God at Work in the World

Devotional

Day 1: The Lonely Cross That Made Us Family

When Jesus cried “My God, why have you forsaken me?” He embraced ultimate isolation so we might never be alone. His abandonment purchased our eternal belonging – a bond stronger than bloodlines or borders. This divine exchange turns strangers into siblings, making Honduran teens and American believers part of the same story. Every chicken coop built and uniform sewn becomes a stitch in Christ’s global tapestry. [31:47]

“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46, ESV)

Reflection: When have you felt most isolated? How might Jesus’ experience on the cross reshape your understanding of God’s presence in that loneliness?

Day 2: Depression’s Taboo and the Burden-Bearing Church

Miguel’s story exposes the lie that strength means silence. In a culture where boys hide their pain, the church becomes a workshop for honest tears and traded loads. Osman didn’t fix Miguel’s fatherlessness but offered something better – a Father who never leaves. True family emerges when we carry each other’s brokenness to the foot of the cross. [33:18]

“Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.” (Galatians 6:2, ESV)

Reflection: Whose hidden struggle might God be inviting you to gently uncover through patient presence rather than quick solutions?

Day 3: Sewing Seams of Scripture into Daily Fabric

Maria’s sewing class begins with twenty minutes of copying Proverbs – stitch by stitch, verse by verse. The rhythm of pen on paper mirrors threaded needles through cloth, weaving truth into calloused hands. Discipleship isn’t a sermon but a slow embroidery, where repeating God’s words until they feel familiar becomes the pattern for transformed lives. [43:45]

“This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it.” (Joshua 1:8, ESV)

Reflection: What mundane task could become your “sewing class” – a daily space to stitch Scripture into your routine?

Day 4: Pancakes as Prophecy in a World of Scarcity

The champions breakfast serves stacks of golden pancakes to kids who’ve never tasted syrup. This feast of affirmation – ties straightened, smiles served – declares God’s economy where “best behavior” isn’t earned but celebrated. Full bellies become living parables: in Christ, even the leftovers overflow. [47:09]

“The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.” (Zephaniah 3:17, ESV)

Reflection: When have you experienced God’s delight in you as something more tangible than a theological concept?

Day 5: America – The Older Sibling Still Learning to Pray

The Honduran mother’s dying prayer for America echoes Revelation’s vision of nations bringing their glories to Christ. Like an older sibling borrowing sugar for younger ones, America’s spiritual vitality impacts global siblings. Intercession becomes the mortar holding up walls in nations still under construction. [55:08]

“If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” (2 Chronicles 7:14, ESV)

Reflection: What specific aspect of your nation’s brokenness most weighs on you? How might praying for it daily reshape both the land and your heart?

Sermon Summary

God’s work in Ciudad Nueva stands with one explanation: “only that God did it.” God called a young girl to himself and never let her feel alone, even in a place that was not safe. Christ paid the high price for that comfort by being alone on the cross, where the Father turned his back while sin and transgression were placed on the Son. That sacrifice did not only forgive sinners; that sacrifice made one family from every town, every nation, and every place.

The family of God becomes visible when broken people come and find home. The church cannot negotiate the Scripture, because the Bible is the absolute truth of God, but the truth has to be carried by love. Miguel’s story shows that kind of family. His heart was broken because he had a father but did not really have a father in his life, and the Lord met him through prayer, the gospel, and then discipleship through the apprentice program.

The work in Ciudad Nueva keeps joining gospel witness to everyday life. The apprentice program gives young people with no access beyond ninth grade a way to keep studying, earn a stipend, learn work, and be discipled. Nissy’s hunger for school mirrors the old prayer for a uniform, when God provided through an old robe that was new on the inside. Alfredo’s life shows that business is more than money, and Anna’s life shows that a woman marked by the stigma of her neighborhood can become one of the main chefs in a restaurant while her marriage and family move in the right direction.

