Transforming Lives Through Love and Service

Devotional

Day 1: Investing in Fertile Ground

In El Salvador, the partnership with Kingdom Builders exemplifies the profound impact of investing in fertile ground. This collaboration goes beyond mere infrastructure or education; it is about transforming lives and communities through love and service. By focusing on the most vulnerable, such as children and former gang members, this mission reflects a deep commitment to God's call. The work being done is a testament to the power of faith-driven investment, where the seeds of hope and change are sown in the hearts of individuals and families. This investment is not just financial but spiritual, as it nurtures the growth of God's kingdom on earth. [23:59]

Isaiah 58:10-11 (ESV): "If you pour yourself out for the hungry and satisfy the desire of the afflicted, then shall your light rise in the darkness and your gloom be as the noonday. And the Lord will guide you continually and satisfy your desire in scorched places and make your bones strong; and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail."

Reflection: Consider a community or group in your life that is in need of support. How can you invest your time, resources, or talents to make a meaningful impact there today?

Day 2: The Power of Saying Yes

The difference between those who make an impact and those who do not often lies in the willingness to say "yes" to God's call. It is not about being the most qualified or eloquent but about being open to God's leading. This openness allows God to work through us in powerful ways, as seen in the lives of individuals like Maria and Angel. By stepping out of our comfort zones, we become vessels for God's transformative work, bringing hope and change to those around us. Saying "yes" is an act of faith that opens doors for divine intervention and miracles. [27:59]

Isaiah 6:8 (ESV): "And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, 'Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?' Then I said, 'Here I am! Send me.'"

Reflection: Reflect on a recent opportunity where you felt God nudging you to step out in faith. What held you back, and how can you prepare yourself to say "yes" the next time God calls?

Day 3: Love as a Habit

Love, as taught in John 13:34-35, is more than a feeling; it is a habit that requires intentionality and effort. This love is self-sacrificial, putting others first and demonstrating to the world that we are followers of Jesus. Developing the habit of love involves lifting up the broken, being patient, generous, and forgiving. These actions reflect God's love and draw others to Him. As we cultivate this habit, we become living testimonies of Christ's love, impacting those around us in profound ways. [35:15]

1 John 3:18 (ESV): "Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth."

Reflection: Identify one person in your life who needs to experience Christ-like love. What specific action can you take today to demonstrate love as a habit to them?

Day 4: Generosity Beyond Finances

Generosity is not limited to financial giving; it involves giving of ourselves, our time, and our talents. By being generous in spirit, we reflect God's love and draw others to Him. This generosity is a powerful tool for ministry and transformation, as it opens hearts and creates opportunities for God's work to flourish. True generosity is about selflessly sharing what we have, whether it be our resources, skills, or presence, to uplift and support others. It is a reflection of God's abundant love and grace in our lives. [44:02]

2 Corinthians 9:11 (ESV): "You will be enriched in every way to be generous in every way, which through us will produce thanksgiving to God."

Reflection: Think of a non-financial way you can be generous today. How can you use your time, skills, or presence to bless someone in need?

Day 5: The Transformative Power of Forgiveness

Forgiveness is a profound expression of God's love. When we forgive, we release the burden of hurt and allow God's love to flow through us. This act of forgiveness can heal relationships and open doors for reconciliation and transformation. It is a powerful tool that breaks the chains of bitterness and resentment, allowing us to experience freedom and peace. By forgiving others, we reflect God's grace and mercy, becoming conduits of His love and healing in a broken world. [49:41]

Colossians 3:13 (ESV): "Bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive."

Reflection: Think of someone in your life you need to forgive. Can you ask God to help you begin to extend His love and forgiveness to them today?

Sermon Summary

In today's gathering, I shared the incredible work God is doing in El Salvador through our partnership with Kingdom Builders. This collaboration has allowed us to reach out to children, rehabilitate gang members, and provide job training, transforming lives one family at a time. The video we watched highlighted these efforts, showing how your support has been instrumental in changing lives. Our mission is to be a catalyst for change, even in the most challenging environments, such as prisons, where we minister to those who are often forgotten by society. Hebrews 13:3 reminds us to remember those in prison as if we were there with them, and this has been a guiding principle in our work.

I shared stories of individuals like Maria and Angel, whose lives have been transformed through our ministry. Maria, once resistant to the gospel, found hope and purpose after accepting Christ, despite the tragedy of losing her husband. Angel, a bright young boy, has become a spiritual leader in his home after receiving an education and accepting Christ. These stories illustrate the power of saying "yes" to God's call and being willing to step out of our comfort zones to love and serve others.

The core of our mission is rooted in love, as taught in John 13:34-35. Love is not just a feeling but a habit that requires self-sacrifice and putting others first. We are called to develop this habit by lifting up the broken, being patient, generous, and forgiving. These actions reflect God's love and draw others to Him. As we continue to serve in El Salvador and beyond, we are reminded that love is the greatest commandment and the most powerful tool for transformation.

