The World Needs Your Mercy

Sunday Rewind is a 5-day Devotional based on the weekly sermon at Resonate Community Church

October 12th Sermon, Day 5

Look around at our world today. Social media arguments, political divisions, workplace tensions, family conflicts - everywhere we turn, there seems to be a shortage of mercy. People are quick to judge, slow to understand, and reluctant to extend grace to those who think differently or act poorly. But this is exactly where followers of Jesus are called to shine. In a world that operates on contracts - "I'll be nice to you if you're nice to me" - we're invited to live by covenant, showing mercy that can't be earned and kindness that doesn't depend on reciprocation.

This doesn't mean being naive or allowing others to take advantage of us. It means choosing to see people through God's eyes, recognizing that everyone is broken and in need of grace. It means drawing close enough to understand someone's story before rushing to judgment. When we practice this kind of mercy, we become the hands and feet of Jesus in our world. We offer hope to the hopeless, love to the unlovable, and grace to the guilty. We demonstrate that there's a different way to live - one marked by extravagant kindness and generous compassion.

The world desperately needs this kind of mercy, and God has positioned you exactly where you are to be a conduit of his love. Whether it's with your difficult coworker, your struggling neighbor, or even your political opponent, you have the opportunity to show mercy that transforms hearts and changes lives.

Bible Verse

"If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them." - Luke 6:32

Reflection Question

In what specific relationships or situations is God calling you to be his merciful hands and feet, even when it's difficult or the person doesn't seem to deserve it?

Quote The world needs you. The world needs me. The world needs us. Image bearers of our Creator, disciples of Jesus Christ, to be the merciful hands and feet of Jesus.

Prayer

Lord, use me as an instrument of your mercy in this world. Help me to see others through your eyes and to love them with your heart. Give me wisdom to know how to show extravagant kindness in practical ways. Amen.

Beyond Forgiveness

Sunday Rewind is a 5-day Devotional based on the weekly sermon at Resonate Community Church

October 12th Sermon, Day 4

When we think of mercy, we often think of forgiveness - letting someone off the hook when they've wronged us. But mercy goes much deeper than that. True mercy is about stepping completely out of our own world and into someone else's experience. Imagine getting so close to another person's situation that you can see through their eyes, think with their thoughts, and feel what they're feeling.

This isn't just sympathy from a distance; it's entering into their story with generous compassion and extravagant kindness. This kind of mercy can't be earned or demanded. It's freely given, like a covenant rather than a contract. Contractual thinking says, "I'll be kind to you if you're kind to me." Covenantal mercy says, "I choose to love you regardless of what you do in return."

Jesus demonstrated this ultimate mercy by leaving heaven to enter our human story. He didn't just observe our struggles from afar; he experienced hunger, rejection, betrayal, and pain. He walked the road of judgment that we deserved, taking on himself the consequences of our brokenness. When we show this kind of mercy to others - especially to those who don't deserve it or can't repay it - we reflect God's character to the world. We become conduits of the same unbreakable loyalty and abundant love that God has shown us.

Bible Verse

"Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful." - Luke 6:36

Reflection Question

Who in your life needs you to step into their world with generous compassion, and what would it look like to show them covenantal mercy rather than conditional kindness?

Quote To be merciful, we aren't just about forgiveness. We are also about unbreakable loyalty, extravagant kindness, generous compassion, and abundant love.

Prayer

Father, help me to love others with the same extravagant mercy you've shown me. Give me the courage to step into difficult situations with generous compassion, reflecting your unbreakable loyalty and abundant love. Amen.

The Beautiful Hunger

Sunday Rewind is a 5-day Devotional based on the weekly sermon at Resonate Community Church

October 12th Sermon, Day 3

Have you ever been so hungry that food was all you could think about? Or so thirsty that you'd do anything for a drink of water? Jesus used this imagery to describe a spiritual condition that leads to blessing - hungering and thirsting for righteousness. This isn't just about wanting to be a good person or follow moral rules. It's a deep, consuming desire for things to be right - in our hearts, in our relationships, and in our world. It's longing to live in proper alignment with God and to see justice flourish around us.

When we truly hunger for righteousness, we're not satisfied with surface-level changes or quick fixes. We want transformation that goes to the core. We desire authentic relationship with God, not just religious activity. We long for genuine love in our relationships, not just polite interactions. This hunger also extends beyond ourselves. We begin to care deeply about justice for the oppressed, mercy for the broken, and hope for the hopeless. We can't be content with a world where some have abundance while others lack basic needs, where some are valued while others are dismissed.