God’s care reaches children, adults, and the ones others push away. Maria may not learn sewing fast, but she comes, copies Proverbs, and receives the Word. Angel, called too violent for the classroom, receives love, boundaries, tutoring, and reminders that God has purpose for him. Sometimes a smile, a welcome, and a reminder of identity in Christ can change the direction of a child’s life.

God’s sending also brings courage. It is safe to go where God sends, because when he sends, he goes with the one sent. The Lord brought a team from Ciudad Nueva and volunteers from different denominations, because fifty four divided churches do not display the unity Jesus prayed for. The Bible becomes the authority, Jesus becomes the center, and children see believers from different churches loving Jesus and loving them.

The nations will one day bring their glories to the New Jerusalem. Ciudad Nueva longs to bring transformed lives, honest work, small businesses, and redeemed stories to Jesus. America must not be given up on either, because prayer for a nation still matters before the day when every glory is brought to Christ.

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Key Takeaways

1. Christ was alone to make family. [31:47] Christ’s abandonment on the cross is not a small detail beside salvation; it is the price that made communion possible for sinners. The comfort of never being alone rests on the awful loneliness the Son endured under sin. The family of God is therefore not sentimental kindness, but blood-bought belonging across towns, nations, and first meetings. [31:47]
2. Love gives truth its holy weight. [40:23] The Scripture remains the absolute truth of God and cannot be negotiated, but truth carried without love often lands without healing. Genuine love does not soften God’s Word into something harmless; it makes the Word visible in flesh and blood. People may hear correct words, but love gives those words the shape of Christ. [40:23]
3. God sends, then God goes. [46:37] Safety is not finally measured by reputation, statistics, or fear, but by the presence of God in the place where he sends. That does not make danger imaginary, and it does not make obedience easy. It means the servant of God does not stand alone in the hard place, because the Sender goes with the sent one. [46:37]
4. Unity makes Jesus believable. [48:39] Divided churches can hold Bibles on opposite sides of the road and still hide the beauty Jesus prayed for. Christian unity is not built by pretending doctrine does not matter, but by letting the Bible be the authority and Jesus be the center. When children see Baptist, Pentecostal, and holiness believers loving the same Lord and loving the same neighborhood, the prayer of John 17 becomes visible. [48:39]
5. Small oil can become provision. [52:34] God often begins with what is already in the hand, even when that thing looks too small to matter. A little oil, ten dollars, a skill, a walk to school, or a hard day of work can become the place where blessing multiplies. Faithfulness does not wait for impressive resources; faithfulness offers the little thing to the Lord and works with hope.

## [52:34]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[30:15] - Prayer for God’s Glory
[31:02] - God’s Call and Never Alone
[31:47] - Jesus Alone on the Cross
[32:31] - One Family From Every Nation
[32:58] - Miguel Receives Prayer and Christ
[35:22] - Apprenticeship, Work, and School
[37:21] - Nissy’s Desire to Study
[40:23] - Genuine Love Changes Lives
[41:44] - Anna’s Work and Restored Home
[44:10] - Angel Finds Love and Boundaries
[46:11] - Safe Where God Sends
[48:17] - Churches Called to Be One
[50:40] - Bringing the Nations’ Glories
[53:33] - Walking on Knees Through Challenges
[54:18] - Pray and Do Not Give Up on America

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading
- Revelation 21:26 (ESV): "They will bring into it the glory and the honor of the nations."
- John 17:21 (ESV): "That they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me."
- 2 Kings 4:1-7 (ESV): The story of the widow’s oil multiplied by Elisha’s instruction.

