Living Fully for God: Embracing the New Season

Devotional

Day 1: Saying a Radical Yes to Jesus

There is a divine invitation to give Jesus a radical, unconditional “yes” with our lives—a yes that is not limited by convenience, comfort, or fear. This kind of surrender means stepping out of the shallow end and diving fully into God’s purposes, even when it feels costly or countercultural. When you say yes to Jesus, you may face resistance from the enemy or even from people around you, but it is in this wholehearted surrender that God’s power and blessing are released. The Moravians, who sold themselves into slavery to reach the lost, exemplified this radical yes, echoing the heart cry: “May the Lamb receive the reward of His suffering.” Will you let your yes be without conditions, trusting that God will meet you in your surrender? [01:01:42]

Matthew 16:24-25 (ESV)
Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.”

Reflection: What is one area of your life where you have been hesitant to say a full “yes” to Jesus? What would it look like to surrender that area to Him today, no matter the cost?

Day 2: Moving from Small Pot Thinking to God’s Big Vision

God is calling you out of limited, small-pot thinking into a larger vision for your life and for our church. Sometimes, past pain, toxic environments, or lies we’ve believed keep us confined, but God wants to break those old pots and transplant us into a place of greater growth, freedom, and fruitfulness. Letting go of the past—both the pain and the comfort—makes room for the new things God wants to do. There is a reset and a realigning happening, and you are invited to step into a bigger reality, leaving behind what has held you back. [01:11:19]

Philippians 3:13-14 (ESV)
Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

Reflection: What “small pot” in your life—whether a limiting belief, a past hurt, or a comfort zone—do you sense God asking you to break today so you can step into His bigger vision?

Day 3: Embracing the New Season and Enlarging Your Tent

God is birthing a new season, both personally and as a church, and He is calling us to enlarge our tents, stretch out, and make room for growth. This is a time of spiritual pregnancy, where something new is forming and will soon be birthed. It may feel uncomfortable or even scary to stretch, but God promises to provide and to lead us into greater fruitfulness and influence. As we move together in unity, embracing the new pot He has for us, we prepare for the expansion and blessing He wants to pour out. [01:18:02]

Isaiah 54:2-3 (ESV)
“Enlarge the place of your tent, and let the curtains of your habitations be stretched out; do not hold back; lengthen your cords and strengthen your stakes. For you will spread abroad to the right and to the left, and your offspring will possess the nations and will people the desolate cities.”

Reflection: Where is God asking you to “enlarge your tent” in this season—what step of faith or area of growth is He inviting you to embrace, even if it feels uncomfortable?

Day 4: Letting Go of the Past to Step into the New

God is doing a new thing and invites you to forget the former things so you can perceive and receive what He is already beginning. Holding onto the past—whether pain, disappointment, or even past successes—can keep you from seeing and stepping into the new pathways and rivers God is creating. Trust that He is making a way in the wilderness and providing streams in the wasteland, and that His provision and presence are found as you move forward in faith. [01:21:04]

Isaiah 43:18-19 (ESV)
“Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.”

Reflection: What is one thing from your past—good or bad—that you need to release to God today so you can fully embrace the new thing He is doing in your life?

Day 5: Prevailing Prayer and Being Poured Out for Others

The secret to stepping into God’s new season and seeing His mission fulfilled is prevailing prayer, worship, and intercession. As we become a house of prayer and give ourselves to seeking God, He fills us up not just for our own sake, but so we can be poured out for others. Our lives are meant to overflow, blessing and reaching those around us, both locally and globally. This is a fresh commissioning to be a people who pray, surrender, and allow God to use us as vessels for His purposes in the world. [01:24:32]

Acts 1:14 (ESV)
All these with one accord were devoting themselves to prayer, together with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers.

Reflection: How can you intentionally devote yourself to prayer and intercession this week, and who is one person or group you can begin to pray for and pour into as God leads?

Sermon Summary

What a joy it is to be together, to lift up Jesus, and to recognize the gift of another day. We honor those who have gone before us, but as long as we have breath, we have a race to run—a purpose to fulfill. This is a season of invitation, a call to radical surrender and a fresh “yes” to Jesus. The world around us is open in unique ways during this time, and we are called to invite others into the life and hope we have found.

