Growing In Favor With God: Why We Do What We Do

Devotional

Day 1: Stones That Tell Stories When Children Ask

The Jordan River’s stones stood as silent teachers, waiting for curious questions. God commanded Israel to build memorials not as decorations, but as prompts for storytelling. These rocks held the weight of divine deliverance, anchoring faith to physical reminders. Like ancient stones, ordinary objects become sacred when infused with God’s story. What mundane items in our lives could become prompts to declare His faithfulness? The practice of remembrance begins by creating space for holy interruptions in daily routines. [01:46]

“When your children ask in time to come, ‘What do those stones mean to you?’ then you shall tell them that the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord. When it passed over the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. So these stones shall be to the people of Israel a memorial forever.” (Joshua 4:6-7, ESV)

Reflection: What ordinary object in your home could become a conversation starter about God’s faithfulness? How might intentionally placing reminders of His work reshape your family’s spiritual rhythm?

Day 2: Bread That Rewrites History

Jesus hijacked Passover’s script. At a table heavy with Exodus memories, He repurposed matzah’s brokenness. The bread meant to recall Pharaoh’s haste now pointed to Calvary’s sacrifice. By redirecting an ancient ritual, Christ revealed Himself as the true Lamb. Every crumb became a revolution – not just recalling liberation from Egypt, but proclaiming freedom from sin’s chains. The meal’s meaning expanded while its simplicity remained. [08:43]

“And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, ‘This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.’” (Luke 22:19, ESV)

Reflection: Where has Jesus transformed your understanding of familiar traditions? How does His interruption of Passover challenge you to see new depths in Christian practices?

Day 3: Stale Crackers, Eternal Truths

The communion tray holds what the world dismisses – dry wafers and tiny cups. Yet these unremarkable elements become vessels of sacred memory. Like the Auburn fan’s shrub twig, their power lies not in appearance but in association. Christ’s command sanctifies the mundane, turning snack time into sacrament. The Lord’s Supper weaponizes simplicity against spiritual amnesia, using taste and touch to bypass distracted minds. [13:52]

“You shall keep this feast as a statute for you and for your sons forever. And when you come to the land that the Lord will give you, as he has promised, you shall keep this service. And when your children say to you, ‘What do you mean by this service?’ you shall say, ‘It is the sacrifice of the Lord’s Passover.’” (Exodus 12:24-27, ESV)

Reflection: When has a physical act (like eating bread) helped you grasp spiritual truth more deeply? How might embracing simplicity in worship combat modern distraction?

Day 4: One Body, Many Cups

Paul rebuked Corinth not for changing communion’s method, but for mangling its meaning. Their full bellies and empty cups betrayed a me-centered faith. The Supper’s trays today – whether shared or individual – test whether we see fellow partakers as Christ’s body. Communion’s vertical dimension (me and Christ) cannot be divorced from its horizontal reality (us as church). The meal that unites also examines our unity. [32:31]

“The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ? Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread.” (1 Corinthians 10:16-17, ESV)

Reflection: Whose presence in the pews most challenges you to practice Christ’s inclusive love? How might seeing communion as “shared participation” transform your church relationships?

Day 5: Until He Chews Again

Every crumb proclaims a temporary ritual. The Supper’s “until” (1 Cor 11:26) pulses with expectancy – this meal rehearses for the Marriage Feast. Our memorials are dress rehearsals, the trays mere practice plates. One day the symbols will surrender to the Savior’s physical presence. What we do in remembrance now, we’ll do in reality then, when faith becomes sight and the church’s bridegroom returns. [41:16]

“For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.” (1 Corinthians 11:26, ESV)

Reflection: What aspect of eternity helps you endure present struggles? How does framing communion as “rehearsal” shape your anticipation of Christ’s return?

Sermon Summary

God knows that people forget, and Scripture repeatedly calls God’s people back to remembrance. Moses warns Israel not to forget Egypt, deliverance, and the God who brought them out. The twelve stones beside the Jordan stand as a memorial because God knows that ordinary people need something they can see and touch to tell the story again.

