Daily Devotionals

How Are You Responding To God’s Grace Today? 

Posted in Serving/Missions

Scripture:  “Only fear the Lord, and serve Him faithfully with all your heart; for consider what great things He has done for you.” – 1 Samuel 12: 24

Why are we called to serve? Is it a way for us to feel better about ourselves? A way to earn more Jesus points for the bottom line? Or, is it so that we may gratefully respond to the abundance of grace God has already bestowed upon each of us? 

Pastor Brad will often say in worship that we are blessed so we may be a blessing to others. I challenge you to take a deep look at your life and think about what those blessings in your life are today. As our world continues to open up more and more, what is one tangible thing you can do today, this week, or this year to serve our God faithfully with all your heart? How is God calling you to respond through service in our community and in the world? How is God calling you to go out to love our neighbor and creation as God has loved us? 

One example of how our youth are responding to this abundance of grace is through our COMPASS (Columbia Outreach and Mission Partners Summer Service) mission weeks. This week, 25 of our Middle School Youth will serve within the greater Columbia area for our first mission trip in almost two years. They will be taking a prayer walk through downtown to see and pray for our mission partners in the area. Additionally, they will participate in a campus beautification project at the Epworth Children’s Home. Finally, they will make “blessing bags” to give to our siblings in Christ who are currently down on their luck or experiencing homelessness, and they will organize a canned food drive for Harvest Hope within the neighborhood. 

I ask that you please join me in praying for this group this week, as they serve our Lord with their whole hearts, souls, minds, and strength. May God’s abundance of grace and mercy be upon them as they serve within our community. 

Prayer:  O Wondrous God, you have blessed us with so much:  family, friends, food and home security, and much more. Guide us so that we may respond to your abundance with an abundance of our own. Give us the strength to go out into the world and love our neighbors as you have loved us, and to see how you are constantly moving within our world in unexpected ways. We ask this in the name of your Son, Jesus, our Rock and our Redeemer. Amen. 

Submitted by Rev. Nick Demuynck