Rething_your_story_shayn.docx

Devotional

Day 1: Living as a Chapter in God’s Unfolding Story

God’s story is not finished; it is still being written, and each of us is invited to play a part. The Old Testament is filled with longing, hope, and the anticipation of a Redeemer, and Jesus steps into history as the answer to that longing. Our lives are not isolated or random, but are woven into the grand narrative of God’s ongoing rescue and redemption. When we see ourselves as part of this bigger story, faith becomes more than a list of rules—it becomes a living relationship and a purposeful journey.

You are not just waiting for heaven or trying to be “good enough.” You are a participant in God’s drama of redemption, called to live with intention and hope. Every day, you are invited to step into the story God is telling, trusting that your life has meaning and significance because of Christ’s fulfillment of God’s promises.

“And the Lord will be king over all the earth. On that day the Lord will be one and his name one. The whole land shall be turned into a plain from Geba to Rimmon south of Jerusalem. But Jerusalem shall remain aloft on its site from the Gate of Benjamin to the place of the former gate, to the Corner Gate, and from the Tower of Hananel to the king’s winepresses.” (Zechariah 14:9-10, ESV)

Reflection: In what ways have you been living as if your story is separate from God’s bigger story? What would it look like today to intentionally see your life as a chapter in God’s unfolding plan?

Day 2: The Gospel Is Too Good to Keep to Ourselves

The good news of Jesus is not meant to be hidden or hoarded. Like the lepers who stumbled upon unexpected abundance and couldn’t keep it to themselves, we are entrusted with a message of freedom, grace, and hope that the world desperately needs. The gospel is not just a private comfort for our own hearts, but a public announcement that God’s rescue is available to all.

Sharing the good news is not about obligation or pressure, but about the sheer wonder of what God has done. When we truly grasp the depth of God’s love and the reality of His rescue, our natural response is to share it with others—through our words, our actions, and our lives.

“Then they said to one another, ‘We are not doing right. This day is a day of good news. If we are silent and wait until the morning light, punishment will overtake us. Now therefore come, let us go and tell the king’s household.’” (2 Kings 7:9, ESV)

Reflection: Who in your life needs to hear or see the good news of Jesus today? What is one specific way you can share God’s love with them this week?

Day 3: Faith Is a Call to Action, Not Just Comfort

Jesus never called His followers to be passive spectators. Faith is not a cruise ship where we are served and entertained, but a battleship where everyone has a role and a mission. We are called to serve, to sacrifice, and to invest our gifts, time, and energy in ways that echo into eternity.

God has given each of us unique abilities and opportunities, and He invites us to use them for His purposes. When we step out in faith and participate in God’s mission, we discover a deeper sense of purpose and joy than we could ever find in comfort or ease.

“But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like.” (James 1:22-24, ESV)

Reflection: What is one area where you have been content to be a spectator in your faith? How can you take a step toward active participation in God’s mission this week?

Day 4: Letting Go of Our Stories to Embrace Jesus’

The disciples often misunderstood Jesus’ mission, expecting power, comfort, or clear signs. In the same way, we can get caught up in our own agendas or wait endlessly for more confirmation before stepping out in faith. Jesus invites us to let go of our preferred stories and expectations, and to trust Him with the story He is telling.

True discipleship means surrendering our ambitions and comfort, and embracing the greater purposes of God. It is an invitation to trust that God’s story is better than anything we could write for ourselves, even when it leads us into the unknown.

“And he said to all, ‘If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.’” (Luke 9:23-24, ESV)

Reflection: Where are you holding onto your own plans or expectations instead of embracing the story Jesus is telling? What would it look like to surrender those to Him today?

Day 5: Growth Happens in Community and Service

Spiritual growth is not a solo journey. God has designed us to grow as we knit ourselves into the community of believers and step out to serve others. Our gifts and talents often remain dormant until we take the risk of involvement, and it is in serving alongside others that we are shaped into the people God intends us to be.

Community and service are not just duties—they are pathways to transformation. As we invest in relationships and pour ourselves out for others, we experience God’s love in new ways and become more like Christ.

“And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” (Hebrews 10:24-25, ESV)

Reflection: What is one way you can step into deeper community or service this week? Who can you encourage or serve alongside to help both of you grow in Christ?

Sermon Summary

of the Sermon**

This sermon invites us to rethink the story we are living and to intentionally bring Jesus into the center of our narrative. Drawing from both the Old and New Testaments, it highlights how the Bible is not just a collection of religious rules, but a grand story of God’s ongoing rescue and redemption of His people—a story that finds its fulfillment in Jesus. The message challenges us to see our lives as part of this bigger story, not just as individuals waiting for heaven, but as active participants in God’s mission here and now. We are called to share the good news of Jesus and to serve others, recognizing that our actions on earth have eternal significance. The sermon also addresses common misunderstandings among Jesus’ disciples, reminding us that following Christ means embracing His story, not just our own ambitions or expectations.

