 Why do we grumble and complain when we see God give others what we don’t think they deserve, or opportunities He hasn’t given us? After all, we deserve those things!
But do we really? Do we really want what we deserve? Everything we have is God’s mercy. Every opportunity is His grace. Every chance we have to serve in ministry is more than we justly deserve. When we lobby leadership for perceived positions of power and think we have a right to fight for what we really deserve, we forget about what we actually deserve. None of us can truly and genuinely serve apart from Jesus. Our resume, pedigree, or experience is never the reason we receive any opportunity to serve. Only with humility can we realize that ministry isn’t about us. Ministry looks like coming after Jesus, denying ourselves, taking up His cross, and following Him in humble, self-sacrificial, others-centered service.  People often have a “what’s in it for me” motivation for ministry rather than simply a desire to serve. We’re not the only ones who struggle with motivation in ministry. Jesus’ closest and most devoted followers struggled with the proper motivation for ministry.
Jesus really meant what He said when He taught, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.” (Luke 9:23). When we ask what we’ll get out of serving Jesus, we’re asking the wrong question and have the wrong motivation. Watch our study from Sunday as we reflect on our own motivations for ministry and look to Jesus as the best model for serving with genuine motives.  Two verses prior to His interaction with the rich young ruler, Jesus said, “Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it.” So, how would a little child receive the kingdom of God?
Have you ever watched a little child playing with their favorite toy when someone brings a gift far more wonderful than what they have? The child looks at the toy in their hands, then tosses it aside to receive what’s been given, saying, “Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!” This is quite the contrast to how the rich young ruler responded. He wanted to serve something other than God and was unwilling to repent and renounce his old ‘toy’ in favor of something far better. It was never about the money; it was about repenting of idolatry and making God number one on a list of one. The rich young ruler was unwilling to do this. What about you? You can’t do anything to inherit eternal life. The only thing you can do is throw down your sin, run to Jesus, and receive the free gift of salvation He wants to give you. When the Holy Spirit puts His finger on the sin He is dealing with in your life, you have a choice. You can say ‘Yes’ and yield to Him and repent. Or you can say ‘No’ and walk away, unwilling to let go of whatever you loved more than the Lord.
Make no mistake, whatever you love more than the Lord is your god. But no one can serve two masters. That’s why repenting is so important—it is renouncing all other masters. Watch our study of Matthew 19:16-22 as we observed a rich young ruler who was willing to come to Jesus, but unwilling to follow Him.  Throughout the Scriptures, God uses human relationships to convey His emotions and provide an analogy for reconciliation. The book of Hosea contains one of the most powerful examples of the Lord’s love for His people, even when they didn’t love Him back. It explores a human relationship to illustrate His pain and anguish over Israel’s repeated unfaithfulness.
This book has many gut-wrenching verses concerning the sin and impending captivity of Israel. It also contains many verses of the Lord’s love for His people, even when Israel was bent on sin, rebellion, and rejection. Maybe your sin is destroying you. If so, consider the amazing grace and love of the Lord who calls out to us even in the midst of our mess and while we are at our worst: “Israel, return to the Lord your God. Your sins have destroyed you! Tell the Lord you are turning away from your sins. Return to him. Say to him, ‘Forgive us for all our sins. Please be kind to us. Welcome us back to you. Then our lips will offer you our praise.’” (Hosea 14:1-2) Last week, we worked our way through the first half of Matthew 19, where we saw the Pharisees trying to trap Jesus with a question about divorce. They were hoping to get Jesus to state His position so that He would offend those who followed Him.
Of course, Jesus’ position on marriage was consistent from the very beginning. When God’s original intention is broken by sin (specifically by the sin of adultery), divorce is permitted, but not commanded. When you consider that Jesus taught that whoever looks at another lustfully has committed adultery, most marriages would be in jeopardy. And yet, none of us has been faithful in our relationship with God (see Romans 3:23). God has every right and reason to leave us. Though He is permitted to divorce us, He does not. In fact, He continues to pursue us and has made Himself the means of restoring our broken relationship with Him. Watch our study from last Sunday as we turned to the small book of Hosea to see an illustration of God’s faithfulness. Matthew 19 initially appears to address marriage, divorce, singleness, and parenthood. However, its message reaches beyond these topics. When we read the Bible, we often seek solutions for others' sins. Yet, God's word is meant to work within us and draw us into a deeper, unhindered relationship with Him.
 After 25 years of waiting, Abraham was finally blessed with the son God had promised him. But years later, the Lord commanded him to take his only son and offer him as a sacrifice. At the last minute, the Lord stopped Abraham. Isaac was spared. And God provided them with a sacrifice.
This account in Genesis 22 wasn’t just about Abraham or Isaac. It points to another Father and another Son. And the two of them went to the same mountain. But this time, the knife didn’t stop. And that changed everything. Listen to our study from Genesis 22 as we considered the resurrection of Jesus Christ and the hope that this new reality offers to whosoever would believe.  Join us for a special Good Friday worship service on April 3rd at 7pm as we remember the importance of the death of Jesus. Then join us at 10am on Sunday, April 5th as we celebrate His resurrection.
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From Pastor Dom...When I first gave my life to Jesus, there were friends in my life who helped me to grow in my understanding of God, through His word, and for those friends Archives
January 2026
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