Make Your Life Count – Key to the Next Level

Devotional

Day 1: Faithfulness in Your Current Assignment

The key to advancement in God's kingdom is found in being faithful with what you have been given right now. God, in His wisdom, has entrusted you with specific resources, opportunities, and responsibilities according to your ability. He is not holding you back but is rather preparing you for greater things by testing your stewardship in the present season. Your current situation is not a limitation but a divine appointment to prove your trustworthiness. Focus on excelling where you are planted today. [07:12]

“His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’” (Matthew 25:21, ESV)

Reflection: What is one specific, current assignment God has given you—perhaps in your work, family, or community—that you have been treating as insignificant? What would it look like to approach that responsibility this week with renewed faithfulness and excellence as an act of worship?

Day 2: God Alone is the Judge of Promotion

True promotion does not originate from human systems, influential people, or personal striving. It comes solely from the Lord, who is the ultimate judge. He alone holds the authority to open doors that no one can shut and to close doors that no one can open. When you understand this truth, you are liberated from the need to compare yourself to others or to manipulate circumstances for advancement. Your trust shifts from earthly structures to the sovereign God who sees your heart and your diligence. [16:23]

“For promotion cometh neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south. But God is the judge: he putteth down one, and setteth up another.” (Psalm 75:6-7, KJV)

Reflection: In what area of your life have you been striving for recognition or advancement based on a worldly system rather than trusting God’s timing and judgment? How can you actively shift your focus from seeking human approval to seeking to please God alone in your daily tasks?

Day 3: The Danger of a Wrong Perspective and Ingratitude

A heart of complaint and a perspective that God is unfair will always hinder your progress. The servant who received one talent failed because he viewed his master as harsh and believed he had been shortchanged. This attitude of ingratitude and victimhood blinded him to the opportunity he did have and sealed his fate. Guard your heart against comparing your portion to others’ and instead cultivate a spirit of thankfulness for what God has specifically entrusted to you. [10:29]

“He also who had received the one talent came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you scattered no seed, so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours.’” (Matthew 25:24-25, ESV)

Reflection: Where have you recently found yourself complaining or feeling that God (or others) has not given you enough? What is one tangible blessing or resource you already possess that you can choose to thank God for and put to use today?

Day 4: Excelling in Your Work as Unto the Lord

Your work ethic is a direct reflection of your relationship with God. The call is to serve wholeheartedly in every task, not as people-pleasers, but as servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart. This means going above and beyond, not out of obligation, but from a desire to honor the Lord who sees in secret. When you excel in your work with integrity and diligence, you stand out and position yourself to be trusted with more. [26:10]

“Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.” (Colossians 3:23-24, ESV)

Reflection: Consider your primary sphere of work or service. What is one practical way you can "run" with greater diligence and excellence this week, not for human recognition, but as an act of service directly to the Lord?

Day 5: Clarifying and Pursuing Your God-Given Assignment

To run your race effectively, you must know what you are running toward. God gives assignments and visions that require clarity and focus. It is not enough to simply be busy; you must be intentional about the work God has called you to in this season. Write down the vision, review it regularly, and run with determination, disciplining yourself to avoid distractions. This focused pursuit is what leads to fulfillment and divine reward. [44:50]

“And the Lord answered me: ‘Write the vision; make it plain on tablets, so he may run who reads it.’” (Habakkuk 2:2, ESV)

Reflection: What is the primary vision or assignment God has placed on your heart for this season of your life? If it feels unclear, what is one step you can take this week to seek God for clarity and to write down what He reveals?

Sermon Summary

The teaching unpacks a single, decisive key to spiritual and practical advancement: faithful stewardship of what God has placed in a person’s present season. Drawing on the parable of the talents, Scripture from Psalm, Proverbs, Joshua, Ecclesiastes, Habakkuk, and Pauline instruction, the outline demonstrates that God gives according to ability, tests faithfulness in the small things, and alone judges when to promote. Promotion is not a function of human politics, comparison, or waiting for a superior opportunity; it is the fruit of consistent obedience, industriousness, and the right attitude toward what has already been entrusted.

Concrete illustrations sharpen the principle: the servant who buries a talent does so from fear and false assumptions about the master and is judged as wicked and lazy, while the servants who invest what they received are commended and given more. A personal anecdote from work in a grocery store models how humility, diligence, and refusing gossip or entitlement won favor and tangible advancement—yet not every promotion is accepted, because obedience to God’s calling can require declining human offers. Practical disciplines are emphasized: write the vision, make the assignment plain, read it daily, and run after it with intensity and self-discipline. The body must be trained to accompany spiritual resolve; running “not with uncertainty” and fighting “not as one who beats the air” requires focused effort so that faithfulness in little will not disqualify one from greater responsibility.

The theological posture undergirding all this is firm: God is sovereign Judge, opens what He wills and no one else can close; therefore a kingdom mindset displaces comparative resentment and the temptation to play the world’s games. The teaching closes with a summons to claim kingdom reality—repentance of complaining, renewed dedication to present assignments, and confidence that faithful service will result in the master saying, “Well done,” and entrusting more. The overall conviction is pastoral and apostolic: progress in God’s economy flows from faithful obedience now, not from scheming for a future position.