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Key Takeaways

1. God’s Story Seeks an Ending in Christ: The Old Testament is a narrative of longing and unfinished rescue, pointing forward to a promised Redeemer. Jesus steps into history as the fulfillment of that longing, inviting us to see our own lives as chapters within God’s ongoing story of redemption. Recognizing this helps us move beyond seeing faith as a set of rules, and instead as participation in a divine drama that is still unfolding.
2. The Good News Demands to Be Shared: Like the lepers who discovered unexpected deliverance and abundance, we are entrusted with news too good to keep to ourselves. The gospel is not just a private comfort but a public announcement of freedom and grace. Our response to God’s rescue should be an eagerness to share, motivated not by obligation but by the sheer wonder of what God has done.
3. Participation Over Spectatorship: Jesus calls us not to be passive recipients of salvation, but active participants in His mission. The difference between a cruise ship and a battleship is a helpful image—faith is not a leisure activity, but a call to serve, sacrifice, and engage in God’s work. Our gifts, time, and energy are meant to be invested in ways that echo into eternity.
4. Reframing Our Expectations: The disciples often misunderstood Jesus’ mission, seeking power, comfort, or signs, but Jesus consistently redirected them to God’s greater purposes. We too can get caught up in our own agendas or wait endlessly for more confirmation, missing the invitation to step out in faith. True discipleship means letting go of our preferred stories and embracing the one Jesus is telling.
5. Community and Service as Pathways to Growth: Growth in Christ happens as we knit ourselves into the community of believers and step out to serve. God has given each of us unique talents and opportunities, but they often remain dormant until we take the risk of involvement. Serving alongside others not only advances God’s kingdom but also shapes us into the people God intends us to be.

Bible Study Guide

**Small Group Bible Study Guide: Rethinking Your Story—Bringing Jesus Into the Center**

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### Bible Reading

- **Mark 1:14-15**
“After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. ‘The time has come,’ he said. ‘The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!’”

- **2 Kings 7:3-11**
(The story of the four lepers who discover the abandoned Aramean camp and decide to share the good news with the city.)

- **Matthew 6:19-21**
“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

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### Observation Questions

In Mark 1:14-15, what is the “good news” that Jesus proclaims, and what does He call people to do in response?
In the story from 2 Kings 7:3-11, what was the initial reaction of the four lepers after discovering the empty camp, and what changed their minds?
According to Matthew 6:19-21, what does Jesus say about where we should invest our treasures, and why?
From the sermon, what are some ways the disciples misunderstood Jesus’ mission?

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### Interpretation Questions

Why does Jesus describe the arrival of God’s kingdom as “good news,” and how might that have challenged the expectations of the people listening?
The lepers in 2 Kings 7 realized it was wrong to keep the good news to themselves. What does this suggest about how we should respond to God’s rescue in our own lives?
The sermon compared faith to being on a battleship rather than a cruise ship. What does this image communicate about the kind of participation Jesus expects from His followers?
The disciples often wanted power, comfort, or clear signs from Jesus. What does their confusion reveal about the difference between our own ambitions and God’s greater purposes?

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### Application Questions

The sermon challenged us to see our lives as part of God’s bigger story, not just our own. Is there an area of your life where you tend to focus on your own ambitions or comfort instead of God’s mission? What would it look like to re-center that area on Jesus this week?
The four lepers couldn’t keep the good news to themselves. Who in your life needs to hear about the hope and freedom you’ve found in Jesus? What is one practical step you can take to share your story with them?
Jesus calls us to be active participants, not spectators. Are you currently serving or using your gifts in any way to build up the church or help others? If not, what is one way you could start getting involved?
The sermon mentioned that our actions on earth have eternal significance. Is there something you’re investing your time, energy, or resources in that might not matter in eternity? What could you change to invest more in things that last?
The disciples sometimes missed what Jesus was doing because they were waiting for more confirmation or a different kind of sign. Is there something you feel God has already called you to do, but you’ve been hesitating? What’s holding you back, and how can you take a step of faith this week?
Community and service are pathways to growth. Are you connected to a group of believers who encourage and challenge you? If not, what’s one step you could take to build deeper relationships in the church?
The sermon talked about dormant gifts and talents. Is there a skill or passion God has given you that you haven’t used for His kingdom yet? What’s one way you could begin to use it to serve others?

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**Close in prayer, asking God to help each person see their life as part of His story, to give courage to share the good news, and to step out in faith and service.**

Sermon Quotes

All of scripture is telling a story. But it is easy to miss or misunderstand which story is being told. The Old Testament is not a system of religion—it’s a Story; the story of God forming and working through a community of people to rescue and redeem them.

There is more to this life than just being saved to be called a Christian, awaiting to go to Heaven one day. What we do here on earth matters and echoes into eternity. Our time on Earth is not the end, but a preparation for eternity.

God’s people needed rescuing, Jesus came into this world on a rescue mission. This message is not just about coming to know Jesus, be saved, then we all go home. There’s a bigger story we’re invited into.

What is our response to good news? We can’t keep it to ourselves, we want to tell the whole world about it, right? This is Good News! Something wonderful has happened, and we’ve got to tell people about it!

In Jesus, and through his work, God’s rescue operation has been accomplished once and for all. We have been set free from our exile, our slavery, and are invited to walk through the door Jesus has opened to explore the new world now available to us.

It's not about us and what we have done or can do, it’s about laying our lives down and serving. The one who would be the greatest in God’s kingdom must be the servant of all.

We could be busy with many things, but focused on the wrong thing. We need leaders, mentors in our lives to speak truth to us and help us understand the bigger picture.

Professionals get coached, but amateurs learn by trial and error. We need to stop making excuses, or praying repeatedly for signs or confirmations. God has called us all to go and make disciples and not just some of us.

Jesus has given us the power to witness, to do great things. Let’s not let insecurity hold us back. Let’s dive in and get going.

Knitting into a community of believers and signing up to a serving team is a great way to start. What skills and talents has God given you that still lay dormant?

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Rething_your_story_shayn.docx

Devotional

Day 1: Living as a Chapter in God’s Unfolding Story

Day 2: The Gospel Is Too Good to Keep to Ourselves

Day 3: Faith Is a Call to Action, Not Just Comfort

Day 4: Letting Go of Our Stories to Embrace Jesus’

Day 5: Growth Happens in Community and Service

Sermon Summary

Key Takeaways

Bible Study Guide

Sermon Quotes

Chatbot

Rething_your_story_shayn.docx

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