Reflecting on our recent camp, I was deeply moved by the sense of holy appointment we experienced. It was a mountaintop moment, a time when God spoke clearly about the journey ahead. The challenge before us is to give Jesus our radical, unconditional “yes.” Like the Moravians, whose unwavering commitment birthed a century of prayer and a global missionary movement, we are called to a life of surrender that says, “May the Lamb receive the reward of His suffering.” This is not a call for a select few, but for all of us—to step out of comfort, to move from the sidelines into the river of God’s purposes, and to allow His fire to fall on our surrendered lives.

God is inviting us to break out of small thinking, to smash the “small pots” that have limited our vision, our faith, and our expectations. Many of us have been living in environments, mindsets, or even relationships that have kept us contained. But God is calling us to a greater reality, a larger vision, and a new season. There is a reset, a realigning, a repotting happening. We must let go of the past—both the pain and the comfort—and press forward into the new things God is birthing among us.

This is a season of enlargement, of stretching, and of new beginnings. God is preparing us for greater fruitfulness, for a supernatural life marked by intimacy, authority, and power. We are being commissioned afresh—not just to be filled, but to be poured out for others, to become a house of prayer and a sending community. The provision, the anointing, and the breakthrough we long for are found in the “bigger pot”—in the place of faith, unity, and surrendered obedience.

Let us say “yes” again to Jesus, with no conditions. Let us break the old, embrace the new, and run together into the purposes of God. There is a fresh commissioning for each of us, and for us as a church, to step into the greater things He has prepared.

Key Takeaways

1. Radical “Yes” Unlocks God’s Purposes A wholehearted, unconditional “yes” to Jesus is the key that unlocks His power and purposes in our lives. This surrender will be challenged, but it is in the place of full commitment that God’s fire falls and His blessing is released. Our “yes” is not just a moment, but a lifestyle that positions us for all God wants to do. [61:42]
2. Break Out of Small Thinking God is calling us to smash the “small pots” of limited vision, past hurts, and restrictive environments. Remaining in these confines stunts our growth and keeps us from the fullness of what God has for us. True freedom and breakthrough come when we let go of the old and embrace the larger reality of God’s plans. [71:19]
3. Embrace the Season of Enlargement We are in a season where God is stretching us—individually and as a community. This enlargement may feel uncomfortable, but it is necessary for new growth, greater fruitfulness, and the birthing of new things. God’s provision and anointing are found as we step into the “bigger pot” He has prepared. [78:02]
4. Prayer and Surrender Precede Mission Prevailing prayer, worship, and deep surrender are the foundation for any lasting impact or mission. Like the Moravians, our effectiveness in reaching others and seeing God’s kingdom advance is directly tied to our willingness to seek Him together and lay down our lives in prayer. [84:32]
5. Let Go of the Past, Press Into the New To move forward, we must release both the pain and the comfort of the past. God is inviting us into a reset—a new alignment and vision. The future He has for us requires that we forget what is behind and strain toward what is ahead, running the race marked out for us with passion and unity. [74:29]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:45] - Honoring the Past, Embracing Today
[02:30] - The Power of Worship and Community
[05:10] - Christmas: A Season for Invitation
[08:00] - Reflections from Church Camp
[12:00] - The Call to a Radical “Yes”
[15:30] - The Moravians: A Legacy of Surrender
[19:00] - Stepping Into the River of God’s Purposes
[22:30] - Breaking Out of Small Pot Thinking
[27:00] - Letting Go of the Past
[30:00] - Embracing Enlargement and New Beginnings
[34:00] - Prophetic Words: Birthing a New Season
[38:00] - The Power of Prayer and Unity
[41:00] - Fresh Commissioning and Surrender
[44:00] - Invitation to Salvation and Communion

Bible Study Guide

Bible Study Discussion Guide

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### Bible Reading

Philippians 3:12-14 (ESV)
> Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

Isaiah 54:2-3 (ESV)
> Enlarge the place of your tent, and let the curtains of your habitations be stretched out; do not hold back; lengthen your cords and strengthen your stakes. For you will spread abroad to the right and to the left, and your offspring will possess the nations and will people the desolate cities.