Key Takeaways

1. Faithfulness at this level matters [10:07] Faithfulness in present responsibilities is the decisive indicator of readiness for greater trust. God measures character and reliability where one currently stands; consistent smallness with integrity proves capability for largeness. Excuses, comparison, or hiding what was given reveal a heart unfit for expansion. [10:07]
2. God alone judges promotion [16:23] Promotion springs from divine assessment, not human systems, influence, or envy. When God decides to “put down one and set up another,” it reflects his sovereign discernment of fruit and faithfulness, not office politics. That reality frees energy from manipulation and refocuses it on pleasing the Lord rather than pandering to people. [16:23]
3. Write, read, and run [43:07] Clarifying God’s assignment by writing it down makes vocation visible and actionable: the vision that is plain mobilizes deliberate pursuit. Reading the written assignment trains the imagination and will to run toward God’s purposes rather than drift in maintenance or distraction. This is spiritual housekeeping that converts intention into momentum. [43:07]
4. Discipline the body; hit targets [49:24] Spiritual aspiration without bodily discipline becomes wasted energy—Paul’s metaphor insists on temperance, focused aim, and accountable exertion. Self-mastery over impulses, time, and habits aligns the body with the mission so that efforts produce measurable fruit. Without disciplined practice now, greater responsibilities would only expose the same weaknesses at scale. [49:24]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[01:27] - The priority of God’s next level
[03:09] - Parable of the talents read
[10:07] - Faithfulness at this level
[15:16] - Promotion comes from the Lord
[17:14] - Grocery-store example of diligence
[27:07] - Refusing wrong promotion for calling
[43:07] - Write the vision; run with it
[47:05] - Discipline, Paul’s race metaphor
[57:18] - Invitation and personal response
[60:06] - Declaration: promotion is coming

Bible Study Guide

Bible reading
Matthew 25:14–30 (ESV)
*14 “For it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted to them his property. 15 To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. 16 He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them, and he made five talents more. 17 So also he who had the two talents made two talents more. 18 But he who had received the one talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master's money. 19 Now after a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them. 20 And he who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me five talents; here I have made five talents more.’ 21 His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ 22 And he also who had the two talents came forward, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me two talents; here I have made two talents more.’ 23 His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ 24 He also who had received the one talent came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you scattered no seed, 25 so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours.’ 26 But his master answered him, ‘You wicked and slothful servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I scattered no seed? 27 Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest. 28 So take the talent from him and give it to him who has the ten talents. 29 For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. 30 And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’”*

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Observation questions

According to the parable, what did the master give to each servant, and on what basis did he distribute the talents?
What specific words did the master use to commend the two servants who doubled what was entrusted to them?
What reason did the one-talent servant give for hiding his master’s money, and how did the master respond?
What happened to the talent that was taken from the unfaithful servant?

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Interpretation questions

Why do you think the master called the one-talent servant “wicked and slothful” when he at least returned what was given?
The master said, “You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much.” What does “a little” represent in a believer’s life today, and what might “much” look like?
How does the truth that “promotion comes from the Lord” and not from human systems change the way a person approaches their daily responsibilities? [16:23]
What does it mean to “run not with uncertainty” and “fight not as one who beats the air” in the context of pursuing God’s assignments? [48:25]

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Application questions

What is one specific assignment God has given you in this season that you’ve been treating as “a little” or insignificant? How can you shift your attitude and effort toward it this week?
Where have you been blaming other people, your job, or circumstances for holding you back? What would it look like to take full responsibility and trust that God alone is the judge of your promotion? [35:09]
The instruction is to “write the vision and make it plain” [43:07]. What is one thing God has called you to do that you need to write down, read regularly, and run toward with clarity?
How are you currently “beating the air” with your time, energy, or resources—expending effort but not hitting the targets God has for you? What is one tangible step you can take this week to align your actions with your assignment? [48:53]
In what area of your life (time, money, habits, relationships) do you need to “discipline your body” to bring it under subjection so you don’t become disqualified for what God has next? [49:24]
Is there a “promotion” or opportunity in front of you right now that may not be from God? How can you discern whether to accept it or decline it based on obedience to His calling? [32:24]
What would it look like to approach your work, ministry, or family role this week as if you were serving the Lord directly and not just people?

Sermon Clips

When God opens the door, no man can shut it. When God opens the door, no man can shut it. When God opens the door, no man can shut it. I embraced that when I was a young man, and then I knew the only person that can hold me back is me. Me. If I don't do what God has given me to do in this season, I'll hold myself back from the next season. But no one else can do it. It will only be me. [00:35:40] (30 seconds) #OwnYourSeason

I'm not saying that out of pride. I'm just saying God is the judge. You listen to me? Not the system. Not the managers. Not the leaders. Not the president. Not the wealthy person. Not the influential person. No. God is the judge. He puts down one and sets up another. See? And I'll also tell you this, that I I just knew I gotta work hard before the Lord. Why? Because this is not where I wanna stop. I wanna be in ministry. I want God to trust me. [00:27:00] (34 seconds) #GodIsTheJudge

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Make Your Life Count – Key to the Next Level | Jerry Dirmann