Devo for 03/02/2025 service- Message by Pastor Clint Sprague

This past weekend, Pastor Clint finished up his sermon series “Fully Alive.”  What a great series it has been as we dug deep into the heart postures we need to live our lives as God created us to live.

Pastor Clint made the point that we get an opportunity every day to receive what God has for us AND to reveal God in our actions and words.  A great example he gave was about love.  Every day, we get the opportunity to Receive the Love of God, and every day, we get the opportunity to Reveal the Love of God.  To do so, we need to have an expectation that God wants this to happen, and we also need to have faith that it will happen.  Then, we need to be open, willing, and eager to be a conduit of God’s goodness to others.

I know that can be a big ask and sometimes very intimidating to us.  We may not feel equipped or worthy.  Although on the surface this is true, with the Holy Spirit it is doable! In fact we are called to do it! Paul points out two gifts we receive as Christians that help us walk this out: We are God’s ambassadors, and we are ministers.

Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation.  Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.   2 Corinthians 5:18-20

As Ambassadors for Christ, we get to represent the Kingdom of God here on earth!  And as you see in the last sentence of verse 20, God wants to make “an appeal” through us. That is being a conduit for Him!  

That verse also tells us we are given the Ministry of Reconciliation.   You notice this does not say pastors, elders, theologians, etc., are the only ones who get to be ministers of reconciliation.  Paul is talking about Christians, all of us!  We have all been given the ministry of reconciliation to empower us to be reconciled back to God, AND to walk with others as they are reconciled back to Him.  This is not us going out and preaching, or doing counseling, or the like.  Ministering is simply meeting people where they are at and listening to them, comforting them, and praying for them.  And we always point them back to the Father.

We have to be bold and willing to live Fully Alive by asking God to use you to reveal His heart and have an expectation that He will do just that!  Men, this is such a needed area in these times.  We need men to step up and be willing to minister to others AND be willing to receive it.   As Pastor Clint said, it can be as simple as saying, “How can I pray for you?”  It may also be just sharing your testimony when the opportunity arises.  Maybe it is just by your actions, such as serving someone in a way they never expected.  The Holy Spirit is ready to guide you and walk with you!

The challenge is this:  Are you willing to live Fully Alive and be bold enough to ask God this question:  God, will you please bring people into my life so I can have the opportunity to reveal to them Your Goodness?

Don’t forget to invite God into your day!

Topic for Study - 

• Comfort

• 2 Corinthians 1:3-4

• Psalm 119:50

• Matthew 11:28

February Memory Verses: 

Romans 8:1

Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.