] - Reflecting on Death and Jesus' Final Hours
[46:04] - Living with Eternal Perspective
[49:56] - Guidance and Protection in Our Spiritual Journey
[53:34] - Aligning Desires with God's Will
[01:02:11] - The Transformative Power of God's Word
[01:10:24] - Closing Prayer and VBS Luncheon Announcement
Study Guide
### Bible Reading
1. Psalm 119:33-40
2. Ezekiel 36:26-27
3. John 13:1-17
### Observation Questions
1. In Psalm 119:33-40, what does the psalmist ask God to teach him, and what is his commitment in response?
2. According to Ezekiel 36:26-27, what does God promise to give His people, and what will this enable them to do?
3. In John 13:1-17, how does Jesus demonstrate servanthood to His disciples during His final hours? [46:04]
### Interpretation Questions
1. What does it mean for God's Word to be the "guiding force" in our lives, as mentioned in the sermon? How can this be practically applied? [48:09]
2. Reflecting on Jesus' act of washing His disciples' feet, what does this teach us about the nature of true leadership and service? [46:04]
3. How does the promise of a new heart and spirit in Ezekiel 36:26-27 relate to the psalmist's desire to be faithful to God's statutes in Psalm 119? [48:09]
4. The sermon mentioned the importance of aligning our desires with God's will. How can we discern if our desires are aligned with His will? [53:34]
### Application Questions
1. The sermon emphasized the importance of daily surrender and a heart open to God's guidance. What are some practical steps you can take to ensure you are surrendering daily to God’s will? [28:54]
2. Jesus spent His final hours serving others. How can you incorporate acts of service into your daily life, especially when you feel pressed for time? [46:04]
3. Reflect on a recent situation where you needed guidance. How did you seek God's direction, and what was the outcome? How can you improve your reliance on God's guidance in future situations? [49:56]
4. The psalmist prayed to turn away from worthless things. Identify one "worthless" thing in your life that distracts you from God. What steps can you take this week to minimize or eliminate this distraction? [55:43]
5. The sermon highlighted the transformative power of God's Word. What specific scripture will you commit to meditating on this week, and how do you plan to incorporate it into your daily routine? [01:02:11]
6. How can you actively participate in the upcoming VBS outreach or similar community missions to share the name of Jesus with others? What specific role can you play? [28:54]
7. Reflect on a time when you felt God's protection and guidance in a difficult situation. How did this experience strengthen your faith, and how can you share this testimony to encourage others? [49:56]
Devotional
Day 1: God's Unwavering Faithfulness and Our Devotion
God's faithfulness is unwavering, even when we falter. He walks alongside us, never pushing us away. Our response should be a life devoted to His Word, seeking to be faithful until the end. This commitment requires daily surrender and a heart open to His guidance. Reflecting on Psalm 119, we see the psalmist's desire to be faithful to God's statutes until the end of his life. This passage reminds us that God's Word should be the guiding force in our lives, not just for a moment but for our entire journey.
Psalm 119:33-34 (ESV): "Teach me, O Lord, the way of your statutes; and I will keep it to the end. Give me understanding, that I may keep your law and observe it with my whole heart."
Reflection: What is one area of your life where you find it challenging to remain faithful to God's Word? How can you surrender this area to Him today? [28:54]
Day 2: Living with an Eternal Perspective
Reflecting on Jesus' final hours, we see a life of service and humility. Instead of seeking personal gain or entertainment, Jesus chose to serve others. This challenges us to live with an eternal perspective, focusing on how we can serve and disciple others in our remaining time. Jesus spent His final hours serving others, even washing the feet of His disciples. This example challenges us to live our lives in service to others, regardless of how much time we have left.
John 13:14-15 (ESV): "If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you."
Reflection: Think of one person you can serve today in a meaningful way. How can you show them the love and humility of Christ? [46:04]
Day 3: Trusting in God's Guidance and Protection
Just as we need guidance in dangerous situations, we need God's direction in our spiritual journey. His commandments act as guards, keeping us on the right path and away from harm. Trusting in His guidance leads to a life of safety and fulfillment. Reflecting on recent experiences with death and loss, we considered how Jesus spent His final hours serving others, even washing the feet of His disciples. This example challenges us to live our lives in service to others, regardless of how much time we have left.
Psalm 32:8 (ESV): "I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you."
Reflection: What is one decision you are facing where you need God's guidance? How can you seek His direction through prayer and Scripture today? [49:56]
Day 4: Aligning Our Desires with God's Will
The psalmist's prayer to incline his heart to God's testimonies rather than selfish gain is a powerful reminder. Our desires and ambitions should align with God's will, seeking His glory rather than our own. This alignment brings true satisfaction and purpose. The psalmist's plea to turn away from worthless things and focus on God's commandments resonated deeply. We were reminded that our desires should align with God's will, and our lives should reflect His love and righteousness.
