God Works Through You to Share His Love

Oct 11, 2026

Devotional

Day 1: Planting Gardens in Foreign Soil

When life forces us into seasons we didn’t choose, God calls us to invest deeply where we are. Like exiles building homes and planting gardens in Babylon, we’re invited to cultivate faithfulness even in unwelcomed places. This isn’t resignation but active trust—rooting ourselves in God’s promise to work through our presence. Our labor for the common good becomes a testimony to a hope that outlasts temporary struggles. [44:00]

“Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat their produce. Take wives and have sons and daughters; take wives for your sons, and give your daughters in marriage, that they may bear sons and daughters. Multiply there, and do not decrease. But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare.” (Jeremiah 29:5–7, ESV)

Reflection: What “foreign soil” in your life feels like exile? How might planting one small seed of intentional love or service there this week reflect God’s enduring purpose?

Day 2: When the Roller Coaster Won’t Stop

Life’s ups and downs can feel like a relentless fair ride—thrilling, nauseating, or terrifying by turns. Yet God’s promises remain fixed when emotions sway. Like a child gripping a parent’s hand on the Ferris wheel, we’re called to anchor our trust not in circumstances but in the One who secures us. Stability comes not from stopping the ride but knowing who rides with us. [32:16]

“Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” (Isaiah 41:10, ESV)

Reflection: Where do you feel most dizzy or unsteady today? What simple truth about God’s presence can you hold like a safety bar when the world spins?

Day 3: Ananias and the Assassin Next Door

God often works through our most uncomfortable obediences. Ananias didn’t want to pray for Saul, the church’s persecutor—yet his “yes” unleashed grace that transformed history. Our call isn’t to approve wrongs but to believe Christ’s power exceeds even the worst resumes. Sometimes healing begins when we dare to see enemies as future brothers. [50:46]

“The Lord said to him, ‘Rise and go to the street called Straight, and at the house of Judas look for a man of Tarsus named Saul…’ But Ananias answered, ‘Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he has done to your saints at Jerusalem…’ And the Lord said to him, ‘Go, for he is a chosen instrument of mine…’” (Acts 9:11–15, ESV)

Reflection: Who feels “beyond reach” in your world? How might praying for them—even cautiously—open your heart to God’s surprising work?

Day 4: Bass Boats and the Father’s Yes

Human failures often distort our view of God. A father who prioritizes toys over his child’s needs can make heaven’s Father seem distant. Yet Christ’s cross shouts the opposite: God sacrifices everything to claim us. His grace isn’t a limited resource but an endless flood, washing away the lies that we’re too messy or forgotten to be loved. [39:43]

“He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?” (Romans 8:32, ESV)

Reflection: What earthly relationship has left you doubting God’s generosity? How does Jesus’ “yes” on the cross rewrite that story today?

Day 5: Dusty Sandals and Kingdom News

Jesus sent the 72 ahead of Him not with marketing strategies but with a simple message: “God’s reign is here.” Our calling is equally straightforward—to declare Christ’s nearness through words and wounds alike. Whether feeding a neighbor or forgiving a fault, we’re couriers of a kingdom that outshines every temporary trial. [53:56]

“After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them on ahead of him, two by two, into every town and place where he himself was about to go… Heal the sick… and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’” (Luke 10:1–9, ESV)

Reflection: What ordinary moment today could become a “kingdom announcement”? How might doing one small thing with great love point someone to Jesus?

Sermon Summary

Experiencing God means clinging to the truth of God’s promises while feelings run up and down like a roller coaster. God has made his home with his people, was enfleshed in Jesus Christ, and promises resurrection glory where his children will see him face to face. God works through people at different times, in different places, and through different life stages, not because anybody has a great resume, but because that is how he accomplishes his purpose.

God’s purpose is that people know the depth of his love, their need for his grace, and the mercy that endures forever. The love of the Father gives everything so that his children can know they are eternally secure. God’s grace meets a child in every season, whether life is going well, a job disappears, a marriage goes south, or the heart simply needs to hear again that God’s love endures forever.

Jeremiah speaks to people stuck where they did not want to be. Babylon is no weekend trip, and the exile will not end quickly. Jeremiah calls God’s people to build houses, plant gardens, settle down, and seek the common good, while refusing to be absorbed into the culture around them. God’s people fit in without conforming, showing a watching world who Yahweh is by refusing to become mean, ugly, toxic, or cutthroat.

