Called to Who (Before Do) |
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Do you ever feel called to more? We live in a culture of more — more promotions, money, square feet, clothes, vacations, followers. But have you noticed how even when you get more, you just want more? Why? Because that brand of more comes from our sin. While one of the many downsides of our fallen nature is to never be satisfied for long with what we have, God made us for a far more significant kind of more. - If you have ever felt called to more, it's because you are called to more.
But the right kind of more. God uniquely created you, gave you gifts, set you apart, and called you: Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God. — Ephesians 4:1 NLT When most Christians hear that they are called, they tend to think about do, not who. They wonder what task, ministry, or job God might be calling them to. Or if God has a specific place for them to live. Some worry they might even miss their calling. - A calling is one way to discover our do. But we learn in the Bible that, as with our attempts to change, a calling focuses on who before do.
In Genesis 12:1, God tells Abram, Go from your country, your people and your father's household to the land I will show you. Verse 4 states, "So Abram went, as the Lord had told him." There was no do yet, only who! In the Ephesians 4 verse, Paul says you have been called to what? A life. "You have been called," so you should "lead a life worthy of your calling." And check out 2 Timothy 1:9: For God saved us and called us to live a holy life. — NLT You are called not just to a life but to a holy life. |
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A calling focuses on who before do. |
A calling focuses on who before do. |
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Yes, you are also called to a ministry, to a do, but that is secondary. Who comes before do. God has called you to a holy life, to be faithful to Him, to realize nothing else compares to "the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus" (Philippians 3:8) and so to live, first and foremost, for Jesus. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him. — Colossians 3:17 What God would have us do and where God would have us go is secondary. Whatever God has you do, you do that for Jesus. Wherever God puts you, you serve Jesus. That's your calling. Your calling is more about who you are becoming than what you are doing. Let me repeat — your calling is more about who you are becoming than what you are doing. You are called not only to serve Jesus but also to become more and more like Him. The more is discovered in the becoming. Another way to say this is you are called first to salvation, then to sanctification, then to serving. Sanctification and serving will then run parallel until Heaven. The two work hand in hand. Here's what that looked like for me: In college, I was an absolute mess and as far from God as you can imagine. Then my fraternity got in a lot of trouble. Mostly as a public relations move at first, I decided to start a Bible study. I began to read the Bible, specifically the Gospels. As I read, I felt drawn to Jesus, so I kept reading. Finally getting to Paul's letters, I came to a verse in Ephesians that says you are saved by grace, not by works. That spoke to me because I knew I could never be good enough for God. I felt Him inviting me to put my faith in Jesus, and I did. God called me to salvation. I responded. I was now a Christian, but I had no idea what that really meant. True story: I had a fraternity brother in my fraternity who, unrelated to me, also became a Christian. We decided to celebrate by going out and getting drunk. We just didn't know any better yet. I was a Christian, but I was nothing like Christ. Gradually, I came to know Jesus more and what it meant for me to live like Him. With God's help, I started to not only identify sin but also say no to it. As I grew in maturity, I would take several steps forward and then a couple back. That ongoing process, which is still happening today, of letting God's Word, empowered by God's Spirit, conform me to the image of Christ was God's calling to sanctification. I was responding. Before long, I realized I was also called to serve. In fact, after experiencing salvation and beginning to be transformed through God's sanctification process, I felt compelled to serve. I felt Him calling me to become a pastor. It made no sense to me or to anyone else — as confusing as John Wick becoming a monk or a mongrel becoming a poodle — but His call was undeniable. I knew I had to answer. Your call to serve will look different from mine. You might volunteer with teenagers, start a ministry, sing in a worship band, edit videos, or teach kids, but the process will be the same. God will call you to salvation, then sanctification, then service. Why? Because who comes before do. |
Excerpted with permission from The Power to Change by Craig Groeschel, copyright Craig Groeschel. * |
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Do you feel called to more? What do you hear the Lord saying to you (even if it seems impossible or truly unlikely for you)? Remember, no matter what, who comes before do! ~ Devotionals Daily |
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Create lasting change with practical principles |
The Power to Change: Mastering the Habits That Matter Most |
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Feeling stuck no matter how hard you try to make positive changes in your life? You can start living the life you want through the practical, biblical, and highly doable strategies in The Power to Change. Few things in life are more frustrating than knowing you need to change, wanting to change, and trying to change, but not changing. Craig Groeschel knows what it's like to be caught in that demoralizing cycle. That was his own story--until he discovered practical principles for experiencing lasting change. Since then, Craig has helped countless others find true change in their relationships, habits, and thoughts. In The Power to Change, Craig helps you understand: - How God's power, not your willpower, leads to true transformation
- The real reasons you do what you do
- Why falling isn't failure
- The power of creating small habits that lead to big change
- How to choose what you want most over what you want now
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A powerful blend of biblical wisdom and fascinating psychology, The Power to Change includes helpful exercises, real-life stories, and life-changing spiritual insights. Whether you are trying to lose weight, breathe new life into your marriage, read the Bible more, get out of debt, or give up an addiction, Craig's step-by-step, time-tested strategies will equip you to start living the life God wants for you. |
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"Craig Groeschel makes change feel possible. It isn't easy to stop what we shouldn't do and start what we should, but Craig serves as a compassionate guide and makes change feel accessible with simple exercises and introspective questions."
— Jennie Allen, New York Times bestselling author; founder and visionary, IF: Gathering |
"Life is about progression, not perfection. The good news is we all have the power to change. But change doesn't happen overnight—it takes time, it takes principles, it takes discipline, and it takes the power of the Holy Spirit. The Power to Change teaches us how to apply these things so we can experience transformation in every area of our lives. As someone who has been transformed by the life and leadership of Craig Groeschel, I know this book will help you experience the same."
— Michael Todd, New York Times #1 bestselling author; lead pastor, Transformation Church |
"I often think that when people want to change, they look to remedies and a wide range of self-help solutions. But this book points you to supernatural lasting change by pointing you to the love of our heavenly Father and power in his name. Pastor Craig does it again, writing in such a clear way how change is possible because of God's power in us, not our own."
— Sadie Robertson Huff, author; speaker; founder, Live Original |
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Plus, save 35% on the workbook! |
The Power to Change Workbook: Mastering the Habits That Matter Most |
In The Power to Change Workbook, which accompanies the book of the same name, pastor and bestselling author Craig Groeschel reveals that it's time to change the way you think about change. It's time to rely on a greater power source than your will and determination. It's time to actually change by learning to master the habits that matter the most. In each section of this workbook, you will gain practical tools that will help you: Evaluate how you think of yourself and your view of God - Learn the value of training over just trying harder
- Discover why habits, rather than hope, lead to lasting change
- Employ the reap-sow principle to change the trajectory of your future
- Recognize God's power as the true catalyst for lasting life change
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A look inside the workbook |
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In the Footsteps of the Savior Online Bible Study |
In the Footsteps of the Savior Online Bible Study |
"This is the wonder of the land where Jesus walked. Each square mile seems to have a message. I pray that the pages of this book bring those messages to life in your life." - Max Lucado You're invited to walk where Jesus walked! Come join the free In the Footsteps of the Savior Online Bible Study with Max Lucado in the weeks leading up to Easter - his first study filmed on location in the Holy Land. |
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this devotion with someone who needs it today |
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