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.

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.