Live the Yes: Serve with Your God-Given Gifts

Apr 26, 2026

Devotional

Day 1: Ring in the Snow

The snow crunched under his knees as he held out the ring. His question hung in the frozen air: “Will you marry me?” The moment shifted everything—dating became covenant, tentative love became lifelong yes. Engagement demands more than sentiment; it requires active participation. Just as that “yes” changed two lives, God invites us into deeper partnership through serving. [13:12]

Peter writes to believers who’ve said yes to Christ but hesitate to step into their purpose. Your spiritual gifts aren’t decorative—they’re tools for building God’s kingdom. Like an engagement ring left in its box, unused gifts waste divine potential.

Many of us treat faith like a casual relationship—present but uncommitted. What if today you moved from spectator to participant? When did you last say “yes” to God with the same boldness as a marriage proposal?

“Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.”
(1 Peter 4:10, NIV)

Prayer: Ask God to reveal one gift you’ve left “in the box” of hesitation.
Challenge: Write down one talent or skill you enjoy, then circle how it could serve someone this week.

Day 2: Unboxing the Blender

The unboxing video ends with the blender shelved, unused. Peter warns against treating grace-gifts like forgotten appliances. Your abilities—teaching, encouraging, organizing—aren’t for show. They’re meant to nourish others. Spiritual gifts rust when unused; they thrive when opened daily. [16:17]

God designed you as a delivery system, not a warehouse. The UPS driver doesn’t obsess over the package’s contents—he focuses on the delivery. Your role isn’t to perfect the gift but to faithfully distribute it.

What’s your “blender”—a gift you’ve admired but never plugged in? Where have you prioritized polish over purpose?

“If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ.”
(1 Peter 4:11, NIV)

Prayer: Confess any fear of inadequacy that keeps your gifts dormant.
Challenge: Text one person today: “How can I serve you this week?”

Day 3: The UPS Gospel

Brown trucks rumble down streets daily, delivering parcels they didn’t create. The driver knows the package isn’t his—he’s just the courier. Peter calls us “faithful stewards,” reminding us that gifts originate with God, not ourselves. Serving anxiety fades when we remember: we deliver grace, not manufacture it. [23:56]

You’re not responsible for the miracle—only the obedience. The boy who donated blood thought it would kill him, but his “yes” brought life. Your “yes” to serving might feel costly, but God guarantees the outcome.

Where are you straining to be the source instead of the conduit?

“Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful.”
(1 Corinthians 4:2, NIV)

Prayer: Thank God for three ways He’s used others to bless you recently.
Challenge: Perform one “divine handoff” today—use your gift anonymously.

Day 4: Prism of Grace

Light through a prism fractures into colors—crimson, sapphire, gold. Peter says God’s grace shines “in various forms,” each believer reflecting a unique hue. Your gift adds a specific color to the church’s spectrum. Without your “yes,” the body lacks its full radiance. [26:40]

Jan wept when she found her purpose in kids’ ministry—her “yellow” brightened the church’s palette. Your gift might comfort like blue, energize like green, or clarify like white. No shade is disposable.

What color do you bring? What hue fades when you withhold your yes?

“There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them.”
(1 Corinthians 12:4, NIV)

Prayer: Ask God to show you one person who needs your “color” this week.
Challenge: Wear something brightly colored today as a reminder to shine your gift.

Day 5: Eagle’s Wings Strength

The boy donating blood expected death but found life. We often avoid serving, fearing exhaustion. Yet Isaiah promises renewed strength for those who trust—not self-reliance. Serving in your gifting isn’t a drain; it’s oxygen for the soul. [28:59]

Burnout comes when we serve as hands instead of feet, or in our strength instead of His. Peter’s secret? “The strength God provides.” Like eagles riding thermals, we soar when we rely on divine currents.

What task leaves you weary? Could it be a sign you’re straining in self-sufficiency?

“But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles.”
(Isaiah 40:31, NIV)

Prayer: Name one area where you need God’s strength, not your own.
Challenge: Set a 5-minute timer to sit silently, hands open, inviting His strength.

Sermon Summary

Living the Yes presents a clear, pastoral call for every believer to move from spectatorship into active participation in God’s work. Scripture in 1 Peter 4:10 urges each believer to use whatever gift they received to serve others as faithful stewards of God’s varied grace. Gifts are described as charismata, grace gifts that may show up as natural talents, spiritual abilities, or cultivated skills; when used they function as a divine handoff, passing God’s life and provision into other people’s circumstances. The church should not tolerate bench warmers; every member contributes a unique color to the prism of God’s grace, and when someone withholds their gift the community loses a necessary shade of ministry.

