The Promise of Being Filled

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

October 5th Sermon, Day 5

Following Jesus isn't always popular. When you start hungering and thirsting for righteousness - really caring about justice and mercy - you might find yourself swimming against the current of culture. People might call you naive, soft, or even question your motives.

The world often rewards self-preservation and accumulation, not self-sacrifice and generosity. But here's what Jesus promises to those who persist in pursuing righteousness despite opposition: you will be filled. Not emptied, not depleted, not left wanting - filled. This isn't just a spiritual platitude; it's a practical promise from the One who owns everything. When we step out in faith to care for others, when we choose justice over comfort, when we give sacrificially, God doesn't leave us empty-handed. He fills us with purpose, with joy, with the deep satisfaction that comes from living aligned with His heart. He provides for our needs as we meet the needs of others.

This promise frees us from the fear of scarcity that keeps so many people from generous living. We don't have to hoard or protect what we have because we serve a God of abundance who delights in filling those who hunger and thirst for His righteousness. Yes, you might face criticism. Yes, people might not understand. But you'll have something they don't: the deep, soul-satisfying fullness that comes from living in sync with the heart of God. And that, friend, is worth any temporary discomfort or misunderstanding.

Bible Verse

"In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead." - James 2:17

Reflection Question

What fears about scarcity or criticism have held you back from more fully pursuing righteousness and justice, and how does God's promise to fill you address those fears?

Quote Jesus said, when you provide justice and food and water and clothing and a place for others to live, when you obey me in that way, I will fill you. No need to be scared. There is no scarcity. I will fill you.

Prayer

Lord, help me trust Your promise to fill those who hunger and thirst for righteousness. Give me courage to pursue justice and mercy even when it's unpopular, knowing that You will provide for all my needs. Amen.

Serving Jesus Accidentally

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

October 5th Sermon, Day 4

Imagine if you knew Jesus was coming to your house today. You'd probably clean frantically, prepare the best meal you could, and make sure everything was perfect. You'd want to serve Him with excellence and love.

But what if I told you that Jesus is already showing up at your door - just not in the way you expect? Jesus revealed something stunning: when we serve those in need, we're literally serving Him. The hungry person asking for food? That's Jesus. The lonely neighbor who needs friendship? That's Jesus. The family struggling to make ends meet? That's Jesus in disguise.

This transforms everything about how we view service. We're not just doing good deeds or checking boxes on a charity list. We're having encounters with Christ Himself through the people He places in our path. Every act of kindness, every moment of care, every sacrifice we make for others is received by Jesus as if we were serving Him directly. This perspective changes our motivation entirely. We don't serve others because we have to, but because we get to. We don't help because it's our duty, but because it's our privilege to encounter Jesus in unexpected places and faces. The beautiful truth is that when we serve "the least of these," we discover that we're the ones who are blessed. We find Jesus in places we never expected, and our own hearts are filled in ways we never imagined possible.

Bible Verse

"The King will reply, 'Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.'" - Matthew 25:40

Reflection Question

How would your attitude toward serving others change if you truly believed you were serving Jesus Himself in each person you help?

Quote When we hunger and we thirst for righteousness and when we work for everyone in the world, as much as we can, for people to be fed and safe and welcomed in, when we seek for and fight for God's justice in this world, we are helping people, yes, but we are helping in a very literal sense, Jesus himself.

Prayer

Jesus, help me see You in the faces of those who need help. Give me eyes to recognize You in disguise and a heart eager to serve You through serving others. Thank You for this incredible privilege. Amen.

Justice That Flows From Love

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

October 5th Sermon, Day 3

When we think of justice, we might picture courtrooms and legal proceedings. But scriptural justice is something far more beautiful and personal. It's about lifting up the oppressed, caring for the poor, and restoring what's been broken. It's justice that flows from love, not just law.

This kind of righteousness looks beyond our own comfort and security to see the needs of others. It asks hard questions: Who in my community is hungry? Who feels like a stranger with no place to belong? Who is struggling and needs someone to notice? The scriptural idea of righteousness includes this longing for justice - not because we're trying to fix the world through our own strength, but because we've experienced God's love and can't help but want others to experience it too. When God's love fills us, it naturally overflows toward those who need it most.

