Every Stone Causes a Ripple

Stock Image of a Ripple in Water

We see in the Great Commission, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:19-20 NRSV).

Every stone that is tossed into the pond creates a ripple. There is not one person who will be able to go to all nations and evangelize all in the world. But for every person living into the calling that God has set upon their lives and is doing the work to which God has called them, they are like a stone thrown into a pond. They are causing a ripple effect creating the space and place for others to live into their calling and do the work God calls them. Then when everyone is living into their calling and doing the work of God here on earth, we as the Body of Christ are going to all nations and proclaiming the Gospel.

It can be so easy to look at the bigger picture and think that we have to take on so much to fulfill the great calling of God. However, God does not call each and every one of us to fulfill the big picture alone. God calls us to a work that each of us can do ourselves that will eventually cause such a ripple effect that the collective Body of Christ effectively fulfills the great calling.

The very work you are doing has such a significant impact that when combined with all the other work done to fulfill the calling of God, the Great Commission becomes a possibility. As the ripple gets larger and larger, the Great Commission becomes closer and closer. One day this Great Commission will be completed and would not have been possible without the very work you are doing. You are a stone thrown in the pond, and your ripple is making it possible for others to find themselves tossed into the pond. Thank you for living into your calling!

© 2021 Kiersten Smeal

Reckless Love- Cory Asbury

Before we could form words, God knew what we would say. Before we took our first breath, God was breathing for us. God has been good to us before we even could recognize God’s goodness. This is the reckless love of God.

When we are straying from the path God wills us to be on, it is God who is chasing after us. Even in our unworthiness, God has paid the ultimate price for each of us. This is the reckless love of God.

This reckless love of God is God’s continual pursuit of each one of us. It is a love that never ends. This love is for each of us as if we were the only ones. Nothing can come between us and the love of God. All of the barriers are defeated by God. This is the reckless love of God.

What walls have been knocked down in God’s pursuit of you?

The God Who Stays- Matthew West

 When the going gets tough, we find it hard to believe God hasn’t given up on us. We find it hard to believe because we feel like giving up on ourselves. When we feel broken, we don’t see the reason of pushing on nor do we see the possibility of being fixed again. God is the God who stays.

We tend to feel ashamed and we hide from the people around us. We attempt to hide from God as well, but it is not possible to hide from God. If you have tried, you know this is true. God is the God who stays.

The truth is that nothing can separate us from the love of God (Romans 8:38-39). Nothing we have done, said, or thought can separate us from the love of God. No one has the power to remove us from the presence of God. No matter how hard we try to hide from God, God is still there. God is the God who stays.

God is the God who stays. God is always welcoming us with open arms. God is there even when we feel the most alone. God is always reminding us that nothing can separate us from God’s love. God is the God who stays.

How do you know God is the God who stays?

New Wine-Hillsong Worship

Making new wine comes from pressing and crushing. Breaking new ground comes from the act of surrendering. Neither of these processes are promised to be easy, but they always prove worthy in the end. Surrendering ourselves to the hand of God requires much trust. A trust that we know as faith.

Surrendering ourselves to God means offering ourselves up to align ourselves with the will of God. We become a vessel through which God works here on earth We admit that without God we are nothing and become full when we have God.

When we allow ourselves to become new wine, we are empowered through the Holy Spirit and freed from our hold to sin. The old passes away and we walk away holding the flame of Christ. A light that cannot be overcome.

When we have this flame we will be forever singing praises to the Lord. We will be placing ourselves back on the altar. The process of becoming new wine is an on-going process. A process that continually brings us closer to God.

Are you surrendering yourself to be made into new wine?