Daily Devotional For Thursday, February 13, 2025
Happy “Thirsty Thursday!” People use this phrase because they are thirsty for Friday to come so that they are off for the weekend. Living in America gives us many blessings we simply take for granted. We have so many systems in this country that work with such efficiency that it amazes people in other countries. For example, take our delivery system. Think for a moment about such essentials as food, water, electricity, sewer, Internet, email, text messages, video chats and transportation is so efficient. We enjoy these without complaint until there is a hiccup in them.
When you go on social media, it is common to see someone posting pictures and videos of their day, or a vacation or a birthday or an anniversary or being at the beach. This is their way of saying they are living their best life at that moment. Many unbelieving people are sure that these fun experiences are their best life, and they give no consideration to their lack of faith.
But everyone eventually hits a difficult season. A life apart from Jesus—no matter how glamorous or fun—eventually will steal their peace, rob them of their well-being, and put them on a path that will end in destruction. Our assignment is to point them to this truth. Most of us won’t be called to take the pulpit and preach. But every one of us is called to have conversations about faith with the people around us—spoken with great patience, careful instruction, and love.
This is why the Apostle Paul tells us what he does in 2 Timothy 4:2, “Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction” (NASB). Unlike Timothy, most of you will never have to enter a pulpit at church and preach, but whether you realize it or not, every day, your life preaches a sermon. Every week when I enter the pulpit to preach, I am consciously aware of the eternal influence I have. Guess what? Every day you have that same eternal influence.
Every single believer, Christian and disciple of Jesus Christ is preaching some kind of sermon every day that has eternal influence and consequences. You are influencing people every day whether you realize it or not. Many you may never even know you did.
“Mike Krzyzewski's decision to remain as coach of the Duke University basketball team rather than to become head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers was influenced in part by an e-mail from Duke student Andrew Humphries, a 19-year-old biology major. In his e-mail, Humphries recounted childhood memories of playing basketball in his driveway and pretending to hit the shot that won the national championship for Coach K. He spoke of the pride he felt in being part of the "sixth man" student body at Duke that fills Cameron Indoor Stadium to root for their team. He closed his message with the impassioned plea, "Please still be my coach."
In a press conference announcing his decision, Krzyzewski said that Humphries' e-mail had moved him to tears and reminded him of the special bond he felt with the Duke students and his players. The coach chose to turn down a $40 million contract offer and stay at Duke, influenced by the petition of a student he didn't even know” (Source: Mike Krzyzewski).
That student had no way of knowing the influence he as a 19-year-old student would influence his basketball coach at Duke to turn down a $40 million contract with the LA Lakers. In the same way, you and I may never know how our influence caused someone to come into the Kingdom of God, give their life to Christ, go into missions, become a disciple maker, etc. When we look at Paul’s words to the young man named Timothy, Paul’s words were not telling Timothy to have all the answers to every theological question. In fact, I don’t know anyone who has all the answers to every theological question.
It has never been that. It has always been since day one the church started people simply telling others the difference Jesus makes in their lives. We know from the Book of Acts, that the seminary trained and theological adept religious leaders were shocked that such uneducated men could turn their city upside down. It wasn’t about what they knew, but Who they knew. It wasn’t about how much knowledge they had in their minds, but how much of the Holy Spirit was in their hearts. We think it is about us. NO – it is all about what Christ can do through a person who is totally surrendered to His will.
Coach K coached at Duke for 42 seasons (1980-2022). The story above took place in 2004. As the result of the influence of one 19-year-old Duke student, Coach K went on to win more games in the NCAA than any other college basketball coach – 1,202. Duke won the national championship in 1999, 2002, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2014, and 2019. Notice, Coach K won it 5 more times because he stayed at Duke. Coach K had no way of knowing this if he stayed at what he was great at doing.
The same is true with us. No one can tell our story of our relationship to Jesus Christ but us. I can’t tell your story as effectively as you can and you can’t tell my story as effectively as I can. Why? It’s not personal. The reason these uneducated disciples were so effective in sharing Jesus is they were eyewitnesses to the Resurrection. They were all in for Jesus, filled with the Holy Spirit and wanted others to experience what they had. You don’t have to be an expert in theology; just have a maturing relationship with the Lord.
I think the main reason certain Christians give for not sharing their faith in Christ is because they really do not have anything to share. They are good church goers, but poor Christ followers. Going to church no more makes you a Christian than going to your doctor makes you a doctor. You have a story to tell. Will you tell it? The great passion of our lives should be helping others become more fully devoted followers of Jesus of Nazareth.
Questions To Consider
- Our churches today are full of so much technology to deliver sermon fill-ins on screens, to stream our services, to provide sermon notes to download, to give daily devotionals, emails, text messages and web site info. But these can never replace personal testimony. Why?
- Though you may never have to preach from a church pulpit, everyday, whatever environment you are in, that is your spiritual pulpit. Your life is a sermon and it is preaching a message. What does your daily life sermon preach each day and why?
- We often underestimate our influence. Take for example that 19-year-old Duke University college student who wrote Coach K begging him to stay at Duke. He had no idea how powerful and influential his message to Coach K would be. He made it personal – telling his story growing up. What does this tell you about your own influence for Christ and why?
Scripture To Meditate On: Luke 9:60, “But Jesus said to him, ‘Allow the dead to bury their own dead; but as for you, go and proclaim everywhere the kingdom of God’” (NASB).
Prayer To Pray: “Heavenly Father, I humbly ask You to use my life and voice to encourage and strengthen others around me, giving them hope as I offer wise biblical counsel. May I be a consistent delivery system of Your blessings and Your instructions toward righteousness. In Jesus' name, Amen.”
I love you Southside!--Pastor Kelly