Serving does not require being the source. The stewarding metaphor reframes ministry as delivery not manufacturing: God supplies the grace and increase, and human obedience simply becomes the means by which that supply reaches others. Serving in a God-given role replenishes rather than drains when anchored to God’s strength; Isaiah 40 imagery points to renewed power for those who trust and wait on the Lord. Practical stories reinforce that stepping into service often reveals calling and purpose; experimentation and mentorship help people grow into roles that fit.

Motivation matters. Service must aim at glorifying God so that others see God through the acts served, not the servants themselves. The talk closes with concrete next steps: audit hidden gifts, pray for courage and strength, take one tangible yes this week, and connect through the offered sign-up. The invitation frames ministry as the primary context for spiritual growth, community flourishing, and personal renewal, pressing believers to live the yes and let God’s multicolored grace move through them.

Key Takeaways

1. Use every gift God gave Each believer bears a grace gift meant to be exercised, not stored. Identifying gifts requires honesty and trial; a willingness to serve exposes dormant capacities and opens doors to sustained spiritual growth. The New Testament frames these gifts as varied expressions of the same divine light, each necessary for the church’s health. [18:32]
2. Serving is a divine handoff Ministry functions as transfer, not production: people deliver God’s grace rather than manufacture it. That perspective removes performance anxiety and invites faithful obedience, because success depends on the Sender, not the deliverer. Viewing service this way restores humility and frees risk-taking in ministry. [22:11]
3. God supplies strength for service Longevity in ministry depends on relying on God’s strength, not personal stamina. Serving in a God-given area should refill the soul even as it costs physical energy, because dependence on divine provision renews and empowers. Trusting and waiting on God supplies the fuel for sustained contribution. [28:33]
4. Serving reveals purpose and joy Active service often uncovers vocation where mere self-reflection cannot. Practical involvement, supported by mentorship, exposes affinities and gifts that lead to lasting fruit and personal fulfillment. Saying yes invites discovery and multiplies blessing both inwardly and outwardly. [34:52]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[11:31] - Open Your Bible
[15:48] - Purpose of Serving
[18:32] - Read 1 Peter 4:10-11
[21:24] - Gifts as Grace
[24:32] - Stewardship Versus Source
[28:33] - Strength God Provides
[34:52] - Serving Reveals Purpose
[36:58] - Audit Your Closet
[39:20] - Invitation and Prayer

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading
1 Peter 4:10-11 (NLT)
10 God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another. 11 Do you have the gift of speaking? Then speak as though God himself were speaking through you. Do you have the gift of helping others? Do it with all the strength and energy that God supplies. Then everything you do will bring glory to God through Jesus Christ.

Isaiah 40:31 (NLT)
But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.

Observation Questions

What does 1 Peter 4:10 say about the purpose of spiritual gifts, and how are believers instructed to use them?
The sermon compares serving to a "divine handoff" ([22:11]). What metaphor does Peter use to describe our role in ministry, and how does this differ from being the "source"?
According to Isaiah 40:31, what is the result of trusting and waiting on the Lord? How does this connect to the sermon’s emphasis on relying on God’s strength in service?
The sermon mentions a "prism" metaphor for God’s grace ([26:40]). What happens to the church’s expression of grace when someone withholds their gift?

Interpretation Questions

Why might viewing service as a "stewardship" (managing what belongs to God) instead of a "source" (manufacturing outcomes) reduce anxiety or pressure in ministry?
How does the story of Jan stepping into children’s ministry ([34:52]) illustrate the idea that "serving reveals purpose and joy"? What might this suggest about discovering one’s gifts?
The sermon warns against "consumer-only Christians." How does 1 Peter 4:10-11 challenge passive faith, and what might this look like in a modern church context?
Isaiah 40:31 promises renewed strength for those who trust God. How does this relate to the potential exhaustion or burnout mentioned in the sermon ([28:22])?

Application Questions

What gift(s) might you be “storing in the closet” instead of using to serve others? What practical step could you take this week to “unbox” one of them? ([36:58])
Reflect on a time when serving felt draining. How might relying on God’s strength (rather than your own) change your approach to that area?
The sermon encourages “experimentation” to discover gifts ([34:52]). Is there a ministry or act of service you’ve felt hesitant to try? What’s one way to take a small “yes” step toward it?
How could your unique “color” of grace (e.g., hospitality, encouragement, administration) meet a specific need in your community or church? Name a person or situation where this gift could shine.
The UPS driver metaphor ([23:56]) reminds us we’re delivery people, not manufacturers. Where do you need to release pressure to “produce results” and instead focus on faithful obedience?
Isaiah 40:31 ties strength to trusting God. What practical habit (prayer, rest, Scripture) could help you depend more on His power this month?
The sermon says, “Serving in your gifting should refill your soul” ([28:59]). What activity or role energizes you even when it’s challenging? How might God be inviting you to lean into that?

