KICKSTART DEVOTIONAL
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On every Mission Discovery trip, we begin the morning together in God’s word. One speaker is chosen to give the word of the day so that everyone else can meditate on the Scripture. Our hope is that volunteers engage in group discussions throughout the day and in their small groups.
Since the way ministry is being done has shifted, our goal is to serve by creating resources that will help others focus on God throughout the day, and influence family and small group discussion.
Join us every weekday as we explore God’s word together. We will have speakers from all over the US and the world. Here is today’s Kickstart Devotional.
Video: Matthew Trent // Streams of Living Water
Social Media Image for Small Groups
Streams of Living Water
I’m Matthew Trent. This is a beautiful day in Pennsylvania. Two of my favorite things here: God’s word and my love for the river. I would like to thank Mission Discovery. For always being on the cutting edge of ministry. This is our current day mission field. Thank you Nathan.
I’ve always loved the river. In fact. My last name Trent means fast-moving water. And funny enough the Bible does have a lot to say about the river.
I’d like to read something for you today. I’ve known Mission Discovery for many years. I’ve served in Jamaica Montego Bay with Pastor Leroy and then also most recently in Tecate, Mexico.
We’re hoping to go back again this year. In fact, our theme is Jesus calling. For starters, he calls us into a relationship with him. It’s kind of foundational. I’d like to read for you something from John 7:37-38. Not to be mistaken for Boeing 737.
“On the greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.”
It’s not the first time I’ve seen that in the Bible. Jesus talks about that with the woman at the well, in a story just a few pages ahead of that. You’ll have to check it out. But it’s mainly an invitation into a relationship. A relationship at every level.
You may have known God for a long time. You may not know him at all and you’re taking a look for the first time. But it’s an invitation in the relationship that grows deeper and knows him more. There is a very visual picture of that and God’s word. Ezekial 47. It’s one of my favorite chapters because it depicts a relationship with God based on a river, and getting in deeper and deeper until it’s kind of over our heads and out of control and we have to depend on him completely.
In those two verses, first, he says, “Let those who are thirsty, those who want to pursue, take a drink. The idea there is this invitation for relationship is to all of us.
Secondly, he says. “My followers, those who are pursuing me, they will have living water flowing from them. I think that’s amazing because it’s living water that comes from Jesus flowing to me, and from me out to others, out to you. Together those verses kind of mean let anyone come and drink and living water will flow out from them.
Of course, I know that’s something that may be easier said than done. And I want you to know that God actually gives us a solution, an answer. We’re born into this world with a sinful nature, kind of like this cup full of good old stony creek water.
Well, add on to that over the years, life has a way of weighing us down. life experiences. Health issues. Maybe deaths in the family or friends. Disappointments we have. Abuse. Our failures.
How about our fears. Worries. Addictions. Relationships. Our jobs and financial. All kinds of stuff that weighs us down sometimes becomes Sin. Sin separates us from God.
You can see that the darkness inside us begins to spill out and into the lives of others. We wonder why we’re being so challenged. Of course, in figuring out that we need to do something different we try to do things on our own. Maybe I’ll start going to a Bible study. Maybe I’ll even go to church or watch it online.
Maybe I’ll do some good things. Hey. Let’s go on a Mission Discovery missions trip. That should be a lot of good. We might try counseling. We might even try praying for help. But we kind of end up right where we were. God offers something different. He offers a fresh start in his relationship with him.
He offers forgiveness and renewal. He offers something fresh, something new. Something that as our relationship grows deeper, that which is within us begins to spill out to others.
Finally, I want to know that God loves you. And really cares about that relationship with you. And in this current climate and all the things going on around us, what do you want to be remembered for? Will living water be spilling out, flowing out from you.
