Valuing God: Love, Community, and Gospel Conversations

Devotional

Day 1: God’s Worthiness Above All

Our lives are filled with many pursuits and achievements, but none compare to the worthiness of God. He is more valuable than anything else we could ever attain. Our true riches lie not in our material possessions or personal accomplishments but in our relationship with Him through Jesus Christ. This perspective shifts our focus from boasting in ourselves to boasting in the Lord, recognizing that every good thing we have comes from Him. By acknowledging God's supreme worthiness, we align our hearts with His and find our true identity and value in Him. [05:10]

1 Chronicles 29:11-12 (ESV): "Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, for all that is in the heavens and in the earth is yours. Yours is the kingdom, O Lord, and you are exalted as head above all. Both riches and honor come from you, and you rule over all. In your hand are power and might, and in your hand it is to make great and to give strength to all."

Reflection: What are some areas in your life where you have been seeking worth and value outside of your relationship with God? How can you shift your focus to boast in the Lord instead?

Day 2: Serving Through Community Engagement

Our church is committed to actively engaging with our community through various outreach events. These activities, such as the upcoming school supply distribution, provide opportunities to serve others and demonstrate God's love in practical ways. By participating in these events, we not only meet the physical needs of those around us but also strengthen our community and our witness for Christ. Engaging in community service allows us to be the hands and feet of Jesus, showing His love and compassion to those who may not yet know Him. [06:59]

Matthew 5:16 (ESV): "In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven."

Reflection: How can you actively participate in the upcoming community outreach events? What practical steps can you take to demonstrate God's love to those in need?

Day 3: Trusting in God’s Provision

As we give our offerings, we are reminded to trust in God's provision. Just as He provides for the birds and flowers, He will take care of His children. This trust allows us to give generously and confidently, knowing that God is faithful and will meet our needs. By trusting in God's provision, we release our worries and anxieties about material things and focus on His kingdom and righteousness. This act of faith not only blesses others but also deepens our reliance on God and strengthens our relationship with Him. [08:39]

Matthew 6:26-27 (ESV): "Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?"

Reflection: In what areas of your life do you struggle to trust God's provision? How can you practice trusting Him more fully with your resources and needs?

Day 4: Engaging in Gospel Conversations

Sharing the gospel and having spiritual conversations are essential parts of our Christian walk. Even small conversations can plant seeds that God will grow. We are encouraged to pray for open doors and be intentional about incorporating spiritual topics into our daily interactions. By doing so, we create opportunities for others to encounter the love and truth of Jesus Christ. These conversations, no matter how small, can have a significant impact on someone's spiritual journey and bring them closer to knowing Christ. [14:44]

Colossians 4:5-6 (ESV): "Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person."

Reflection: Think of someone in your life with whom you can have a spiritual conversation this week. How can you create an opportunity to share the gospel or discuss matters of faith with them?

Day 5: Pursuing Love as the Greatest Gift

While spiritual gifts are important, love is the greatest gift of all. 1 Corinthians 13 teaches us that love should be our highest pursuit. As we read this chapter, we are encouraged to examine how we can be more loving in our relationships and interactions, both within the church and with those who do not yet know Christ. Love is the foundation of our faith and the most powerful way to reflect God's character to the world. By pursuing love, we fulfill God's command to love Him and our neighbors as ourselves. [17:02]

1 Corinthians 13:4-7 (ESV): "Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things."

Reflection: How can you intentionally pursue love in your interactions this week? What specific actions can you take to demonstrate Christ-like love to those around you?

Sermon Summary

### Summary

Today, we gathered to declare the worthiness of God, acknowledging that He is more valuable than anything else in our lives. We emphasized that our boasting should be in the Lord and not in our own achievements, recognizing that our true riches lie in our relationship with Him through Jesus Christ. This morning, we also celebrated the beginning of our missions year with Corey and Jessica Heiss and their family, who will be sharing more about their work in Paraguay.

We have several upcoming events, including our July outreach next weekend, where we will distribute school supplies to local families. Additionally, we have a summer picnic on August 3rd at the Miller farm, which will also serve as a farewell to the Henkels. We encourage everyone to participate and help out in these community activities.

During the offering, we reflected on God's provision and our trust in Him to take care of us as we give. We also discussed the importance of having gospel conversations and sharing the good news with others. We were reminded that even small spiritual conversations can plant seeds that God will grow.

In our Bible reading, we focused on 1 Corinthians 12 and 13. While spiritual gifts are important, the Apostle Paul emphasizes that love is the greatest gift of all. As we read through 1 Corinthians 13 this week, we are encouraged to pursue love in all our interactions, both within the church and with those who do not yet know Christ.

Finally, we prepared our hearts for worship and for hearing from Corey about their mission work. We watched a video from our denomination that sets the theme for our missions focus this year, preparing us to support and engage in the work God is doing through our missionaries.