Key Takeaways

1. 35 teaches us to love one another as Christ loved us. This love is self-sacrificial and puts others first, demonstrating to the world that we are followers of Jesus. [35:15]
4. Generosity Beyond Finances: Generosity is not limited to financial giving; it involves giving of ourselves, our time, and our talents. By being generous in spirit, we reflect God's love and draw others to Him. This generosity is a powerful tool for ministry and transformation.

5. The Transformative Power of Forgiveness: Forgiveness is a profound expression of God's love. When we forgive, we release the burden of hurt and allow God's love to flow through us. This act of forgiveness can heal relationships and open doors for reconciliation and transformation.

** [35:15]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[23:59] - Impact in El Salvador
[26:20] - Ministry in Prisons
[27:59] - Saying Yes to God's Call
[31:53] - The Habit of Loving
[33:37] - Developing Good Habits
[35:15] - Love as a Commandment
[36:28] - Love as Self-Sacrifice
[40:37] - Lifting the Broken
[41:35] - Patience and Humility
[42:22] - God's Patience with Us
[43:22] - Love Through Patience
[44:02] - Generosity in Spirit
[46:39] - Generosity in Action
[49:41] - The Power of Forgiveness
[52:28] - Prayer and Commitment

Sermon Clips

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"Man, I am so glad to be here with you in New Life today, and it's a pleasure for me. And one of the things I want to just share with you, because there's a lot to share about El Salvador, is that you guys are making an investment in fertile ground, and God is doing wonderful things in El Salvador. You know, sometimes people come and say, well, I want to share the good news, and I got some bad news for you. I don't have any bad news for you. All I have is good news, and God is working there in El Salvador." [00:20:34] ( | | )

"We say that we build lives one family at a time and you can see whether it's doing construction in the houses and helping people to get out of black plastic or rusted tin with dirt floors. If it's helping somebody in the prison to change their lives and be transformed, that's what God has called us to do. God has given us a great opportunity as we pastor the open door church to reach out and touch the community around us." [00:24:32] (27 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

"And so the country has changed. There's no more extortion. The violence has dropped down. And it never affected us directly because they trusted us as well, the gang members, because we're in their area. We're the pastor that's reaching out to their children, to their brothers and sisters. We're the ones that are helping build homes in the community. But what that has done is God has opened the door for us to also be in the prisons." [00:25:47] (24 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

"I'm willing to be, I'm willing to do. I'm willing to say, I'm willing to be your hand extended God to those that are in need. And there's a lot of people in need in El Salvador. Maria is one of them. Maria was a woman who didn't want to accept Jesus Christ. I talked to her a number of times. She lived in the community that we had right next to the school. She just laughed at me." [00:27:79] ( | | )

"And I watched as tears rolled down her face and she came down and she gave her life to Jesus Christ. Her husband was killed by gang members several months later. And she was left a single mom with four daughters. We reached out to her and, and we got her a job at our, in our school when the snack area is selling all of that, she can make an income. We let her four daughters go to school and for free." [00:28:21] (26 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

"Angel's another one. Angel's just turned 10 and just a quiet young man. He, he, I met him when we went out to build a home for, for his family. They were living in a tin shack or the dirt floor single mom with three kids the the the dad's in prison she's selling food or whatever she can do working on a coffee farm to make ends meet and i asked angel i said angel would would you like to go to our school and he said yes i would he's a smart young man i could tell by how he was watching as we built the house and and nailing and getting involved." [00:29:68] (36 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

"And that's why God called us to El Salvador, to reach an angel, to reach his sister Fernanda or Kimberly, or to reach Maria and her four daughters and to help them, to reach into the prison. And that's what you're doing through Kingdom Builders. You're reaching out and you're not just helping build a house or helping run a school or helping somebody learn how to decorate cakes or to sew clothes. You're reaching people and helping them know Jesus Christ as their personal Savior." [00:31:65] ( | | )

"And these are habits that God has called us to have. And love is an attribute of God. It's part of his characteristic. It's part of who he is. And the Bible tells us that he first loved us before we loved him. And he draws us to that. And you know what, we're all familiar with the scripture, but to make love a habit in our lives, it takes some working." [00:35:70] (29 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

"God's called you to love. He's called me to love. It's a habit. And it's a habit that we have to work through because, you know what? We become second or third place, not first place. God becomes first place. They become second place. And we're after that. That's not an easy thing to do." [00:40:56] (21 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

"The third thing I want to mention to you to show God's love is to be generous. And the first thing that comes to our mind is like money. You know, I got to give. But you know what? God doesn't always want us to give financially when we're talking about generosity. He wants us to give of ourselves." [00:44:42] (21 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

"When we forgive, we are showing God's love in his truest form. God's called us to extend forgiveness. My mom died a little over a year ago. The last year she was in a nursing home and it's really tough for me as a missionary to be overseas. And I have three brothers. I have one that lives in Nebraska and one is in Wisconsin and one that lived in the United States." [00:47:50] (26 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

"And that's what God wants us to do. He wants us to love people into the kingdom by healing them, by lifting them up. He wants us to love people into the kingdom by being patient. He wants us to love people into the kingdom by being generous. And he wants us to love people into the kingdom. Through forgiveness." [00:51:54] (26 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

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