Living Out Love: Our Call to Action

Devotional

Day 1: God’s Plan Is Greater Than Our Limitations

God has a plan for each of us, regardless of our past mistakes, doubts, or feelings of inadequacy. Even when we feel unworthy or question whether God could truly use us, His love and purpose remain steadfast. The challenge is not just to know about God’s plan, but to desire it more than our own comfort, to be willing to step out of our routines, and to trust that God’s victory is already won. When we surrender our excuses and fears, we open ourselves to the abundant life Jesus promises, moving from simply knowing about God to truly experiencing Him every day. [45:49]

John 10:10 (ESV)
"The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly."

Reflection: What is one area of your life where you’ve let fear or feelings of inadequacy keep you from stepping into God’s plan? How can you trust Him with that area today?

Day 2: Love God with All You Are

Loving God is not just about head knowledge or religious activity—it’s about a wholehearted, all-encompassing relationship that transforms every part of who we are. Jesus teaches that loving God with all our heart, soul, strength, and mind is foundational, and this love is not something we can manufacture or earn through good works. Instead, it’s a response to God’s grace, a relationship that begins with accepting Jesus and is lived out daily as we seek to know Him more deeply and surrender every part of our lives to Him. [53:41]

Luke 10:27 (ESV)
"And he answered, 'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.'"

Reflection: What is one practical way you can intentionally love God with your whole self today—heart, soul, strength, and mind?

Day 3: Love Your Neighbor—Everyone Is Your Neighbor

Jesus redefines “neighbor” as anyone God places in our path, regardless of background, relationship, or even past hurts. The story of the Good Samaritan challenges us to move beyond comfort and convenience, to see every person—even those we might naturally avoid or disagree with—as deserving of compassion and grace. True love for God is always expressed in how we treat others, especially when it costs us something or requires us to cross boundaries of prejudice, inconvenience, or indifference. [01:04:01]

Luke 10:36-37 (ESV)
"Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?” He said, 'The one who showed him mercy.' And Jesus said to him, 'You go, and do likewise.'"

Reflection: Who is one person in your life right now that you find difficult to love or help? What is one step you can take today to show them Christ-like compassion?

Day 4: Faith Expresses Itself Through Action

It’s not enough to simply know the right thing or feel compassion—faith is made real when we act. The Good Samaritan didn’t just notice the need; he allowed his schedule, resources, and comfort to be interrupted for the sake of someone else. God calls us to be people who don’t just talk about love and faith, but who demonstrate it in tangible ways, even when it’s inconvenient or costly. Our willingness to be inconvenienced for others is a reflection of the sacrificial love God has shown us. [01:09:47]

1 John 3:17 (ESV)
"But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him?"

Reflection: What is one way you can allow God to interrupt your plans this week in order to serve or care for someone in need?

Day 5: Salvation Leads to a Changed Life

Salvation is not earned by good works, but it always results in a transformed life that overflows into good works. When we accept Jesus by faith, we are rescued from a life without God and given a new identity as His children. This new life is marked by gratitude, purpose, and a desire to share God’s love with others. The evidence of our faith is seen in how we live, love, and serve—responding to God’s grace by becoming His hands and feet in the world. [01:10:12]

Romans 10:9 (ESV)
"Because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved."

Reflection: If you have received God’s gift of salvation, how is your life different because of it? What is one way you can let your faith overflow into action today?

Sermon Summary

Today, we celebrated the truth that God is our victory and that His promises are sure, both for today and for eternity. We reflected on the importance of being part of a church family—not just as spectators, but as essential pieces of the puzzle that make up the body of Christ. Each of us is significant, and when we’re missing, the picture is incomplete. Our connection to one another is not just for our own benefit, but so that we can care for and be cared for by others, forming friendships that become family.

We explored the heart of our church: loving God and loving others. This isn’t just a slogan, but a calling to action. Through the story of the Good Samaritan in Luke 10, we saw that knowing what’s right isn’t enough; we must do something with what we know. The religious expert in the story had all the right answers, but missed the point—love is not just an emotion or a belief, but a verb, something we demonstrate through action, even when it’s inconvenient or costly.

Jesus challenged us to see everyone as our neighbor, even those we might not naturally like or agree with. The Samaritan’s compassion crossed cultural and personal boundaries, showing us that true love is willing to be interrupted, inconvenienced, and sacrificial. We are called to be people who don’t just talk about faith, but who live it out by meeting needs, showing mercy, and being present for those God places in our path.

