Made: Live Out Loud

Here are the notes from today's sermon. You can listen here.

1. Lessons from Brother Lawrence

Now I rejoice in what was suffered for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ's afflictions, for the sake of his body, which is the church. I have become its servant by the commission God gave me to present to you the word of God in its fullness. -Colossians 1:24-25

You can choose to embrace this journey passionately or go along passively.
I walk before God simply, in faith, with humility and with love; and I apply myself diligently to do nothing and think nothing which may displease Him...and this without any other view than purely for the love of Him, and because He deserves infinitely more. –Brother Lawrence

Question to consider:

How might your current circumstance be a call to live more passionately?

2. Fan the Flame

This is why I remind you to fan into flames the spiritual gift God gave you when I laid my hands on you. -2 Timothy 1:6

Self-gratification ironically will never fully or completely gratify us because self-centeredness is not what we are created for.

You’ll always run out of ways to entertain yourself, but there will always be more ways to serve others.

Questions to consider:

Where are you spending most of your time and efforts? Are you chasing self-gratification or are you using your gifts to serve others?

3. Unlikely Journey

But someone who does not know, and then does something wrong, will be punished only lightly. When someone has been given much, much will be required in return; and when someone has been entrusted with much, even more will be required. -Luke 12:48

God has kingdom-building plans for you. Pray, listen, and trust in Him to reveal how you can best serve him.

Questions to consider:

Have you taken the time to pray, listen, and trust God to reveal how He can use you? In the meantime, where are you serving Him today?

4. Giving your life for your friends

Jesus looked at them intently and said, “Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But with God everything is possible.” -Matthew 19:26

God can do great and eternally significant things through a life surrendered to him.

Question to consider:

God demands that we surrender everything. What are you still holding on to?

5. The Master Potter

And yet, O Lord, you are our Father.
We are the clay, and you are the potter.
We all are formed by your hand. -Isaiah 64:8

Whether you feel created for noble purpose or common use, remember that our all knowing, powerful God created you.

Questions to consider:

What is something you have or something you do well and enjoy doing? How can God use this gift or ability to serve others for God’s glory?

6. Brokenness to Blessedness

And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. -Romans 8:28

God can use our painful circumstances to help you care for others dealing with similar difficulties.

Questions to consider:

What difficult situations have you navigated through in your life? In what ways can God turn your experiences into ways to serve others?

7. Live Out Loud

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. –Acts 1:8

This is life we've been given, made to be lived out. –Steven Curtis Chapman

Question to consider:

You have been given a once-to-be-lived and never-to-be-repeated life. What practices can you put in place this week to start living out loud?