Here is a 5-day devotional based on the sermon "Designed for Partnership: Being Who God Created You to Be."
Day 1: You Are Not an Accident
Bible Verse: "For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made..." – Psalm 139:13-14
Devotional: It is easy as humans to feel like failures or to struggle with deep insecurities [00:42]. We often experience imposter syndrome, wondering why God or anyone else would want us to step up or be used for a greater purpose [08:17]. However, the reality of God’s design is quite different. He knew exactly who you would be when He formed you [08:38].
You are not an accident, and nothing about you is accidental [09:01]. God created you as you, and all the pieces of you were put together on purpose. He put you right where He wanted you, surrounded by the people you know, equipped with the things you've learned [09:20]. Whenever you feel inadequate, remember that your existence was completely intentional. God wanted you to exist exactly as you are.
Reflection: What is one part of your personality or life that you struggle to see as "wonderfully made"? Ask God to help you see it through His eyes today.
Day 2: Stewarding Your Gifts
Bible Verse: "Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms." – 1 Peter 4:10
Devotional: When we belong to Christ, the Holy Spirit is at work in us, giving us a measure of grace that it is our job to steward [03:52]. Stewardship means recognizing that these spiritual gifts don't belong to us, but we are in charge of making sure they are handled and used correctly [04:11].
These gifts are given by Jesus so that you can give them away to the church and the world [04:32]. When you walk in partnership with God, utilizing the spiritual gifts He has deposited inside you, nothing is impossible [05:26]. You don't have to be perfect to be used; you simply have to say "yes" to God's invitation to partner with Him in bringing heaven to earth.
Reflection: Have you identified your spiritual gifts? How can you purposefully use a gift God has given you to bless someone else this week?
Day 3: The God of Redemption
Bible Verse: "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." – Romans 8:28
Devotional: You might look at your life and think, "I've made a lot of mistakes, and I am not the person I’d like to be. Don't tell me God wanted me this way" [10:29]. God hears you and feels that pain [10:43]. While God didn't originally plan for your sin or the pain that was done to you, He is the God of redemption [11:32].
Consider the cross: the greatest sin ever committed in the history of the universe was the murder of Jesus Christ [13:00]. Yet, God took the greatest evil imaginable and transformed it into the greatest redemptive act in history [13:26]. If God can transform the darkness of the crucifixion into eternal glory, He is certainly not too small to transform your mistakes and brokenness into a testimony of His incredible grace [16:20]. He doesn't just want your good parts; He wants your whole being so He can work resurrection power in you [12:31].
Reflection: What past mistake or pain are you hiding from God? Bring it to Him today and ask Him to begin His redemptive work in that specific area.
Day 4: Flawed Heroes
Bible Verse: "But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.'..." – 2 Corinthians 12:9
Devotional: If you look closely at the great stories of the Bible, every single one of our heroes was deeply flawed [20:16]. Abraham lied about his wife out of fear [20:27]. Moses was a murderer and a stuttering shepherd on the run, yet God chose him to lead Israel out of Egypt [20:46]. Joseph was an arrogant youth [23:22]. Paul oversaw the persecution and murder of early Christians [24:42]. Peter denied Jesus three times on the night He was betrayed [25:27].
When God called Moses, Moses had 5,000 reasons why God shouldn't call him [22:16]. But God’s response to all our inadequacies is to remind us that He is entirely capable of overcoming them [22:45]. God met every one of these individuals in their flaws, utilized their raw personalities, and transformed them. Whatever your past or present weaknesses, God is ready to meet you exactly where you are and call you to greatness.
Reflection: Do you use your flaws as an excuse to avoid serving God? Remind yourself today that God has a history of changing the world through imperfect people.
Day 5: Doing Something Good Together
Bible Verse: "For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others." – Romans 12:4-5
Devotional: Your spiritual gifts and calling usually pair closely with your natural personality [06:43]. If you are naturally quiet and contemplative, like the Apostle John, God will use that sensitive and thoughtful nature to reveal deep truths [26:57]. If you are bold and passionate, like Paul, God will take that zeal and use it to advance His kingdom [25:08].
God doesn't want to change who you are at your core; He wants to partner with who He created you to be [07:40]. There are parts of your personality you may not like, but it is God's joy to redeem them [19:31]. The eternal invitation from God is always the same: "Let's do something good together" [28:03]. He promises to forgive your sin, teach you a new way, and walk beside you as you become exactly who you were meant to be.
Reflection: Think about your unique personality traits (extroverted, quiet, analytical, empathetic, etc.). How might God be asking to partner with your specific traits to do something good today?
