Get in the Game: Active Faith and Service

Devotional

Day 1: Embracing Active Participation in Faith

Living a life of faith is not a passive journey, but an active pursuit. It requires us to "get in the game" and actively participate in our faith, not just on Sunday mornings but in all aspects of our lives. This means serving in the church, helping those in need, and sharing the love of Christ with others. [12:45]

James 2:17 - "So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead."
Reflection: What is one way you can actively participate in your faith today? Is there a ministry in your church you can serve in, or a person in your life you can show Christ's love to?

Day 2: Upholding Unity and Equality in the Church

The church is a body made up of many parts, each equally important and valuable. It is crucial to uphold unity and equality within the church, recognizing that all members, regardless of their roles, are essential to the functioning of the body. [24:30]

Galatians 3:28 - "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 can you contribute to the unity and equality in your church? Is there someone you need to recognize and appreciate for their role in the body of Christ?

Day 3: Recognizing the Value of Every Member

Every member of the church, regardless of their past or present circumstances, has a unique role to play. Just as a coach transformed a team and led them to victory, each of us can contribute to the body of Christ in our unique ways. [36:15]

Romans 12:4-5 - "For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another."
Reflection: What unique gifts and talents do you have that can serve God and the church? How can you use them to contribute to the body of Christ?

Day 4: Serving Actively in the Congregation

Active service within the congregation is a crucial part of our faith journey. It's not enough to just attend Sunday worship and Wednesday gatherings; we need to step up and get involved in ministry, using our unique gifts and talents to serve God and the church. [48:20]

1 Peter 4:10 - "As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace."
Reflection: What is one way you can serve in your church this week? Is there a ministry you can join or a role you can fulfill?

Day 5: Moving Forward in Faith and Commitment

Our faith journey requires us to continually move forward in our commitment to God. This means not only giving our time and talents, but also our hearts. We need to pray for God's help in changing our hearts and stepping up to do more by the power of the Holy Spirit. [59:10]

Hebrews 10:24 - "And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works."
Reflection: What is one area in your life where you need to step up and do more for God? How can you pray for God's help in this area?
```

Sermon Summary

The sermon series titled "The Challenge" focuses on the importance of active participation in faith and service to the church. The pastor begins by recapping the previous weeks' messages, which emphasized the difficulty of life, the importance of choosing to follow the Lord, the dangers of spiritual laziness, and the significance of being committed followers of Jesus. In the concluding week, the pastor challenges the congregation to "get in the game" and actively participate in their faith, not just on Sunday mornings but in all aspects of their lives.

The pastor emphasizes the importance of unity and equality within the church, expressing frustration with churches that elevate certain staff members or long-time members above others. He shares a personal experience from when he started his own church, where he emphasized the equality of all staff members, regardless of their roles. The pastor also uses the imagery of the church as a body, with different parts like a hand, foot, eye, and ear. He introduces the concept of the church as a team, comparing it to a sports team where multiple roles need to be fulfilled for the team to function effectively.

The pastor shares a story about a coach who had a troubled past but was given a second chance at a small school in Indiana. The coach was able to transform the team and lead them to the state championship. The pastor connects this message to the biblical passage in 1 Corinthians 12:14-26, which highlights the idea that the body is made up of many parts, and each part is essential and valuable. The pastor concludes by emphasizing that even the weaker and less honorable parts are indispensable and should be treated with special care.

The pastor addresses the importance of active participation and service within the congregation. He emphasizes the need for both long-time members and newcomers to step up and get involved in ministry. The pastor acknowledges the significance of attending Sunday worship and Wednesday gatherings, but also highlights the necessity of actively serving and not being part of the passive majority. The pastor encourages everyone to contribute their unique gifts and talents, referencing 1 Corinthians 12, which emphasizes that all members of the body of Christ are equal and have different gifts to serve God and the church.

The pastor concludes the sermon by encouraging the congregation to move forward in their faith and commitment to God. He acknowledges that some individuals have not been willing to give their time, talent, or treasure to God, and prays for God's help in changing this. The pastor urges those who have been giving only limitedly to step up and do more by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Key Takeaways

Youtube Chapters

Sermon Clips

"When you're out there, you are one unit, you are one team, no one person is more important than another." [39:58]

"The parts of the body that seem to be weaker are actually indispensable, and the parts that we think are less honorable are treated with special." [41:23]

"I want you to think about how much more effective would Ministry be if it wasn't 20% carrying 80% of the work but what if like 40% of the church was involved...I would be tickled to death if only half of us were doing it because that would be more than double of what's going on right now." #!!44:51!!#

"Are we going to follow the way of the Lord, the way that the Lord would have us go, or are we going to follow the way maybe that our heart or our friends or what other pressures that we might have to follow the other direction?" #!!28:41!!#

"For those of us who haven't been willing to give of our Treasure, help us to give our treasure and for those of us who are just giving very limitedly of all of it, help us to step up and by the power of your spirit to do more." #!!01:12:48!!#

"I feel a little bit like a hooer you know going back and forth as there's this group of guys that are drinking beer watching me but about my third trip I hear this guy saying something like do you mind if I if I grab some stuff and I and I'm like I'm like oh man no I don't I don't want an inconvenience you no it's fine I'll get it he's like no some people are just finicky about having other people touch their stuff and I'm like no by all means touch my stuff and then him and his buddy start helping me carry some stuff now mind you there's six and there's only two people helping at this point but after their first load guess what the other four so all six of these guys you know put their beer down and they're helping me carry everything from the dock up to where we're going to be staying and and I'm I was just very thankful and grateful that they were doing it and and and and I said Thank you so you know thank you so much I I'm sorry you know to impose on you he's like no we were feeling bad watching you we figured it could either take you 18 trips or the six of us could take three and that's how many trips it took with everyone helping that's what it's about like when we all roll up our sleeves and and get in the game and and to serve God in this place" #!!01:06:05!!#

"A team needs a quarterback, but they also need a cornerback, a running back, a tight end, a safety, offensive line, defensive line. All these different positions, they all come together and they make up the team." (#!!34:32!!#)

"God has put the body together giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it so that there should be no division in the body but that it should have equal concern for each other for if one part suffers every part suffers with it and if one part is honored then every part rejoices with it." #!!42:02!!#

"We can't be the 80% that's sitting there while the 20% is rowing...how are you going to feel about this 80% they just enjoying the ride...I'm going to want to get up and throw them in the water right?" #!!50:30!!#

Ask a question about this sermon

Chatbot

Transcript

What was the most surprising thing in this sermon?

Were there any personal stories shared?