Welcome to “Going Deeper with the Word.” In this segment, we welcome people of all backgrounds, religious or not, to review the Word of God. The Word of God provides guidance, direction, and instructions for living our lives and walking with God.
Today, we examine how God’s Word provides clear guidance and direction about seeking a sense of belonging in the world.
Let’s review examples from God’s Word that can lead and guide our steps and back up the principles we learned in today’s message. I will read scripture today from the Amplified Bible.
If you are watching this message online, we invite you to share your comments as we review each verse.
Here is our first verse.
Do not be anxious or worried about anything, but in everything [every circumstance and situation] by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, continue to make your [specific] requests known to God.
Philippians 4:6
This is a popular verse in our ministry because it so succinctly explains what all of us should understand.
It reminds us that we need not be worried, because with God we can achieve anything. With God, we can know that He can help us in any situation: there is nothing too difficult or complicated for God.
It also reminds us that we can bring things to God in a posture of thanks in advance, and that we can do so as much as we wish. We never need to feel that there is a quota of prayers or that we need to filter out the things we pray. We just need to trust that God is for us, and that He truly desires to know what is on our hearts and to hear our prayers.
Does praying help you to feel closer to God? How do you believe prayer plays a role in your overall sense of well-being? “Let us know in the comments”
Let’s have a look at another verse.
Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good deeds and moral excellence, and [recognize and honor and] glorify your Father who is in heaven.
Matthew 5:16
In this verse, Jesus explains that the light we spoke of today needs to be seen, and He explains why. When we share our light, it allows our deeds to be seen. It allows our moral aptitude, our love of God, and our Christ-like qualities to be seen, and those who do see have an opportunity to glorify God in the process.
Allowing your light to shine is not a posture of arrogance or boastfulness. It is a posture where you allow your disposition to be seen independent of the ways of the. People need to see that when you could choose the way of the world that does not honor God, you instead choose to honor God.
When people see this decision from you, it truly will spark curiosity in the hearts of those who do not know God, and that is a wonderful way to bring people to Him.
Can you recall a decision you made in the last week where you had to decide between what the world does and what God would have you do, and what would honor God? Describe what you chose and why. “Let us know in the comments”
Let’s look at one last verse.
Just as each one of you has received a special gift [a spiritual talent, an ability graciously given by God], employ it in serving one another as [is appropriate for] good stewards of God’s multi-faceted grace [faithfully using the diverse, varied gifts and abilities granted to Christians by God’s unmerited favor].
1 Peter 4:10-11
I selected this scripture because I wanted to bring attention to what we touched on today about our gifts. We all have God-given gifts: some we know about, and some we have yet to know. But in both cases, these gifts, as pointed out in the verse, should be used to serve and help one another.
We talked about this today in the context of walking in faith, and it is an important lesson to know. We should not keep our gifts all to ourselves. We should understand that we all have been given gifts that God intended to be used out in the world for the benefit of others and for His grand plan.
It is not always easy to know how you can use your gifts to serve others, but we can always ask God for guidance. We can ask Him to direct us to the community where the gifts that He has planted within us can truly help others. We need only ask.
Is there a gift that you wish you had so that you could help others? What is this gift and what would you do? If you had it, would you ask God to?“Let us know in the comments”
Thank you for taking the time to go through these verses with me today. It is my hope that they brought clarity and encouragement as you seek out your desire to feel a deeper belonging with God and His plan.
Remember, it is truly never too late to discover where you fit into God’s plan. No matter what chapter of life you are currently in, or how much time feels like it has passed, God can work within any circumstance to align your journey with His plans. If you haven’t yet discovered His calling for your life, I encourage you to simply ask Him to reveal it to you.
We hope that this series has been an eye-opener to help you understand how crucial you are to God’s grand narrative. While God does not need any single one of us, He does delight in allowing us to take part in His grand plan. If we lean into this truth, then He can reveal a truly fulfilling and joy-filled life.
We hope that this series has helped you to understand that when we put God first, we can live a life of fulfillment and purpose.
What do you believe God is calling you to do in His grand plan? I would love for you to share your thoughts in the comments.
We hope you’ve enjoyed this series, The Grand Narrative, and we will be back with more very soon!
Bless you.
