“And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him.” Romans 12:1 (NLT)
As we approach the craziness of summer time in Southern California, it is fitting to remind ourselves of our mission as a congregation. During the summer it is easy to become distracted while focusing on vacations and other projects. Yet our work as God’s people goes on from season to season and we are accountable to God for it.
The above verse from Romans reminds us that we are called by God to a high standard. Thankfully, by His grace, God provides the desire, strength, and resources (His Word and Holy Spirit) to work toward this standard and to help others do the same. Because of His mercy, in Jesus He even provides forgiveness when we fall short.
Our mission as a congregation is to introduce these truths to others and to be available to God to be used by Him to equip others to become fully committed followers of Jesus. While there are many noble endeavors, there is no greater or more fulfilling calling in this life.
It is important that we keep this mission ever present in our prayers, our thinking, our planning, and our actions. We will only be successful at accomplishing it when we combine God’s grace and provision with our intentionality and hard work. Over the summer we need to remain diligent about our mission and seeking God’s wisdom, guidance, and provision for finding new ways to fulfill it.
“God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.” Ephesians 2:8-10 (NLT)
This verse from Ephesians helps us to remember that this is God’s work from start to finish, in us and in others. I am amazed by this truth. The Creator and Sustainer of the entire universe is willing to use us to impact the lives of others! Can you believe it? We cannot boast about anything, only in what God is doing through us as we make ourselves available to Him.
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