We also recognized that our good works don’t earn us salvation; rather, our relationship with Jesus leads us to good works. Salvation is a gift of grace, received by faith, and it transforms us to become agents of God’s love in the world. We are blessed to be a blessing, both in our church and in our community, and God invites us to take the next step—whether that’s saying yes to Jesus for the first time, getting connected, or reaching out to someone in need. Let’s be willing to let God interrupt our schedules and use us to make a difference.

Key Takeaways

1. Every Person Is Essential to God’s Family Just as a puzzle is incomplete without every piece, the church is incomplete without you. Your presence, gifts, and involvement matter deeply—not only for your own spiritual growth, but for the care and encouragement of others. When you step in and get connected, you help complete the picture of what God is doing in our midst. [37:21]
2. Love Is More Than a Feeling—It’s a Demonstrated Action Jesus teaches that loving God and loving others is not just about what we know or feel, but about what we do. Real love is expressed in tangible ways, often requiring us to step out of our comfort zones, sacrifice our convenience, and serve those around us—even those we might not naturally choose to love. [54:58]
3. God’s Plan Requires Our Willingness to Be Inconvenienced We often say we want God’s plan for our lives, but are we willing to be interrupted or inconvenienced for the sake of others? The Good Samaritan didn’t just notice the need—he allowed his plans, resources, and time to be redirected for someone else’s good. True faith is evidenced by our willingness to let God use us, even when it costs us something. [45:49]
4. Salvation Is a Gift That Leads to Good Works, Not the Other Way Around We cannot earn our way to God through good deeds; salvation is received by faith in Jesus Christ alone. But genuine faith always produces action—our relationship with Christ compels us to love, serve, and meet the needs of others as an overflow of the grace we’ve received. [70:12]
5. Everyone Is Our Neighbor—Even Those We Find Difficult Jesus redefines “neighbor” to include everyone God places in our path, regardless of background, relationship, or even past hurts. We are called to extend mercy, grace, and practical help to all, trusting that God can use our obedience to bring healing and hope to others. [64:01]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[34:06] - Celebrating Our Church Family
[37:21] - The Puzzle Piece: Why You Matter
[40:29] - Wanting vs. Delaying: Our Motivations
[41:39] - Excuses and the Cost of Commitment
[44:01] - Facing God’s Plan and Our Hesitations
[45:49] - The Enemy’s Lies vs. God’s Promises
[47:07] - Knowing vs. Doing: The Good Samaritan Setup
[49:37] - Unapplied Knowledge and True Obedience
[53:41] - Loving God Means Loving Jesus
[54:58] - Love in Action: The Heart of Our Church
[56:07] - The Trap Question: Who Is My Neighbor?
[57:21] - The Good Samaritan: Compassion in Action
[58:30] - Missing Opportunities Right in Front of Us
[60:47] - Going the Extra Mile: Next Steps in Love
[62:49] - The Cost of Compassion
[64:01] - Everyone Is Your Neighbor
[65:21] - Blessed to Be a Blessing
[67:51] - Personalizing Love for Our Neighbors
[69:47] - Taking the Step: From Knowing to Doing
[70:12] - Salvation by Faith, Not Works
[70:55] - Responding to God’s Gift
[72:05] - Invitation to Salvation
[73:17] - Celebrating New Life and Next Steps
[75:00] - Living as the Hands and Feet of Jesus
[76:13] - Closing Prayer and Challenge

Bible Study Guide

Observation Questions

In the story Jesus tells in Luke 10, who are the main characters, and how does each one respond to the man in need? [57:21]
According to the sermon, what was the religious expert’s real motivation for asking Jesus, “Who is my neighbor?” [56:07]
What did the Samaritan do for the injured man that the priest and Levite did not? [57:21]
What does John 10:10 say about the difference between the enemy’s plan and Jesus’ plan for our lives? [47:07]

Interpretation Questions

Why do you think Jesus chose a Samaritan—a person despised by the Jews—as the hero of the story? What point was He making about who our neighbor is? [01:04:01]
The sermon said, “Love is a verb, something we demonstrate.” Why is it not enough to just feel compassion or know the right thing to do? [54:58]
How does being part of a church family help us both give and receive care, according to the sermon? [37:21]
The sermon emphasized that salvation is a gift, not something we earn by good works. How does this truth change the way we approach serving others? [01:10:12]