The Lord’s Supper carries that same purpose. Jesus takes bread and a cup during Passover, a meal already built around remembering God’s rescue, and gives those familiar things a new meaning. Jesus says, “This is my body,” and “This cup is the new covenant in my blood.” The bread and cup do not merely point to a fact that happened long ago. The bread and cup bring hearts back to the weight of the cross, the cost of sin, the depth of Jesus’ love, and the grace that has been poured out.

The ordinary elements matter because Jesus attaches meaning to them. A small cracker and a little cup of juice may not look remarkable on a Tuesday afternoon, but Christ says, “Remember me.” The danger is not usually forgetting that Jesus died. The danger is forgetting what his death means. The cross humbles pride, makes forgiveness harder to withhold, and reminds saved people that salvation was never earned.

The early church remembers Jesus together. Acts pictures believers breaking bread in homes, sharing life around tables, praying together, and receiving food with glad and generous hearts. The first day of the week becomes a regular rhythm of returning to Jesus, whatever victories or failures the week has carried in. Methods change from tables to common cups, from trays to individual cups, and even to packaged communion, but methods are never the purpose. Jesus remains the center.

Paul warns Corinth that a meal proclaiming Christ’s self-giving love cannot be taken selfishly. The bread and cup are personal, but they were never meant to be private. Communion means participation together. The one bread reminds many people that they are one body, rescued by the same grace and dependent upon the same Savior.

The Lord’s Supper calls believers to look back to Calvary, look around at people Jesus died for, and look forward until he comes. Christ died, rose, reigns, and will return. The table keeps bringing God’s people back to what matters most: Jesus Christ.

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Key Takeaways

1. Remember the weight of the cross The cross can become familiar without remaining heavy. Jesus gives bread and cup because hearts need more than information; hearts need to be brought back to his body given and his blood poured out. The Lord’s Supper confronts the tendency to know the story while losing sight of what sin cost and what grace has given. [16:31]
2. Ordinary elements carry Christ’s meaning The bread and juice are not magical in themselves. Jesus makes them significant by saying, “Do this in remembrance of me.” The ordinary becomes a doorway into something extraordinary when it turns the heart toward Christ’s sacrifice, love, and promise. [13:52]
3. Communion is personal, not private Paul calls the church to examine the heart, but he also calls the church to see the body sitting nearby. The one bread declares that people with different backgrounds, struggles, and personalities have been brought to the same Savior. Christ’s table leaves no room for spiritual isolation or self-centered worship. [31:51]
4. Grace remembered must become grace shared The bread and cup expose the contradiction of receiving Christ’s mercy while withholding mercy from others. Jesus’ body was given for people who did not deserve it, and his blood was poured out for sinners. Remembrance should make hearts more forgiving, more gracious, and more willing to give themselves away. [34:23]
5. The table points toward Christ’s return Paul says believers proclaim the Lord’s death “until he comes.” The Lord’s Supper is not a memorial for a Savior who stayed in the grave. Jesus died, rose, reigns, and will come again, so every remembrance carries hope alongside sorrow.

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Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:54] - God Knows People Forget
[03:10] - Why Take the Lord’s Supper?
[06:32] - Passover and Remembering Deliverance
[08:12] - Jesus Gives Bread and Cup New Meaning
[13:26] - Ordinary Elements, Extraordinary Meaning
[16:31] - Remembering the Weight of the Cross
[19:19] - The Early Church Remembered Together
[24:40] - Corinth’s Broken Communion
[27:00] - From the Table to the Tray
[31:14] - Communion Is More Than Me and Jesus
[34:23] - Grace That Changes How People Treat Others
[38:40] - Look Back, Look Around, Look Forward
[42:15] - Prayer for the Bread
[46:34] - Prayer for the Cup

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

Luke 22:19-20
“And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.” [04:21]

1 Corinthians 11:23-26
“For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.” [24:52]

1 Corinthians 10:16-17
“The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ? Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread.” [31:51]