Ananias shows what heavy spiritual lifting can look like. Saul has blood on his hands, carries warrants to arrest Christians, and comes to Damascus as a dangerous enemy. Jesus meets Saul, blinds him with light, and then sends Ananias to the very man everybody would rather avoid. Ananias puts his hands on Saul, prays for him, affirms him, and becomes part of God’s work of giving sight, baptism, strength, and a new calling to a former persecutor.

Jesus sends the seventy-two ahead of him with a simple word: the kingdom of God is near. The kingdom is not a political machine or a forced culture. The kingdom is already here in Jesus, the One who opens heaven, breaks death’s shackles, forgives sins that nobody can clean up alone, and walks with his baptized people through life. God’s purpose remains plain: people need Jesus, and God works through ordinary people to help others see him.

Key Takeaways

1. God works through ordinary people [36:51] God does not wait for impressive resumes before using somebody. God works through old friends, faithful church members, parents, neighbors, and people whose names may someday remain only as memories. God’s purpose moves forward through lives that simply become available to his love and grace. [36:51]
2. Exiles seek good without conforming [45:43] Jeremiah does not permit God’s people to escape reality by pretending exile will end tomorrow. Jeremiah calls them to settle down and bless the place where they have been planted. God’s people can contribute to the common good without surrendering their identity or being swallowed up by the surrounding culture. [45:43]
3. Grace reaches dangerous enemies [50:46] Jesus does not merely stop Saul on the Damascus road. Jesus sends Ananias to touch, pray for, and receive the man whose reputation made people scatter. God’s grace often calls his people beyond natural dislike, fear, and self-protection so that another person may see Christ. [50:46]
4. The kingdom is already near [53:56] Jesus sends his followers to announce more than a distant religious idea. Jesus brings God’s reign near in his own person, death, resurrection, and forgiving presence. God’s people bear witness to a kingdom that is already breaking into broken lives.

## [53:56]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[31:47] - Experiencing God Beyond Feelings
[33:26] - God Works Through You
[34:02] - Remembering Faithful People
[37:35] - God’s Purpose for Every Life
[40:56] - Jeremiah and the Exiles
[43:20] - Build, Plant, and Seek the Common Good
[46:55] - Ananias and Saul in Damascus
[50:26] - Loving the Person Nobody Wants to Love
[52:38] - Jesus Sends the Seventy-Two
[54:25] - People Need Jesus

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

Luke 10:1-9
“After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them on ahead of him, two by two, into every town and place where he himself was about to go. And he said to them, 'The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest. Go your way; behold, I am sending you out as lambs in the midst of wolves. Carry no moneybag, no knapsack, no sandals, and greet no one on the road. Whatever house you enter, first say, 'Peace be to this house!' And if a son of peace is there, your peace will rest upon him. But if not, it will return to you. And remain in the same house, eating and drinking what they provide, for the laborer deserves his wages. Do not go from house to house. Whenever you enter a town and they receive you, eat what is set before you. Heal the sick in it and say to them, 'The kingdom of God has come near to you.”

Observation questions

What instructions does Jesus give the seventy-two about where they are sent, what they are to bring, and how they are to depend on others?
What actions are the seventy-two told to take when they enter a household or a town, and what message are they to announce?
What details in Jesus’ instructions show that the mission is both urgent and dependent on God rather than on the disciples’ preparation or impressive qualifications? [53:07]
How does the description of the harvest, the workers, and the lambs among wolves shape the picture of the mission Jesus gives his followers?

Interpretation questions

Jesus sends ordinary followers ahead of him, not merely religious experts. What does this show about how Jesus chooses to make his kingdom known through his people? [36:51]
Jesus tells the seventy-two to announce that the kingdom of God has come near. How does this message point to Jesus himself rather than to a political movement or a forced religious culture? [53:17]
Why might Jesus tell his followers to receive hospitality, stay where they are welcomed, and share peace before they announce the kingdom?
Jesus describes his followers as lambs among wolves. What kind of courage, humility, and trust would be needed for believers to represent Jesus in places where they may not be welcomed?