2 Corinthians 3:17-18 (ESV)
> Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.

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### Observation Questions

In Philippians 3:13-14, what does Paul say he does with the past, and what is his focus for the future?
According to Isaiah 54:2-3, what actions are God’s people called to take, and what is the promised result?
In the sermon, what does the “small pot” represent in our lives? ([01:11:19])
What was the Moravians’ response to God’s call, and what did it lead to? ([01:04:56])

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### Interpretation Questions

Why does Paul emphasize “forgetting what lies behind” and “straining forward” in Philippians 3? How might this relate to the idea of breaking out of “small pot” thinking? ([01:14:29])
What does it mean for a church or individual to “enlarge the place of your tent” as described in Isaiah 54? How might this look practically? ([01:18:02])
The sermon describes a “radical, unconditional yes” to Jesus. Why is this kind of surrender so important for unlocking God’s purposes? ([01:01:42])
How does prevailing prayer and surrender prepare us for mission, according to both the Moravians’ example and the sermon? ([01:24:32])

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### Application Questions

The sermon challenges us to give Jesus a “radical, unconditional yes.” Is there an area of your life where your “yes” to Jesus has conditions or limits? What would it look like to surrender that area fully? ([01:01:42])
Think about your own “pot”—your environment, mindset, or relationships. Are there any “small pots” you feel God is asking you to break out of? What practical step could you take this week to move into a “bigger pot”? ([01:11:19])
The Moravians were willing to make huge sacrifices for the sake of the gospel. What is one comfort or habit you might need to let go of in order to say a deeper “yes” to God’s call? ([01:04:56])
The sermon talks about letting go of both the pain and comfort of the past. Is there something from your past—good or bad—that you need to release in order to move forward? How can you take a step toward that this week? ([01:14:29])
We are in a “season of enlargement.” What is one area where you sense God is stretching you right now? How can you embrace this stretching rather than resist it? ([01:18:02])
The sermon highlights the importance of prayer and unity before mission. How can you personally or as a group grow in prayer and unity this month? ([01:24:32])
Who is someone in your life you could invite into the “bigger pot” of God’s family or purpose? What is one way you can reach out to them this week? ([01:28:51])

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Sermon Clips

The yes of the Moravians were so radical, it was so powerful, there was no no. They say, Lord, whatever you say, we will do. And one story that Matt talked about is that though some of those men were praying, Lord, where do you want us to go? And he felt God says, I want you to go to that slave colony, I want the slave islands, I want you to reach those slaves. Nobody’s going to go there. And so they said, okay, yes, and they sold themselves into slavery. [01:05:01] (28 seconds) #RadicalMoravianYes

I was thinking about Christmas, you know, that’s what Jesus did. He became a man, he became a human being, the incarnation, to reach us, mankind. He became a man so he can reach a man and a woman, us. What a powerful, powerful thing that was in this way. And as they left the shores, the Moravians on the boat, when they left the families behind, they said one thing, one slogan has also been very powerful for me and Katherine, our slogan for many, many years now: May the Lamb receive the reward of his suffering. [01:05:50] (32 seconds) #IncarnationForUs

For us to move forward, we got to let go of the past, we got to let go, good and bad, we got to let go of the past, particularly those things that have been tripping up us so much because we’ve got a race to run, we’ve got a race to run, amen, come on. Paul could not afford to stay in a small pot mentality and the stuff that had him in the past, but he had to let go, he had to break that pot and he walked into the new. There is a reset happening right now. [01:16:25] (35 seconds) #EmbraceTheNewPot

There is a reset happening right now, it’s in our church, but it’s also, I believe, in many of our lives, should you choose to. It’s available, it’s an invitation for you to step into a reset, into a realigning, into a revisioning, into a repotting. You will not accomplish what God has for you until the old pot has been smashed. There is new wine for us, there’s new wine. You don’t put new wine in old wine skins, it doesn’t hold. You put it in new wine skins, new pots. [01:16:55] (35 seconds) #RunTogetherInUnity

Nothing happens missionally, nothing happened harvest wise if we do not pray and seek God and surrender and lay our lives down for him, amen. That’s what the Moravians do, that’s what we do too. To become a house of prayer for all nations is the most important thing, it is the most important thing. Nothing else is more important than our prayer, intercession, worship. Are you excited? [01:23:43] (27 seconds) #FreshCommissioning

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