Observation questions

In Luke 22:19–20, what two familiar Passover elements does Jesus use, and what new meaning does he attach to each one? [08:34]
According to 1 Corinthians 11:23–26, what actions are believers taking when they eat the bread and drink the cup, both in remembering Christ and in proclaiming something to others? [39:11]
What problem was happening among the Corinthian believers when they gathered for their shared meal, and why did Paul say their gathering was no longer truly the Lord’s Supper? [25:01]
In 1 Corinthians 10:16–17, what repeated words show that communion involves the whole church, not only individual believers? [32:27]

Interpretation questions

Why does Jesus connect remembrance to physical, ordinary things like bread and a cup instead of simply telling his followers to remember his death in their thoughts? [16:49]
How does Paul’s description of the one bread and one body challenge the idea that communion is only a private moment between one person and Jesus? [31:51]
Why was the selfish behavior in Corinth such a serious contradiction to the meaning of Christ’s body and blood? What does their behavior reveal about the kind of heart that can miss the purpose of communion? [33:13]
Paul says believers proclaim the Lord’s death “until he comes.” How does Christ’s promised return give hope and meaning to remembering his death? [40:59]

Application questions

It is possible to remember the fact that Jesus died while losing sight of the weight of his sacrifice. What helps you slow down and remember the cost of sin, the depth of Christ’s love, and the grace you have received? [16:23]
When you take the Lord’s Supper, do you tend to focus mostly on your own relationship with Jesus, or do you also consider the people around you as brothers and sisters saved by the same grace? What might it look like to “look around” more intentionally? [36:47]
Is there someone you have been tempted to dismiss, avoid, or hold a grudge against? How does remembering that Jesus gave himself for that person shape the next step you could take toward forgiveness, kindness, or reconciliation? [35:42]
Remembering that salvation is a gift can expose pride and make forgiveness harder to withhold. Where might you be acting as though you have earned what God freely gave you? [17:42]
The early Christians shared life around tables, prayer, food, and fellowship. What is one practical way you could move beyond brief Sunday conversations and build deeper community with other believers this week? [21:26]
Communion points back to Christ’s death, around to Christ’s people, and forward to Christ’s return. Which of those three directions does your heart most need right now, and why? [38:40]

Sermon Clips

42s

“Am I growing through this practice? Am I doing it the right way in the way that God wants me to do it? Is it bringing something to me? If I remember the grace of Jesus every week, am I becoming more gracious? If I remember how completely Jesus has forgiven me, am I becoming more forgiving? If I hold something in my hand that represents a body that was willingly given for me, Am I becoming more willing to give myself to others? If I remember that Jesus loved me when I didn't deserve it, does that change the way I love people who don't deserve it?”

59s

“I think the danger is forgetting the weight of it. You understand the difference? It's not knowing that it happened, but it's knowing what that means. We forget what his body means to us. We forget what his blood purchased in that moment. We forget the weight of our sins and what it cost and why he went to the cross. We can forget just how deeply we are loved, and maybe that's why Jesus didn't merely give us information to remember, but he gave us something to hold onto. Something to taste, something to do, Something ordinary that would continually bring our hearts back. Something extraordinary. And in that he says, do this. Do this in remembrance of me.”

58s

“Because the bread and the cup aren't supposed to leave us exactly the same. Supposed to make us think about Jesus. And when we think about Jesus, it changes who we are. Here's one that maybe a little uncomfortable. If there's someone in this room that I just can't stand, I'm not gonna take any eye contact because that's just not true. There's someone I'm holding something against. There's somebody I've decided that isn't worth my time and then I take the bread and the cup. I'm holding in my hands a reminder that Jesus thought that person was worth dying for. About it. I think that's part of Paul's point. You cannot honor the body of Jesus represented by the blood by the bread while disregarding the body of Jesus that's sitting around you.”

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Growing In Favor With God: Why We Do What We Do - The Lord's Supper