Daily Devotional For Thursday, July 31, 2025

Good morning Southside and can you believe this is the last day of July. This month has flown. We have been talking about what it means to follow Jesus. A lot of people in the church have the opinion that if they give money or their tithe that is enough. Money does help, but God wants more from you than your money – actually His money. The Bible says this in Psalm 24:1, “The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it. The world and all its people belong to Him” (NLT). That means your house, your car, your money in the bank, your investments, your retirement, all your possessions, and etc. James 1:17 says, “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows” (NLT). This includes your talents, skill, abilities, your intellect and your very life. 

This is why we have to become more intentional with our discipleship. Let me offer a few suggestions:

1. Give your time, talents and tithe to things that really matter in terms that help spread the Gospel. This helps you obey to some degree Jesus' words in Matthew 28:19-20.
2. Do the first one primarily through your local church. This will help you fulfill to some degree Jesus’ words in Matthew 9:37-38.
3. Take everything that God has given it and use it to build His kingdom, not your kingdom. With this attitude and approach, you will obey the Lord to some degree as He says in Matthew 6:33. 
4. Consider giving most of your acquired “wealth” away to the Lord’s work, rather than to others, including family. We have told our daughter, Emmie that is our plan as a couple. Once we are dead and gone, we want most of it to go to something like the International Mission Board and the North American Mission Board of our convention to fund missions, missionaries and the Gospel around the world. This will help fulfill all three passages above. If you think this is extreme, well, is it it? Why? All of it is the Lord’s to begin with? He has loaned it to us to be a good steward so we can invest it into something that matters and is eternal. 
5. Get with like-minded people who believe the Gospel is worth sharing and are doing it. If your church is not like this, change churches. Jesus did not die to create programs but to save people. And He called men to be like-minded to follow His example. Your commitment is to be to the Lord, not a specific local body called a church. 

If we are going to be a people who spread and share the Gospel, it is not going to be primarily through our money. It will be through our giving ourselves personally to it. We have to accept as biblical truth that when Jesus told His followers to “go into the world,” He wasn’t just talking to His original disciples, but to every believer and follower. If you say, “Well, PK, I can’t go overseas due to health issues.” Okay, give money to someone to go in your place. You can “go” with the Gospel to the supermarket, the doctor, the golf course, and even your job. You can go with the Gospel to worthwhile local charities you support. Jesus said, “Start in Jerusalem.” Meaning start in your own city first and then start branching out later.

What do you think would happen around the world if the church sent more than just traditional missionaries to share the Gospel? What if the church consistently sent out business men and women, doctors, nurses, veterinarians, students, farmers, therapists, teachers, artists, musicians, construction people, sanitation workers, entrepreneurs and just your average “Joe,” what do you think the results would be? We have to get out of the mindset and attitude that sharing the Gospel is for the paid professional. Jesus’ original disciples were primarily uneducated fishermen and one IRS agent. They turned the world upside down and you and I are here today because they took a leap of faith to trust the Lord with what little they had. They knew it wasn’t about them, but the Lord working through them. 

There were no programs, no ministries, no budgets, no by-laws, no buildings, nothing but a fledgling new church in Jerusalem of about 120 followers meeting in the Temple square for “Big church" and in homes during week for community Bible study groups empowering their folks to go out with the Gospel. That is the size of most churches today, but these first Christians and disciples did not let their small size determine their mission nor their means. They went consistently with what they had. And 2,025 years later, you and I are here because they loved the Lord that much.

Assignment: Think about all that God has blessed you with today, specifically your time and your talents. How might you use these to share the Gospel? If you are not sure, ask the Lord. He’ll tell you. Discipleship is about self-denial so that we can build God’s kingdom, not our own kingdom. Where in your life do you need to do some self-denial to do this?

Scripture To Meditate On: Romans 10:14-15, “But before people can ask the Lord for help, they must believe in Him; and before they can believe in Him, they must hear about Him; and for them to hear about the Lord, someone must tell them. (15) It is written, ‘How beautiful is the person who comes to bring good news of the Gospel’” (NCV).

Prayer To Pray: “Lord, show me how I can use what You have given me to share the Gospel wherever I go. I really do not want anyone going to hell because I am too fearful or feel intimidated to share what You have done for me. I love You Lord.  In Jesus’ name, Amen!”

I love you Southside! – Pastor Kelly