Observation Questions

According to Revelation 21:26, what do the nations bring into the New Jerusalem? How does this connect to stories like Alfredo’s business or Anna’s restored family?
In John 17:21, Jesus prays for unity among believers. How did the sermon describe churches from different denominations working together in Ciudad Nueva? [49:34]
What small resources or acts of faithfulness (like Nissy’s prayer for a uniform or the 10-dollar business challenge) were highlighted as tools God used? [37:54] [52:34]

Interpretation Questions

Why is Christ’s loneliness on the cross described as the foundation for believers never being alone? How does this redefine the idea of “family” in the church?
The sermon says, “Truth carried without love often lands without healing.” How does love give truth its “holy weight,” and why is this balance critical in discipleship? [40:23]
What does it mean practically that “safety is measured by God’s presence, not statistics” when serving in difficult places? How does this challenge common fears about obedience? [46:37]

Application Questions

Miguel’s story shows how love and truth together opened his heart to Christ. When have you struggled to hold both truth and love in tension with someone? What step could you take to better reflect this balance?
The churches in Ciudad Nueva prioritized unity by centering on Scripture and Jesus. Are there relationships or partnerships in your life where doctrinal differences hinder unity? How could you focus on shared mission instead? [49:34]
The widow in 2 Kings 4 had only a little oil, but God multiplied it. What “small” resource, skill, or act of faithfulness (time, money, a kind word) do you undervalue that God might use for His work? [52:34]
Angel’s life changed because someone welcomed him and reminded him of his identity in Christ. Who in your community needs to hear, “God has a purpose for you”? How could you intentionally encourage them this week? [45:01]
The sermon urges believers not to give up praying for their nation. What specific area of brokenness in your community or country could you commit to praying for regularly? [54:18]

Sermon Clips

68s

“``Many years ago, as you read as you saw in the video, God called me to himself, and I remember having a conversation with the Lord and just telling him, thank you so much for never letting me feel alone, especially in a country that you don't you know, it's not safe, especially for me as a girl. That has always meant so much that I have never felt alone. And I remember the Lord in a kind way tell me that there was a high price that was paid for that. He said my son had to be alone. Yeah. When he was on the cross, Jesus had to be alone. The father turned his back on him. And I cannot even imagine, you know, the pain Jesus had to go through after being for eternity with his father in communion. His father abounds him because, you know, all our sins and our transgressions were in him.”

48s

“And what is also wonderful about that sacrifice, you know, is that he he has put together a family from every town, every nation. That price that was paid there made us one family. Even though we see each other today for the first time, we are connected for eternity. That's right. And we praise the Lord. And he's he's at work in Philadelphia, and I will share a few testimonies of what he is doing there because you saw the big picture of what he's doing there. But God is so awesome in working in very personal ways. And I will share a few testimonies, you know, what he's doing, you know, with particular individuals in Ciudad Nuevo.”

53s

“So our hearts were broken. We are, Lord, but we cannot do anything, but you can do it. Guess what? He has brought people from about five different denominations to work as volunteers. They are coming, and we just have the Bible as the authority, the absolute truth. That's our God. We don't fight about denominations. We don't fight about anything. We just want to present Jesus That's right. To that community. Those people from these churches are the ones that are the touring centers. You know? We have people from different churches. The kid comes into a touring center. He gets loved by somebody from a Baptist church, from somebody from a Pentecostal church, from somebody from a holiness church, and they oh, these are all the same. They love Jesus, and they love me.”

49s

“And that's where we don't wanna get. You know? What scares us the most when we come and share with you is that at some point, you may say, oh, you are doing a great job. Please don't do that because that's not true. It's all about him. It's all all the glory belongs to him. And we don't wanna get to the point that we feel that we know how to do it. We ask somebody said we wanna walk on our knees. And these last years have been a challenge, but challenges bring us closer to the Lord. And whatever brings us closer to the Lord is worth it. So I don't know what you are going through in your life, you know, but if you are going through a difficult circumstance, just remember that the Lord is there for you and draw closer to him.”

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God at Work in the World

Devotional

Day 1: The Lonely Cross That Made Us Family

Day 2: Depression’s Taboo and the Burden-Bearing Church

Day 3: Sewing Seams of Scripture into Daily Fabric

Day 4: Pancakes as Prophecy in a World of Scarcity

Day 5: America – The Older Sibling Still Learning to Pray

Sermon Summary

Key Takeaways

Youtube Chapters

Bible Study Guide

Sermon Clips

God at Work in the World

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