Application Questions

The sermon compared the church to a puzzle that’s incomplete without every piece. In what ways do you sometimes feel like a “missing piece”? What’s one step you could take to get more connected? [37:21]
Think of a time when you saw a need but, like the priest or Levite, chose to walk by. What held you back? What could you do differently next time? [58:30]
The Good Samaritan allowed his plans to be interrupted and was willing to be inconvenienced. What is one area of your life where you resist being interrupted for others? How can you invite God to use you there? [45:49]
The sermon said, “Everyone is your neighbor—even those you find difficult.” Who is one person in your life right now that you struggle to love? What is one practical way you could show them mercy this week? [01:04:01]
The message challenged us to move from “knowing” to “doing.” What is one thing you know God wants you to do, but you’ve been putting off? What’s stopping you, and how can your group support you in taking that step? [41:39]
The sermon reminded us that our good works don’t earn us salvation, but flow from our relationship with Jesus. How can you keep your motivation for serving others rooted in gratitude for what Jesus has done for you? [01:10:12]
The church is “blessed to be a blessing.” What is one resource (time, talent, finances, etc.) you have that you could use to bless someone in your church or community this week? [01:05:21]

Sermon Clips

The point is this, is that we don't have any insignificant puzzle pieces. You know how significant a puzzle piece is when you put it all together and there's no puzzle piece. And it's like, oh man, I need that to complete the picture. There's no such thing as an insignificant piece. Every single one of you are significant, but there are missing pieces. There are missing pieces as part of the body. And so we want to encourage you. And this was the encouragement from last week is to get involved, get connected. Why? Because you complete the picture of Granite United Church. [00:37:27] (29 seconds)

How much do I really want God's plan for my life as opposed to my plan? How much do I really want this? How willing am I to be a little bit inconvenienced? How willing am I to step out of my comfort zone to receive what God has for me? How much sacrifice am I really willing to make? I think we all say we want God's plan, but then are we willing to take the steps to receive God's purpose and plan in our life? [00:45:58] (25 seconds)

There's knowing and then there's doing something with what we know. And once we start answering these questions, how many of you know the enemy starts coming in? Man, I'm ready to charge hell with this squirt gun, you know? Yes, I'm on fire. I'm ready to go. Man, let's do this. I know what God's purpose is in my life. I know what his plan is for my life. I am ready. Then all of a sudden, the enemy starts chirping in. [00:46:25] (22 seconds)

The book of John, John 10, 10 tells us this, and we know part of this verse, it says that the enemy is here to steal, kill, and destroy. We know that, but what we oftentimes forget is the second part of that verse where Jesus says, he says that Jesus came so that we may have life and have it abundantly. [00:47:43] (19 seconds)

You must love the Lord, your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength and all of your mind. Now these, this idea of the mind in the, in the original text is not just that I know about anything, but that there's a full understanding, like an embracement. So it's not just knowing and in our, what we're talking about, it's not just knowing about God. It's knowing God. Like there's an understanding of it. [00:52:00] (23 seconds)

We can't allow ourselves. We just can't. We just can't allow ourselves to get too busy. We've got to be willing to have our schedules inconvenienced a little bit. It didn't matter that this Samaritan didn't know the man. What mattered was that this man, what this man had experienced was wrong. And this guy had an opportunity to do something about it. And he was willing to be inconvenienced to make a difference in his world. [01:04:47] (25 seconds)

Jesus wanted the man to realize that true faith, true love is expressive. It's more than an emotion. It's expressive, and it cannot ignore injustice. And here's the thing. If we're going to love God, it's going to be evident in the way that we love our neighbors. [01:05:21] (16 seconds)

Knowing it's a need isn't enough. Seeing the need isn't enough. You have to take the step. Somebody say, take the step. You got to take the step. You got to allow God to interrupt your schedule. Allow God to interrupt your finances and inconvenience you a little bit. Your giftedness, your talents, your time, make a difference. [01:09:41] (23 seconds)

Who's God putting in your life? Well, that sphere of influence that you have, your friend, your family member, your coworker, who is that person or people that you need to take that extra step? Remember, it just kept going. It just kept going. Next step. Oh, he went the next day even. He offered to pay for the...How can you be inconvenienced to be the hands and feet, the extension, expression, and reflection of the Lord this week? Who's God laying on your heart that you can be that friend too, that neighbor too? Everybody's got somebody. Let's commit this week to be the hands and feet of Jesus. Amen? [01:15:32] (34 seconds)

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