This isn't about having all the answers or solving every problem. It's about having eyes to see and hearts that break for what breaks God's heart. It's about small acts of kindness and larger commitments to justice, all flowing from the same source: a God who sees every person as precious and worthy of care. When we hunger and thirst for this kind of righteousness, we're not just seeking personal spiritual growth. We're joining God in His work of restoration and healing in the world. We're becoming part of the answer to the prayer "Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven."

Bible Verse

"Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world." - James 1:27

Reflection Question

What injustice in your community or the world breaks your heart, and how might God be calling you to be part of the solution?

Quote The scriptural idea of righteousness includes the longing for justice, where the oppressed are lifted and the poor are cared for and the broken are restored.

Prayer

God, open my eyes to see the needs around me. Give me a heart that breaks for what breaks Yours, and show me how to be part of Your work of justice and restoration in the world. Amen.

Right Relationship, Right Living

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

October 5th Sermon, Day 2

Righteousness isn't just a theological concept - it's deeply personal and relational. At its core, righteousness means being in right relationship with God. Think about your closest relationships. When things are right between you and someone you love, everything flows differently. Communication is open, trust is strong, and you naturally want to please them.

This is what righteousness looks like with God. It starts with that foundational relationship - knowing that through Christ, we stand right before our heavenly Father. We're not trying to earn His love or prove our worth. We're already accepted, already beloved. From this secure foundation of right relationship flows obedience - not the grudging compliance of a servant, but the joyful response of a child who trusts their Father completely.

When we know God's heart toward us, following His commands becomes less about duty and more about love. But here's what's beautiful: this isn't a private, internal experience. Right relationship with God naturally overflows into how we treat others. We can't truly be right with God while ignoring the needs around us. The same God who loves us unconditionally calls us to extend that love to others, especially those who are hurting or marginalized. Righteousness is multifaceted, but it all begins with this: Are you in right relationship with God? Everything else flows from there.

Bible Verse

"Jesus declared, 'I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.'" - John 6:35

Reflection Question

How does knowing you're already accepted and loved by God change the way you approach obedience and serving others?

Quote Righteousness is a multifaceted word that occurs all over scripture. And one facet of it is that righteousness means right relationship with God.

Prayer

Father, thank You that through Jesus, I can be in right relationship with You. Help me live from this place of acceptance and love, allowing it to overflow into obedience and service to others. Amen.

Desperate Thirst

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

October 5th Sermon, Day 1

Have you ever been so thirsty that you felt desperate? Maybe after a long workout or a hot day outside, when your body craved water with an intensity that consumed your thoughts. That physical desperation is exactly the picture Jesus painted when He described how we should hunger and thirst for righteousness.

Most of us approach our spiritual lives with casual interest - we want to do good, we think righteousness is nice, but we don't feel that life-or-death urgency. Yet Jesus didn't say "blessed are those who think righteousness is a nice idea." He called us to a desperation that mirrors someone dying of thirst. This isn't about working harder or trying to be perfect. It's about recognizing that righteousness - being right with God and living according to His ways - is as essential to our souls as water is to our bodies.

When we truly understand what we're missing without God's righteousness, we begin to crave it with the same intensity as someone gasping for air. The beautiful truth is that this desperate hunger isn't meant to leave us empty. Jesus promises that those who hunger and thirst for righteousness will be filled. God doesn't create this longing in us only to leave us wanting. He satisfies the deepest cravings of our hearts when we seek Him with everything we have. Today, ask yourself: Do I approach my relationship with God with casual interest, or with the desperation of someone who knows their life depends on it?

Bible Verse

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

Reflection Question

What would change in your daily routine if you truly hungered and thirsted for righteousness with the same desperation as someone dying of thirst?

Quote Jesus was saying, hunger and thirst for righteousness as if your life depends on it.

Prayer

Lord, awaken in me a desperate hunger for You and Your righteousness. Help me move beyond casual interest to the kind of spiritual thirst that drives me to seek You with my whole heart. Fill me as only You can. Amen.