The beautiful promise is that this hunger will be satisfied. Not necessarily all at once, but progressively as we grow in our relationship with God and participate in his work of making all things new. Every act of justice, every moment of authentic connection, every step toward righteousness feeds this holy hunger.

Bible Verse

"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled." - Matthew 5:6

Reflection Question

In what areas of your life do you feel the strongest hunger for things to be made right, and how is God inviting you to participate in satisfying that hunger?

Quote We are blessed when we feel desperately thirsty and famished for righteousness, which not only means that we hunger and thirst for a just and moral personal life, we also hunger and thirst for living in right relationship with God.

Prayer

God, increase my appetite for righteousness. Help me to hunger not just for personal holiness, but for your justice and love to be evident in every area of life. Fill me as I seek to live in right relationship with you and others. Amen.

The Ache That Leads to Hunger

Sunday Rewind is a 5-day Devotional based on the weekly sermon at Resonate Community Church

October 12th Sermon, Day 2

There's something powerful about feeling deeply troubled by the brokenness around us. When we see injustice, pain, or suffering - whether in our own lives or in the world - and it moves us to tears, we're experiencing something sacred. This mourning isn't just sadness; it's a holy dissatisfaction with the way things are. It's the recognition that our world is fractured and needs healing.

When we allow ourselves to feel this deeply, we're aligning our hearts with God's heart, who also grieves over brokenness and longs for restoration. Many of us have been taught to push through difficult emotions or to "stay positive" in the face of hardship.

But Jesus taught that there's blessing in mourning - not because suffering is good, but because it opens our hearts to receive comfort and compels us to seek change. This mourning also creates in us a hunger and thirst for righteousness. We begin to long not just for personal moral improvement, but for right relationships - with God, with others, and with the world around us. This spiritual hunger is actually a sign of spiritual health, indicating that we're alive to what matters most. When we feel that deep ache for things to be made right, we're not being overly sensitive or naive. We're responding as God's image-bearers should, with hearts that break for what breaks God's heart.

Bible Verse

"Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted." - Matthew 5:4

Reflection Question

What brokenness in your life or in the world around you moves you to tears, and how might God be using that mourning to shape your heart for his purposes?

Quote We're blessed when we see the brokenness in our own lives and in the world around us and we mourn because of it.

Prayer

Lord, give me a heart that feels deeply about the things that matter to you. Help me not to become numb to suffering, but to let it drive me closer to you and motivate me to be part of your healing work in the world. Amen.

When Life Gets Flipped Upside Down

Sunday Rewind is a 5-day Devotional based on the weekly sermon at Resonate Community Church

October 12th Sermon, Day 1

Have you ever had your understanding of something completely turned around? Maybe you thought you knew what success looked like, only to discover it was entirely different than you imagined.

Jesus had a way of doing this with people's expectations. In his famous teaching, Jesus presented a radical view of what it means to be blessed. Instead of celebrating the wealthy, powerful, or self-sufficient, he highlighted those who recognized their need - the spiritually poor, the mourning, the hungry for righteousness. This wasn't just a nice sentiment; it was a complete reversal of cultural values. When we come to God empty-handed, acknowledging that we don't have it all together, we position ourselves to receive something beautiful.

There's freedom in admitting our brokenness rather than pretending we have everything figured out. It's in this vulnerable place that we discover God's grace isn't earned through our performance or achievements. This upside-down kingdom Jesus described isn't about lowering standards or settling for less. It's about recognizing that true blessing comes from a different source entirely. When we stop trying to earn our way into God's favor and instead receive it as a gift, we find the peace and purpose we've been searching for. Today, consider what areas of your life you've been trying to manage on your own strength. What would it look like to approach God with empty hands, ready to receive rather than trying to earn?

Bible Verse

"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." - Matthew 5:3

Reflection Question

What aspects of your life are you still trying to control or perfect on your own, and how might acknowledging your need in these areas actually be a pathway to blessing?

Quote We are blessed when we recognize that we don't have it all together. We are blessed when we are impoverished and empty handed, when we come to God and could never earn ranking in the kingdom of God on our own merit.

Prayer

God, help me to embrace the freedom that comes from admitting I don't have it all together. Give me the courage to come to you with empty hands, trusting that your grace is sufficient for all my needs. Amen.