Application questions

Feelings can rise and fall like a roller coaster, but God’s promises remain true. What circumstance is making it hard to feel steady right now, and which promise of God does your heart need to cling to in that circumstance? [32:16]
God works through people in different life stages and situations, not through perfect resumes. Where might God be inviting you to be available to someone this week—through encouragement, prayer, a conversation, or practical help? [37:21]
God’s people are called to seek the common good without being absorbed by the culture around them. In your workplace, neighborhood, school, or family, what would it look like to “fit in but not conform”? [45:31]
Is there a person you tend to avoid, resent, fear, or quietly hope someone else will deal with? What would be one wise and gracious step toward praying for that person or showing them the love of Christ? [52:04]
The kingdom of God is already near because Jesus is present with his people in forgiveness, resurrection hope, and grace. How could this truth change the way you speak to someone who is carrying guilt, grief, or a problem they cannot fix on their own? [53:38]
Jesus sends his people ahead of him so that others may know he is near. Who in your life may need to hear or see the hope of Jesus, and what is a natural next step you could take? [54:40]

Sermon Clips

55s

#FaithInExile

“So what what, Jeremiah is doing here is he's saying, I want you to fit in but not conform. And he talks about in that passage in in, that there are other people prophesying lies. Now, was the lie. There were some people saying, oh, this is only over the weekend. We're gonna be back in no time. We'll be back at the house, and we'll rebuild back in Jerusalem. Well, it was at at Jeremiah prophesied, no. No. It's gonna be seventy years you're gonna be here for a long time. So just dig in and show people Yahweh, Jehovah, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob who has promised us we're not gonna be here forever, but we are here for now.”

64s

#PrayForYourEnemies

“Is there someone in your life that you don't like very much? Okay. My head is running. Okay. Now I gotta stop because it'll run too long. Alright? Is there someone that you need to pray for, that they see Jesus. Or if they see Jesus, then maybe I'm not seeing my call to love that person. I have no idea. But I do know that Ananias did something that was on a human level, really heavy spiritual lifting to help this man.”

73s

#GodWorksThroughYou

“Because God worked through them, and he works through you. Again, just stay with me on this. He works through you at different times, in different places, different life stages when you have different needs. And the rest of that theme is that he works through you. It's not like, oh, I gotta have a great resume. No, no, no. That's how God works. He works through people, through others, to accomplish his purpose. What is his purpose? For people to know the depth of His love, their need for His grace, and the mercy that He, it says in scripture, endures forever. That's the purpose. It takes different iterations and different images at different times.”

40s

#KingdomIsNear

“Tell them what they've been waiting for us here. When it says draw near, that the kingdom is near, it was really a zero one. It was... It's not far, it's near. Alright? When you think near, don't think, okay, well, he's in dripping and he's headed this way. Well, he was headed that way, but he... They were to say it's already here in Jesus. Alrighty? And so that is what his purpose is, that people know Jesus is here. That's the purpose. Boiled down. Alright? Not not necessarily to figure the rest of your life journey here today. Alrighty?”

51s

#LiveDifferent

“What is it that you and I can do in the midst of a situation where scripture calls us we are exiles? The old song, heaven is not our home So we're gonna treat people in a way that doesn't come back and say, oh, that's that group that's really mean and ugly, and they do business, cutthroat, and it's not... No, no, no. We do things differently as God's people in the world. Whatever that is, I have no idea, but there's a sense. I'm not gonna make us look bad, if you will, or that people wanna get away from us because we're toxic.”

37s

#ShareJesus

“But to tell people about Jesus because they need to hear about Jesus. They're like you and me. We stuff, you know, put our fingers in our ears and figure we can do it on our own. That doesn't work, folks. It may work for a while. It may work, I mean, decades, but ultimately, it doesn't work. Why? Because it's not the truth. Disciples shared the blessings of Jesus who need to hear it just like you and I do. And then finally, to whom is he sending you?”

41s

#JesusIsRisen

“There's a man named Ananias who follows Jesus, follows the one who opened the door of heaven, who broke down the the the shackles of death. Yes, we believe that. Death... Jesus was dead as a hammer, and he was lifted from death and the grave. And that's who we believe. And he he died because of sin. He died because we go our own way. I mean, reality, we confess our sins. You don't confess other people's sins, by the way, in confession. You say, Lord, this is me.”

48s

#ForgivenessInChrist

“And some of it may be a little benign, so to speak. Alright? Oh, dear, is that a little whatever whatever. Some of it is heavy duty stuff in terms of heavy duty stuff. The day unspent and night unspent that didn't show the glory of God or whatever or or years and years and years. It doesn't matter. The lord wants you to know your sins are forgiven and that you can't clean up your own mess. I can't clean up my own mess. I don't wanna clean up other people's mess most of the time. Right? I mean, you got it... You you got yourself into it, and I... That's the... That's how we act by nature. You got yourself into it, you get yourself out of it. K?”

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