Sermon Devotions
Inspiring weekly devotions that motivate us to remain steadfast in our faith in Jesus Christ!
Week of January 18th
Devotion 1: Entrusted Until He Returns
Scripture:
Matthew 25:14 — “For it is just like a man about to go on a journey, who called his own slaves and entrusted his possessions to them.”
Reflection:
Jesus tells this parable in the context of waiting for His return. The delay is real, but it is not meaningless. While the Master is away, His servants are entrusted with responsibility. Everything we have — our time, talents, opportunities, and resources — belongs to Him. The question is not how much we have been given, but what we will do with what we’ve received.
Comparison can quietly steal our joy and distract us from obedience. We may wish for someone else’s gifts or opportunities, believing they would make our lives more meaningful. But Jesus reframes significance: faithfulness, not abundance, is what matters in the Kingdom.
Prayer:
Ask the Lord to help you remember that everything you have comes from Him. Pray that He would guard your heart from comparison and discontentment and give you the wisdom to recognize the opportunities He has placed before you. Call on the Holy Spirit to shape your desires so that you are a faithful steward of your gifted talents.
Action:
Take five minutes today to list the areas God has entrusted to you (time, skills, relationships, finances). Thank Him for each one, and ask how He wants you to steward them this week.
Devotion 2: Faithfulness Looks Like Action
Scripture:
Matthew 25:16 — “Immediately the one who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and gained five more talents.”
Reflection:
The faithful servants didn’t hesitate; they acted. Their response to the Master’s trust was joyful obedience. They understood that serving their master was not a burden but a privilege.
Jesus makes it clear: while we wait for His return, we are not to sit idle. Faith expresses itself through action. God has uniquely equipped each believer, not for self-preservation, but for Kingdom advancement. A life of faithfulness is marked by diligence, initiative, and joyful service.
Prayer:
Ask the Father to stir your heart toward joyful obedience. Pray that the Holy Spirit would reveal where you’ve grown passive instead of active in your faith. Submit your comfort to God, asking that He would give you courage to step forward, even when the outcome feels uncertain. Pray that your service would overflow from your gratitude to God rather than a sense of obligation.
Action:
Choose one specific way to serve today — encourage someone, use a spiritual gift, or meet a practical need. Do it intentionally as an act of worship to the Lord.
Devotion 3: What We Do Now Matters Forever
Scripture:
Matthew 25:21 — “His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave. You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.”
Reflection:
Both faithful servants received the same commendation, even though they were given different amounts. God measures faithfulness, not results compared to others. What we do in this life echoes into eternity.
Jesus reminds us that heaven is not passive rest but meaningful, joyful responsibility in the presence of our Master. Our present faithfulness prepares us for future joy. Every unseen act of obedience, every small sacrifice, every quiet moment of service matters more than we realize.
Prayer:
Ask that God would help you live with eternity in view. Pray that He would strengthen you when obedience feels unnoticed or small and that He would help you fix your heart on the joy of pleasing Him.
Action:
Reflect on one area where you’ve been faithfully serving without recognition. Write a short prayer of surrender, offering that work back to God as an eternal investment.
Devotion 4: The Tragedy of Wasted Opportunity
Scripture:
Matthew 25:25 — ‘“And I was afraid, and went away and hid your talent in the ground. See, you have what is yours.’”
Reflection:
The unfaithful servant did nothing — not because he lacked opportunity, but because he lacked trust. His fear revealed a distorted view of the master’s character. Prolonged inactivity exposed a deeper issue: he did not truly know his master.
Jesus’s warning is sobering. A pattern of wasted opportunities reveals a heart untouched by grace. True faith produces fruit, knowing Christ leads to trusting Him, and trusting Him leads to obedient action.
This parable calls us to examine our hearts. Do we know the Master we serve? Do we trust His goodness enough to live boldly for Him?
Prayer:
Yield your service to the Lord, asking Him to search your heart and reveal where fear has replaced faith. Confess those opportunities God has given you for faithfulness that you’ve ignored or buried. Pray that the Holy Spirit would daily remind you of God’s unchanging character and goodness and that He would lead you into a life of joyful, faithful obedience.
Action:
Ask God to reveal one opportunity you may be neglecting. Take a concrete step this week to respond in faith no matter how small.
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