2026-02-01 AWAKEN MY OBEDIENCE

Surrender Everything: Moving Beyond Partial Obedience to True Worship

Ever cleaned your room as a kid by shoving everything under the bed? From the hallway, it looked spotless—but open that closet door, and chaos tumbled out. We've all been there. But here's the uncomfortable truth: we do the same thing with God.

We show up on Sunday. We believe the right things. From the outside, our spiritual life looks pretty good. But what if God opened the closet of our hearts? What would spill out? Hidden pride? Secret thought patterns? A carefully curated image that says "I obey... sort of"?

The Danger of Almost Obedience

First Samuel 15 tells the story of King Saul, who received crystal-clear instructions from God: completely destroy the Amalekites and everything they owned. No exceptions. No negotiations. Total obedience.

Saul won the battle. He destroyed most of the enemy. He kept only the "best" livestock and spared the king. When confronted, he had his excuses ready: "We saved the best animals to sacrifice to God!" It sounded spiritual. It looked like victory.

But God called it disobedience.

The bleating sheep betrayed Saul's partial obedience. And God's response through the prophet Samuel cuts to the heart of worship: "Does the Lord take pleasure in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the Lord?"

What's Your Pineapple?

Missionary Otto Koenig spent years in Papua New Guinea with little fruit to show for his labor. His one joy? A pineapple grove he'd planted and protected. When villagers kept stealing his pineapples, his anger grew until he nearly destroyed the entire crop himself.

At a missionary conference, God confronted him: "Otto, these are my pineapples. Why do you think they're yours?"

Everything changed when Otto surrendered his "right" to those pineapples. His anger dissolved. His ministry transformed. The villagers noticed—and eventually stopped stealing.

We all have pineapples. That relationship we won't release. That opinion we clutch tighter than Scripture. That area where we simply don't trust God enough to let go. We attend church, serve occasionally, maybe even tithe—but we're holding something back.

Partial obedience is complete disobedience. God doesn't want your performance. He wants your heart.

Living Sacrifice, True Worship

Here's the beautiful tension: we can't obey perfectly. Even on our best days, we fall short. That's why Jesus came. He obeyed fully where we fail constantly. He became the final sacrifice.

Now, because of His perfect obedience, Paul urges us in Romans 12:1 to "present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God. This is your true worship."

True worship isn't a song lifted up—it's a life laid down. It's Monday through Saturday surrender that culminates in Sunday praise. It's trusting God enough to release what we're gripping so tightly.

Your Next Step

What are you withholding from God today? What's the one thing you keep shoving under the bed, hoping He won't notice? A habit? A relationship? An unforgiveness? A dream you refuse to surrender?

No amount of church attendance, financial giving, or volunteer hours can substitute for a surrendered heart. God isn't asking for your perfect performance. He's asking for your complete trust.

Place your pineapple on the altar today. Give God the thing you've been holding back. Let Him work in the areas you've kept closed off. Experience the freedom that comes from total surrender.

Prayer: Father, we confess we've been holding back. We've edited our obedience, kept our pineapples, and called it worship. Today, we surrender everything—the hidden things, the cherished things, the fearful things. Take our whole hearts. We want You more than we want control. Transform us into living sacrifices who trust You completely. In Jesus' name, Amen.

2026-01-25 THE GOSPEL TRANSFORMS OUR PRIORITIES

Join God's Mission: Living with Gospel Purpose in Your Everyday Life

Ever feel like your life is just... happening? Like you're going through the motions—work, errands, maybe church on Sunday—but missing something bigger? What if God's invitation isn't just about getting to heaven someday, but about joining an adventure that starts right now, right where you are?

That's the heart-stirring message from Matthew 9:35-38, where we see Jesus doing something remarkable: He went. He traveled through cities and villages, teaching, preaching, and healing. Simple words, profound meaning. Jesus didn't wait for people to come to Him—He pursued them with compassion and purpose.

Jesus Went—And So Should We

The incarnation itself is God's ultimate "going." He didn't owe us salvation. After humanity's rebellion in Genesis 3, God could have justly walked away. Instead, He came down. Jesus left heaven's glory to walk dusty roads, touch lepers, dine with outcasts, and ultimately die for our sins.

Here's the beautiful truth: Jesus didn't just save us to take us to heaven eventually. He left us here on purpose—to shift our priorities from our mission to His mission. We're not called to spiritual vacation 51 weeks a year with one "missions trip" to feel close to God. We're called to live on mission every single day, exactly where we are.

Think about it: Jesus covered roughly the distance from Meridian to Gulfport in His entire earthly ministry. He didn't need to travel the world to change it. He simply lived with gospel purpose in His everyday context—and that changed everything.

Compassion That Moves Us to Action

Matthew 9:36 reveals Jesus' motivation: "When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them because they were harassed and helpless like sheep without a shepherd." The Greek word for compassion literally means a gut-wrenching burden—like someone reached into Jesus' chest and pulled.

Jesus couldn't change the channel on human suffering. He saw needs—spiritual, physical, emotional—and He acted. He taught truth and healed bodies. He preached the gospel and fed the hungry. He never fell into the ditch of meeting only spiritual needs or only physical needs. He walked the gospel highway, addressing the whole person.

What breaks your heart? Who in your neighborhood, workplace, or school needs to experience God's love through you? Gospel mission isn't just for "professional" missionaries. It's for every follower of Jesus who asks, "God, where are You at work around me? I want to join You there."

The Harvest Is Ready—Will You Go?

Jesus told His disciples, "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few" (Matthew 9:37). This isn't God desperately needing our help because He's powerless. Spoiler alert: Jesus wins. Revelation promises that people from every tribe and tongue will worship Him.

So why does He invite us? Because joining God's mission is the most fulfilling way to spend our one short life. Why invest 80 years in something that might succeed when you can partner in what God is already doing—something guaranteed to matter 10 billion years from now?

Your Next Step

This week, take one practical step:

• Pray for gospel burden. Ask God to break your heart for your city, your campus, your workplace.
• Look for divine appointments. That international student, lonely neighbor, or struggling coworker? God may have placed them in your path.
• Share your story. You don't need a theology degree—just tell what Jesus has done for you.

Don't waste your life. Join the mission. You won't regret it—not one second—for all eternity.

Prayer: Father, thank You for inviting us into Your mission. Give us eyes to see needs around us and courage to act. Break our hearts for what breaks Yours. Help us live like Jesus—going, serving, and proclaiming Your love. We surrender our small lives to Your great purpose. In Jesus' name, amen.