(All references based on the sermon: https://www.youtube.com/live/kNihW9wpoXw)
Day 1: You Are Not an Accident
Bible Verse: "For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made..." – Psalm 139:13-14
Devotional: It is easy as humans to feel like failures or to struggle with deep insecurities [00:42]. We often experience imposter syndrome, wondering why God or anyone else would want us to step up or be used for a greater purpose [08:17]. However, the reality of God’s design is quite different. He knew exactly who you would be when He formed you [08:38].
You are not an accident, and nothing about you is accidental [09:01]. God created you as you, and all the pieces of you were put together on purpose. He put you right where He wanted you, surrounded by the people you know, equipped with the things you've learned [09:20]. Whenever you feel inadequate, remember that your existence was completely intentional. God wanted you to exist exactly as you are.
Reflection: What is one part of your personality or life that you struggle to see as "wonderfully made"? Ask God to help you see it through His eyes today.
Day 2: Stewarding Your Gifts
Bible Verse: "Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms." – 1 Peter 4:10
Devotional: When we belong to Christ, the Holy Spirit is at work in us, giving us a measure of grace that it is our job to steward [03:52]. Stewardship means recognizing that these spiritual gifts don't belong to us, but we are in charge of making sure they are handled and used correctly [04:11].
These gifts are given by Jesus so that you can give them away to the church and the world [04:32]. When you walk in partnership with God, utilizing the spiritual gifts He has deposited inside you, nothing is impossible [05:26]. You don't have to be perfect to be used; you simply have to say "yes" to God's invitation to partner with Him in bringing heaven to earth.
Reflection: Have you identified your spiritual gifts? How can you purposefully use a gift God has given you to bless someone else this week?
Day 3: The God of Redemption
Bible Verse: "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." – Romans 8:28
Devotional: You might look at your life and think, "I've made a lot of mistakes, and I am not the person I’d like to be. Don't tell me God wanted me this way" [10:29]. God hears you and feels that pain [10:43]. While God didn't originally plan for your sin or the pain that was done to you, He is the God of redemption [11:32].
Consider the cross: the greatest sin ever committed in the history of the universe was the murder of Jesus Christ [13:00]. Yet, God took the greatest evil imaginable and transformed it into the greatest redemptive act in history [13:26]. If God can transform the darkness of the crucifixion into eternal glory, He is certainly not too small to transform your mistakes and brokenness into a testimony of His incredible grace [16:20]. He doesn't just want your good parts; He wants your whole being so He can work resurrection power in you [12:31].
Reflection: What past mistake or pain are you hiding from God? Bring it to Him today and ask Him to begin His redemptive work in that specific area.
Day 4: Flawed Heroes
Bible Verse: "But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.'..." – 2 Corinthians 12:9
Devotional: If you look closely at the great stories of the Bible, every single one of our heroes was deeply flawed [20:16]. Abraham lied about his wife out of fear [20:27]. Moses was a murderer and a stuttering shepherd on the run, yet God chose him to lead Israel out of Egypt [20:46]. Joseph was an arrogant youth [23:22]. Paul oversaw the persecution and murder of early Christians [24:42]. Peter denied Jesus three times on the night He was betrayed [25:27].
When God called Moses, Moses had 5,000 reasons why God shouldn't call him [22:16]. But God’s response to all our inadequacies is to remind us that He is entirely capable of overcoming them [22:45]. God met every one of these individuals in their flaws, utilized their raw personalities, and transformed them. Whatever your past or present weaknesses, God is ready to meet you exactly where you are and call you to greatness.
Reflection: Do you use your flaws as an excuse to avoid serving God? Remind yourself today that God has a history of changing the world through imperfect people.
Day 5: Doing Something Good Together
Bible Verse: "For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others." – Romans 12:4-5
Devotional: Your spiritual gifts and calling usually pair closely with your natural personality [06:43]. If you are naturally quiet and contemplative, like the Apostle John, God will use that sensitive and thoughtful nature to reveal deep truths [26:57]. If you are bold and passionate, like Paul, God will take that zeal and use it to advance His kingdom [25:08].
God doesn't want to change who you are at your core; He wants to partner with who He created you to be [07:40]. There are parts of your personality you may not like, but it is God's joy to redeem them [19:31]. The eternal invitation from God is always the same: "Let's do something good together" [28:03]. He promises to forgive your sin, teach you a new way, and walk beside you as you become exactly who you were meant to be.
Reflection: Think about your unique personality traits (extroverted, quiet, analytical, empathetic, etc.). How might God be asking to partner with your specific traits to do something good today?
(All references based on the sermon: https://www.youtube.com/live/kNihW9wpoXw)