Living with Intentionality: Embracing Faith and Community

Devotional

Day 1: The Freedom of Surrender

Surrendering to Christ is not about losing control but about gaining true freedom and fulfillment. Sho Boudreaux's journey to baptism exemplifies the liberation found in letting go of our attempts to fill the emptiness in our lives with worldly pursuits. By surrendering to Christ, we discover a loving Father and friend who guides us to a life of purpose and peace. This act of surrender is a powerful declaration of faith and love for God, encouraging others to consider the same path. [10:16]

Jeremiah 29:13-14 (ESV): "You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you, declares the Lord, and I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and all the places where I have driven you, declares the Lord, and I will bring you back to the place from which I sent you into exile."

Reflection: What is one area of your life where you find yourself holding back from surrendering to Jesus? What would surrendering this area to Him actually look like in terms of daily habits?

Day 2: Urgency in Our Walk

Living with urgency means recognizing the brevity of life and focusing on what truly matters. 1 Peter 4 reminds us that the end of all things is near, urging us to live with intentionality. This perspective should drive us to restore relationships, extend forgiveness, and share love and kindness, rather than being consumed by trivial concerns. By living with eternity in mind, we make our daily lives count for God's glory. [36:54]

James 4:13-15 (ESV): "Come now, you who say, 'Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit'—yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, 'If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.'"

Reflection: What is one relationship in your life that needs restoration or forgiveness? How can you take a step towards healing that relationship today?

Day 3: The Discipline of Prayer

A disciplined prayer life is essential for maintaining a strong connection with God. 1 Peter 4 emphasizes the importance of being self-controlled and sober-minded, which helps us stay focused on our relationship with God. Our prayers are vital, and maintaining clarity in our minds allows us to align with His will and guidance. This discipline in prayer is not just a duty but a means of deepening our faith and reliance on God. [42:58]

Colossians 4:2-3 (ESV): "Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving. At the same time, pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am in prison."

Reflection: How can you create a specific time and place for prayer in your daily routine to ensure you remain self-controlled and sober-minded?

Day 4: Love and Hospitality as a Lifestyle

We are called to love one another earnestly and show hospitality, creating an environment of connection and community. This love covers a multitude of sins and is not just about opening our homes but also our hearts to others. By practicing love and hospitality, we reflect God's love and build a supportive community that encourages growth and healing. [50:06]

Hebrews 13:1-2 (ESV): "Let brotherly love continue. Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares."

Reflection: Who is someone in your community or church that you can show hospitality to this week? What specific action can you take to extend love and kindness to them?

Day 5: Utilizing Spiritual Gifts

Each of us has been given spiritual gifts to serve others and build God's kingdom. These gifts are not for our benefit alone but are meant to be used in harmony with others, like an orchestra, to glorify God and impact the world. By recognizing and utilizing our spiritual gifts, we contribute to the body of Christ and fulfill our purpose in His plan. [55:49]

1 Corinthians 12:4-7 (ESV): "Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good."

Reflection: What spiritual gift do you believe God has given you, and how can you use it this week to serve others and glorify God?

Sermon Summary

In today's gathering, we celebrated a significant moment in the life of Sho Boudreaux, who took the step of baptism, symbolizing her commitment to Christ. Her journey to faith was marked by a realization that her efforts to fill the emptiness in her life were insufficient without God. She found liberation in surrendering to Christ, discovering a loving Father and friend. This act of baptism is a public declaration of her faith and love for God, and it serves as an encouragement for others who may be contemplating a similar decision.

Reflecting on 1 Peter 4, we are reminded of the urgency to live with intentionality, as the end of all things is near. This passage challenges us to be self-controlled and sober-minded, emphasizing the importance of a disciplined prayer life. Our prayers are vital, and maintaining a clear mind helps us stay focused on our relationship with God. Additionally, we are called to love one another earnestly, showing hospitality and using our spiritual gifts to serve others. These actions are not just duties but are expressions of our faith and love for God and each other.

The message encourages us to live with eternity in mind, understanding that our time is limited. This perspective should drive us to restore relationships, extend forgiveness, and share love and kindness. We are urged to be about the Father's business, making our daily lives count for His glory. As we engage in this journey, we are reminded that everything we have belongs to God, and we should hold it lightly, ready to serve and bless others.

