1 Corinthians 12:4-7 NIV — There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work. Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. 

Read the full chapter of 1 Corinthians 12.

God creates each of us with unique gifts and talents. How has God equipped you? Are you artistic, musical, have a beautiful voice, good at working with your hands, or have an eye for photography. Perhaps you are nurturing, physically strong, good at writing or speaking, a chef or baker. Spend some time in prayer and reflection. Write down all the unique gifts you have and Thank God for blessing you with each of them. Maybe you recognize your gifts but are not sure how you can glorify God in using them. Ask God to lead you in thinking of ways to serve Him with these gifts and trust him to equip you with whatever needs arise as you serve.

Let us pray Hebrews 13:20-21 NIV — Now may the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing His will, and may He work in us what is pleasing to Him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

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Ephesians 2:10 NIV — For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

According to Merriam Webster dictionary “equip” means to furnish for service or action by appropriate provisioning. In the Bible we find many examples of God equipping His people for His “good works.” God’s use of Moses is one of the most prominent examples of God equipping one who seems incapable. Moses had a speech problem and therefore lacked confidence in his communication with others. Read how Moses first responded to God’s call and how God equipped Moses in Exodus 4:10-17 NIV. God provided a way for Moses to serve.

What is God calling you to do? How has he equipped you? Are you ready to lean on God to help you do the good works He has prepared for you to do?

Let us pray Hebrews 13:20-21 NIV — Now may the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing His will, and may He work in us what is pleasing to Him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

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Take some time to read through and meditate on this week’s featured scriptures.

Ephesians 2:10 NIV — For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

Exodus 4:10-17 NIV

1 Corinthians 12:4-7 NIV — There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work. Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. 

1 Corinthians 12

2 Timothy 3:14-17 NIV — But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

1 Timothy 6:12 NIV — Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses.

Hebrews 13:20-21 NIV — Now may the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

Spend some time worshipping as you listen to It Is Well by Kristen DiMarco. Allow God to speak to you about His plans to equip you for service.

Philippians 3:13-14 NIV — Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

We are finishing up our first full week of 2025 together. Have you committed to any new goals? Are you committed to nurturing God’s temple by taking care of your body? Have you made a plan for keeping your mind focused on Christ? How will you grow spiritually this year? 

Below are my goals for my body, mind, and spirit.

Body: Focus on eating “cleaner” foods

Mind: Read a devotion each day during my lunch break

Spirit: Read the Bible Recap and listen to the podcast

As we end this week together, let’s have a laugh by reading this article titled 22 of the Funniest Tweets About New Year’s Resolutions.

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Mark 12:30-31 NIV — “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”

This week we have discussed setting goals for our body and mind. Have you ever considered setting spiritual goals? Take a moment to read the following articles titled 10 I’m Examples of Spiritual Goals You Should Set and Setting Spiritual Goals for 2024. While the latter was dated for 2024, the ideas shared are informative and relative.

Is God nudging you to work on your spiritual life? What goals are you considering setting for 2025? For 2025, Ray, Julie and myself are joining another friend in The Bible Recap by Tara-Leigh Cobble. Please reach out to one of us if you are interested in joining us on this spiritual growth journey. We would love to hear from you about your spiritual goals!

Let’s pray. Dear Father, thank You for nudging me to continue to grow spiritually. May all that I say and do reflect You. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

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Philippians 4:8 NIV — Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

Yesterday we focused on setting goals for our body by focusing on the spiritual aspect of goal setting. Today, let’s focus on our minds.

Tony Robbins, author of many self-help books, said, “Whatever you focus on is what you get.” In other words, whatever you choose to think about is what will shape your decisions. How can we set a spiritual goal for our minds? Our featured scripture directs us on where to turn our attention — scripture.

I encourage you to set a spiritually grounded goal to keep you focused on Christ. If you do not already have a daily devotion routine, pray about a time each day you can meet with God and focus on reading scripture, devotion, and prayer. If you are already in the practice of a daily devotion time, perhaps you can set a goal of memorizing scripture. Pray about God’s direction for you and ask Him to guide you in making a spiritual goal for growing your mind.

Let’s pray. Dear Heavenly Father, guide and direct me as I set a spiritual goal to grow my mind so I may become more like You. Help me to stay focused on You and Your love. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

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