Psalm 119:36-37 (ESV): "Incline my heart to your testimonies, and not to selfish gain! Turn my eyes from looking at worthless things; and give me life in your ways."
Reflection: What is one desire or ambition you have that may not align with God's will? How can you refocus your heart and mind on His purposes today? [53:34]
Day 5: The Transformative Power of God's Word
Engaging with God's Word transforms our hearts and minds. The psalmist's longing for God's precepts and his commitment to meditate on them continually is a model for us. Immersing ourselves in Scripture leads to a life that reflects God's love and righteousness. We prayed for those seeking to know Christ and for the believers to fall in love with God's Word anew. We also prayed for the upcoming VBS outreach, asking for God's blessing and guidance.
Hebrews 4:12 (ESV): "For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart."
Reflection: How can you make time today to immerse yourself in God's Word? What specific steps can you take to meditate on Scripture throughout your day? [01:02:11]
Quotes
### Quotes for outreach
1. "Lord, thank you for today Lord you are faithful today and you were faithful then Lord we don't know the future but you do and there has never been a moment beyond this moment but you are there and so I thank you for your faithfulness to us Lord even when we haven't been faithful back to you you've never ran away you've never pushed us away but you've walked alongside us this whole time and so Lord I just give you thanks for that this morning." [28:54] (29 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
2. "Lord, we stand on your love on your foundation on your grace and your mercy or no one in this room is exempt from sin everyone in this place is guilty lord and i am the first in line and so i just want to tell you publicly thank you for setting us free thank you for the blood shed on calvary so that we could have a right relationship with you today we believe in our minds and our hearts and we confess with our lips that jesus christ is lord today." [41:14] (106 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
3. "I just want to be clear in case you're wondering how do you become a christian what is salvation in jesus I prayed it a second ago that if you confess with your mouth and believe in your heart that jesus christ was raised from the dead then you will be saved and you will have a repentful heart and you'll want to follow heart after him and so this psalmist is saying I don't want to forget salvation I don't want to forget where my help comes from these are your promises not mine." [59:30] (35 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
4. "I have prayed for you guys weekly and my prayer is that you would fall in love with this word more and more and more the more I pray for you the more I long to be close to it more I see just god doing god-sized things I want to draw nearer to him not to take credit for anything he's doing but to give him the glory and the honor." [01:02:11] (29 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
5. "I just want to say thanks for jesus thank you that he was obedient to death even death on a cross who took a penalty that we could never in a million light years repay but he took it on his heart because he loved us and he loved you lord so lord as we walk through psalm 119 will you just convict us let your spirit lead and guide us help us not to look at things that distract us from you but let your spirit lead us and guide us." [01:04:47] (47 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
### Quotes for members
1. "I want to just paint that picture with you that even if you live another 90 years it's going to happen like this so how are you living out the last hours of your life and as I was thinking about the scriptures I've listened to Psalm 119 a lot and oftentimes it says the same thing over and over again and why so that we would listen so that we would do it so that we would respect the laws of God that were so spoke so that we would live by it." [46:04] (40 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
2. "Give me understanding that I may keep your law and again here he goes again this is the third time that I say this three times it is a short amount of time he's reiterating I don't want just a portion of my life to be yours I want you to take every part of it and I want you to fill it lead me in the path of your commandments for I delight in it." [48:09] (33 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
3. "I don't want people to see me I want people to see you I don't care how many followers I get I just want to follow you my life and let me just give you a just a reminder god called me to this church a year and a half ago and it's been one of the most roller coaster rides I've ever experienced in my entire life I have seen lowest valleys I have seen amazing mountaintops and any place that the lord has taken me he has been with me I've never been alone in this." [53:34] (42 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
4. "How awesome would it be if you drew your last breath and you were meditating I was talking to eli lieford this week memorizing colossians he's trying to memorize a lot of verses and what if the last breath you take your face to face with jesus look I was memorizing colossians I was memorizing your word I was right there with you lord how awesome would that be how awesome would that be that your your mind and your heart were fixed on the word of god and meditating on it." [01:02:11] (33 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
5. "I have prayed for you guys weekly and my prayer is that you would fall in love with this word more and more and more the more I pray for you the more I long to be close to it more I see just god doing god-sized things I want to draw nearer to him not to take credit for anything he's doing but to give him the glory and the honor we talked about crowns of righteousness the crown three different crowns of righteousness the crowns of righteousness the crowns of righteousness the crown that we'll have in in heaven I bet you you wear it for maybe half a second when that crown puts put on your head you're going to take that thing off and say this is yours lord you're the we trust you." [01:02:11] (76 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
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