Wray Church of the Nazarene

Work was part of God's original design for humanity, not a consequence of the fall. The frustration we experience in work came after sin entered the world, but work itself remains meaningful and good. Colossians 3:23 calls us to work wholeheartedly, as if serving Jesus directly, which reframes every task as an offering rather than an obligation. This applies to every kind of work, whether paid or unpaid, noticed or invisible. When Jesus is our primary audience, the value of our work is no longer determined by who notices it or what it pays. Our identity does not come from our productivity. We work from the security of being chosen, holy, and dearly loved. There is no such thing as insignificant work when it is faithfully placed in His hands. For sermon notes, recap, and devotionals, click here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://sermons.wraynaz.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ For all our links, click here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://linktr.ee/wraynaz

It is easy to look devoted on Sunday, but the real test of faith happens in everyday moments at home, at work, and in our closest relationships. Colossians 3:12-14 calls followers of Jesus to clothe themselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, and love. Before telling us how to act, Paul reminds us who we already are: chosen, holy, and dearly loved by God. Because we have received grace, we can extend grace. The people closest to us should not be getting the leftovers of our discipleship. They should be among the first to experience what Jesus is doing in us. Christian relationships are not powered by personality or willpower. They are powered by the grace of the gospel. For sermon notes, recap, and devotionals, click here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://sermons.wraynaz.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ For all our links, click here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://linktr.ee/wraynaz

We often divide life into the sacred and the ordinary, treating Sunday as spiritual and everything else as just regular life. But Scripture does not support that division. Paul writes in Colossians 3:17 that whatever we do, in word or deed, should be done in the name of Jesus. Jacob discovered God had been present in an ordinary, fearful moment all along. Moses encountered holy ground in the middle of a regular workday. The invitation is not to manufacture dramatic spiritual experiences, but simply to grow in awareness that Jesus is already present in every place we go. Ordinary saints carry an extraordinary God into the everyday places of life. For sermon notes, recap, and devotionals, click here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://sermons.wraynaz.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ For all our links, click here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://linktr.ee/wraynaz

You do not have to be extraordinary for God to use you. Throughout Scripture, God consistently chose ordinary people: fishermen, farmers, the youngest sibling, a young woman from an insignificant town. A saint is not someone who finally became impressive enough for God to claim. A saint is an ordinary person whom God has claimed by grace and is making holy. Jesus did not tell Peter to clean himself up first. He simply said, follow Me, and I will make you. The invitation is the same today. Stop waiting to become someone else before you give Jesus your ordinary life. For sermon notes, recap, and devotionals, click here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://sermons.wraynaz.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ For all our links, click here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://linktr.ee/wraynaz

What if the way you respond to a frustrating day says more about your faith than anything you post online? God is not just forgiving your past. He is actively shaping your present. The question is whether you are cooperating with what He is already doing in you or quietly resisting it. Are you working out your salvation, or just working around it? For sermon notes, recap, and devotionals, click here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://sermons.wraynaz.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ For all our links, click here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://linktr.ee/wraynaz