Sermon Clips

49s

#ServeNotSpectate

“But you weren't made to be a spectator. If you're a follower of Jesus, you weren't made to be a pew warmer. You were made to be a participant in the greatest rescue mission in all of human history. And when you say yes to serving, you aren't just helping out a pastor or helping out a ministry team. You're not just helping out the church. You are stepping into the very purpose for which you were created. So let's stop storing the gifts, hiding them in a closet. Start using them. Let's live the yes. Amen. Would you stand with me? God, thank you for your multicolored grace that you've given this church. You have unique gifts sitting in this room.”

50s

#NotTheSource

“You see, some of us, we get serving anxiety because we think we have to be the source when we are just the delivery mechanism. I mean, yes, god uses us, and we get to be involved, but he needs to be the source. And we're just exchanging, and we're we're allowing the grace that God has given us in that gift to flow to the other person. But we think, you know, I can't lead a life group. I don't know enough. Or I can't pray for that person. What if I say the wrong thing? I just wanna encourage you, relax. Because you're not the source. You are not the manufacturer. You're the delivery person. If the package is great, it's because the sender is great. Can I get an amen at New Life Church today?”

50s

#ServingRefills

“If you served a ministry, the Sunday where you feel like you're dragging an anchor to church and you just feel heavy. Peter gives us the secret to longevity. One of the secrets, I should should add. The strength that God provides. It's the strength that that God provides. When you serve in an area that God has gifted in you, here's what it should do. As you lean on the strength he provides, it actually refills your tank. It does. Yeah. Sure. You're gonna gonna get exhausted, physically tired, but it should refill your set your tank. You see, serving in a in a place that God has designed you and purposed for you, it's like God oxygen entering your lungs when you're doing what you're made to do.”

45s

#NoBenchWarmers

“To expand on that, it's every single one of you. Now we're talking to believers here in this context, but it's every single one of you. Each of you should use these gifts. In other words, there are no to put it into modern sports terms, there are no bench warmers in God's kingdom. Amen? We're not they have to say when I was a kid, they would say they would say, we're we're not just to warm a pew. How many well, some of you in the loft here at the Kearney campus, we still have some pews up there. If you need to know what a pew is, they're right up there. There are no pew warmers in the kingdom of God. There's no such thing as consumer only Christians. In fact, that's an oxymoron.”

39s

#PlantSeedsGodGrows

“If the package is great, it's because the sender is great. Can I get an amen at New Life Church today? If what you are giving in sharing your gift is great, it's because he's great. Your job is just to show up. Scripture says plant the seeds in water. Plant the seeds in water. It's God who gives the increase. Every single time on the weekend at New Life Church and when we invite people to surrender their life to Jesus and when somebody does that, that is God who is making that thing happen when it happens. We're just delivering the gift of sharing the good news and sharing the gospel and creating environments for people to be seekers of God, but he gives the increase.”

36s

#LearnByServing

“So you have serving anxiety and you think, man, I don't know if God can use me. Just relax. Your job is just to be obedient, to say yes to God. And by the way, how do you get better if you're worried about, I don't know how I don't know if I'm gonna have the skills. And when we talk about serving in ministry at church, don't worry. There's people, guess what, that have done it before that will walk with you, that will help you grow in that gift. And most of the time, how do you get better at anything? It's by doing it, and it's by learning from others who have done it before.”

39s

#WaitOnGodSayYes

“If you're tired, say, God, show me the strength. I'm gonna wait on you. I'm gonna trust in you, and I know you promised that I'm gonna renew my strength. So look at your gifts, audit your closet, ask God for your strength. And then and then if you are not if you have not said yes and you know you feel like a nudging, I I need to say yes. Say yes. Say one yes this week. Find one area this week. And for some of you, it might be a baby step of just saying yes for an act of kindness, but say yes. For the others of you, you've been around long enough, you know. Right in front of you, there's a tap tag we use for various things.”

35s

#ServeForFulfillment

“And so some of you are like, oh, here it comes. The church has a lot of volunteer spots they need to fill today. Alright? So here comes the here comes the heavy. But before you start checking your watches or mentally making your grocery list today or planning where you're going to lunch, serving a ministry, it's not about filling a hole on a volunteer pipeline. It's about it's about filling a space in your heart, and it's about finding fulfillment. The reason one of the reasons that God created you, he placed you on this planet, is to be a conduit to allow him to flow through your life,”

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Live the Yes: Serve with Your God-Given Gifts

Devotional

Day 1: Ring in the Snow

Day 2: Unboxing the Blender

Day 3: The UPS Gospel

Day 4: Prism of Grace

Day 5: Eagle’s Wings Strength

Sermon Summary

Key Takeaways

Youtube Chapters

Bible Study Guide

Sermon Clips

Live the Yes: Serve with Your God-Given Gifts

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