Our Next Move

Key verse

We love because he first loved us. 1 John 4:19 NIV

Have you ever felt like the weight of the world was on your shoulders? That feeling you get before a big test, or as you’re filling out an application for a new job, or when you’re about to have a baby. Sometimes, before I preach a message, I get this feeling like it’s all on me. God gently reminds me that the only thing I can add to life is my obedience and that it’s really all on Him. I simply get to be a part of it.

There is a story in the Bible about Jesus riding a donkey into Jerusalem. Crowds are cheering, laying down palm branches and their jackets and calling out to Jesus as if He were a king. Imagine if, the donkey was like, “I am so nervous. All these people are counting on me. They are waving branches at me and cheering me on. What if I screw up?” Kind of silly, right? Sometimes we take this same attitude. We have the King of Kings in our hearts. He came and found us, and if we simply do what He made us to do, we can walk in a divine flow of grace.

The vision of this year is a continuation of last year—One Savior, One Step, One Soul.

We have said this in various ways over the last three decades at East Coast:

• Exaltation, Edification, Evangelism

• Reach Up, Reach In, Reach Out

• Christ, Community, Connection

• Love God, Love the Church, Love People

No matter how we say it, the order is what matters the most. Put God first. Make a move toward Him. Give generously to others.

One Savior

Everything I have comes from God. Through all of these devotions, you will see God’s steps toward you: His power, peace, mercy, truth, forgiveness, and grace. This is the character of God. Jesus is literally our Savior. Without Him, we cannot save ourselves. He moves toward us, and then we take our next step.

One Step

The key to our growth is that we would obey. What does God want from us? Does He want us to be perfect? No. He simply wants us to take little steps. Being faithful in the little things is all that matters to God. He handles the big things. We get to be a part of the grand things of God’s life by taking little steps.

One Soul

God doesn’t pick us just so we can have a fancy life and be on the starting team. He actually blesses us so that we can be a blessing. We don’t just obey Him. We take what God gives us, and we give it to other people. The “one soul” matters to God, therefore the “one soul” matters to us.

We love God and others because God loved us first. We take one step. The beauty is that we are not doing this alone.

This is Our Next Move. Let’s do it together.

Prayer

Lord, help me put You first in every part of my life. Open my eyes to see and ears to hear You clearly over the next twenty-one days, so I can become all you have called me to be.