Key Takeaways

1. The Power of Surrender: Sho's testimony highlights the liberation found in surrendering to Christ. When we let go of our attempts to control our lives and allow God to lead, we find true freedom and fulfillment. This surrender is a powerful declaration of faith and love for God. [10:16]
2. Living with Urgency: 1 Peter 4 reminds us that the end of all things is near, urging us to live with intentionality. This awareness should prompt us to focus on what truly matters, such as restoring relationships and extending forgiveness, rather than being consumed by trivial concerns. [36:54]
3. The Importance of Prayer: Being self-controlled and sober-minded is crucial for a disciplined prayer life. Our prayers connect us with God, and maintaining clarity in our minds helps us stay focused on His will and guidance. [42:58]
4. Love and Hospitality: We are called to love one another earnestly and show hospitality. This love covers a multitude of sins and creates an environment of connection and community. Hospitality is not just about opening our homes but also our hearts to others. [50:06]
5. Using Spiritual Gifts: Each of us has been given spiritual gifts to serve others and build God's kingdom. These gifts are not for our benefit alone but are meant to be used in harmony with others, like an orchestra, to glorify God and impact the world. [55:49]
** [55:49]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[02:30] - Announcements and Fellowship Opportunities
[10:16] - Sho's Testimony and Baptism
[16:26] - Spirit of Worship
[31:07] - Church Family Updates
[32:35] - Preparing for Change
[34:26] - Living with Urgency
[35:54] - Discipleship in Difficult Times
[36:54] - The End is Near
[37:56] - Exhortations from 1 Peter 4
[42:03] - The Role of the Holy Spirit
[44:18] - Sober-Mindedness
[48:47] - The Power of Relationships
[50:06] - Love Covers Sins
[55:49] - Using Spiritual Gifts
[58:46] - Life Points and Application
[64:35] - Invitation and Response

Sermon Clips

If you knew that you just had a short time remaining on this earth, would you do anything differently? Are there some relationships that you would try to restore? Are there some trips you'd like to take? Are there some conversations that you'd like to have? Is there some forgiveness? Is there some forgiveness? Is there some forgiveness that needs to be extended? Are there some I love you's that need to be shared? [00:33:56] (30 seconds)

The end of all things is at hand. Therefore, so since the end of all things is at hand, this is what we should be about. Therefore, be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of your prayers. Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins. Show hospitality to one another without grumbling. As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another as good stewards of God's varied grace. [00:37:53] (28 seconds)

Be self-controlled for the sake of your prayers. Our prayer life with Father is so vital and so crucial and such a fundamental part of our walk that we don't want anything to hinder that. So sometimes that's where we just got to stop and just focus on that. Then the rest of verse seven, he says, be sober-minded. Be sober-minded. Now, this is Peter writing here, but Paul in his epistles gave this directive some 10 times. It must be pretty important. And it must be something that they were dealing with in the first century as much as we deal with it here in the 21st century. [00:43:33] (44 seconds)

When you really love someone, you're not looking for what's wrong with them. You're looking for what's right. And that's a good thing. When you really love someone, you are trying to help. You are trying to invest. You are listening. You are open. Love covers a multitude of sins. Instead of finding ways for us to separate, we should find ways for us to come together. We've got this idea in our society sometimes that we separate because of the things that we practice, the things that we believe. And that should be the case. [00:50:06] (42 seconds)

Hospitality. We value that here at our church. We've seen the need for that, and we've seen the value of that. But it's not just because we put on a, say, we've got to show some hospitality. No, it's because it just flows. It flows from who we are, and I'm so thankful for a body of believers that practices that. Living translation translates it this way, cheerfully share your home with those who need a meal or a place to stay. [00:53:39] (29 seconds)

There's a list of spiritual gifts. There's several of them. One of them in Romans chapter 12, two of them in 1 Corinthians 12, and one in Ephesians chapter 4. I know people are always interested in those. And we've had, from time to time, we've had spiritual gifts inventories and let you kind of take those and see where your gifting might be. And it'll list things like prophecy, service, teaching, exhortation, generosity, leadership, mercy, wisdom, knowledge, faith, and on and on. [00:55:49] (27 seconds)

All of us have at least one spiritual gift that God has given us. It just is the truth. But we have to understand that those gifts are given to us for a purpose. Yeah, because God loves us and he wants to equip us. Yeah. But he wants to equip us to build the kingdom and to serve one another. So that is the purpose of those gifts. We have a responsibility to use them in a way of keeping in mind this saying that the end of all things is at hand. [00:56:49] (31 seconds)

Because the end of all things is at hand, then it's even more important that we take those gifts that we've been given and use them for his glory and honor and to serve the church and to impact other people. I thought about an orchestra. All those instruments together. We sat in a lot of different musical concerts over the course of the time of our colleague going through school. She was in the band and then was a music major in college. And Ron and I agreed together that we loved the football season, the marching and all that kind of music. And then we endured the concert season. And it's beautiful. I appreciate it. [00:57:50] (44 seconds)

Hold everything in your hands lightly, otherwise it hurts when God pries your fingers open. It's all his. Come into life with open hands. And living life with eternity in mind kind of frees us up to focus on what really matters. The old saying, don't sweat the small stuff. Eternity is big stuff. Let's focus on that, and it puts everything into focus. Truth is, time is short. We don't know how long it'll be. [01:03:38] (30 seconds)

But God, you had such a love that you wanted to pour into us, that you created us, and you continue to pour love day by day by day by day by day. And so, Lord, we want to be a positive reflection for you. We want to live with eternity in mind. And so I pray that you would put upon us, in us, and through us that urgency to be about your business and direct us in how to live that out. Amen. Amen. If there is anyone within the sound of my voice today that's never trusted you as Lord and Savior, I pray that today that you would draw them in. [01:05:52] (34 seconds)

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