###

Key Takeaways

1. God's Worthiness: God is more valuable than anything else in our lives. Our true riches lie in our relationship with Him, not in our material possessions or achievements. This perspective helps us to boast in the Lord and not in ourselves, recognizing that everything good comes from Him. [05:10]
2. Community Engagement: Our church is actively involved in community outreach, such as the upcoming school supply distribution. These events are opportunities to serve others and demonstrate God's love in practical ways. Participation in these activities strengthens our community and our witness. [06:59]
3. Trust in God's Provision: As we give our offerings, we trust that God will take care of us. Just as He provides for the birds and flowers, He will provide for His children. This trust allows us to give generously and confidently, knowing that God is faithful. [08:39]
4. Gospel Conversations: Sharing the gospel and having spiritual conversations are essential parts of our Christian walk. Even small conversations can plant seeds that God will grow. We should pray for open doors and be intentional about incorporating spiritual topics into our daily interactions. [14:44]
5. Pursuing Love: While spiritual gifts are important, love is the greatest gift. 1 Corinthians 13 teaches us that love should be our highest pursuit. As we read this chapter, we are encouraged to examine how we can be more loving in our relationships and interactions, both within the church and with those who do not know Christ. [17:02]
### [17:02]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[05:10] - God's Worthiness and Our Boasting
[05:59] - Introduction of Corey and Jessica Heiss
[06:59] - Upcoming Events and Community Outreach
[07:51] - Summer Picnic and Farewell to the Henkels
[08:39] - Offering and Trust in God's Provision
[09:33] - Gospel Conversations and Sharing the Good News
[12:03] - Encouragement for Spiritual Conversations
[14:44] - Praying for Open Doors
[15:25] - Bible Reading: 1 Corinthians 12 and 13
[17:02] - Pursuing Love as the Greatest Gift
[17:45] - Worship and Preparation for Missions Week
[43:15] - Missions Theme Video and Introduction to Corey

Bible Study Guide

Observation Questions

According to 1 Corinthians 13, what are the characteristics of love? How does Paul describe its importance compared to spiritual gifts?
In Matthew 6:26-30, how does Jesus illustrate God's provision for His creation? What examples does He use?
What does Colossians 4:3-6 say about how we should conduct ourselves in conversations with others, especially non-believers?

Interpretation Questions

Why does Paul emphasize love as the greatest gift in 1 Corinthians 13, even above other spiritual gifts? How does this align with the sermon’s message about pursuing love? [17:02]
How does Jesus' teaching in Matthew 6:26-30 about God's provision encourage us to trust Him with our resources and offerings? [08:39]
In Colossians 4:3-6, Paul asks for prayer for open doors to share the gospel. How does this relate to the sermon’s encouragement to have gospel conversations? [14:44]

Application Questions

Reflect on your own life: Are there areas where you find it difficult to trust God’s provision? How can you remind yourself of His faithfulness this week? [08:39]
Think about your recent interactions: Have you had opportunities to share the gospel or have spiritual conversations? What steps can you take to be more intentional about these conversations? [14:44]
As you read 1 Corinthians 13 this week, identify one specific way you can show love in your daily interactions. How can you put this into practice within your family, workplace, or community? [17:02]
Our church is involved in community outreach, such as the upcoming school supply distribution. How can you participate in these events to demonstrate God’s love in practical ways? [06:59]
Reflect on the idea of boasting in the Lord rather than in personal achievements. How can you shift your focus to give God the glory in your daily life? [05:10]
The sermon mentioned the importance of supporting our missionaries. How can you personally support Corey and Jessica Heiss in their mission work in Paraguay? What practical steps can you take? [05:59]
Consider the upcoming events at our church, like the summer picnic. How can you use these gatherings to build stronger relationships within our church community and say farewell to the Henkels in a meaningful way? [07:51]

Sermon Clips

### Quotes for Outreach

1. "Father, thank you so much for everything that you've given to us. Every resource we know, every good gift comes from you. And so we just want to recognize that. We want to recognize how good you are, how patient you are, how much you provide for us." [08:39] (19 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

2. "We never know where those are going to go. Right. But we just plant the seed and we trust the Lord to make it grow. Right." [12:03] (6 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

3. "So I start each day just by asking God to open one of those doors for a spiritual or a gospel conversation." [14:44] (6 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

4. "So after, after kind of getting us all excited about these spiritual gifts and these miraculous supernatural things, Holy Apostle actually tells us as great as these things are in your life, pursue something greater. Pursue love." [17:02] (17 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

### Quotes for Members

1. "Not because there's anything we've done to earn it. But because of what Jesus Christ did for us on the cross. Jesus, we love you for loving us first. And we're here to worship you and make much of you boast about you and your goodness this morning. Thank you. Thank you for pulling us together for that." [05:10] (21 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

2. "But one of the things that stood out to me as I was going through those four or those five different chapters was getting to the end of first Corinthians 12. First Corinthians 12 is a really well-known passage. It's all about spiritual gifts. And a lot of people love to read about spiritual gifts, especially in first Corinthians 12, because they talk about things like prophecy and healing and tongues, really exciting stuff, right?" [15:25] (28 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

3. "So if you've been here a while, you'll notice we don't talk a whole lot about spiritual gifts. But. But one thing we do like to talk about and we're going to talk about a lot more is love. Because that's a greater gift. It's a higher gift. And us loving each other and loving lost people by having spiritual and gospel conversations with them. That's the most excellent way." [17:02] (24 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

4. "And we want to thank you. And so when we give now, Lord, to what you're doing through our church, we're trusting you to take care of our church. But we're also trusting you to take care of us because that's money out of our pocket. But you tell us to just take a look at the birds of the air and the beasts of the field and the flowers of the field. And we can see how you take care of them." [08:39] (21 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

5. "And then it goes on to say one verse later, now I will show you the most excellent way. Do you all know what comes after first Corinthians chapter 12? First Corinthians chapter 13. Yeah. Do you know what first Corinthians 13 is? We call it the love chapter. And it. And it describes what love is all about. Love is not this. Love is that." [16:11] (26 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

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