One Heart, One Love

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

October 19th Sermon, Day 2

Have you ever tried to focus on two important things at the same time? Maybe you've attempted to have a meaningful conversation while scrolling through your phone, or tried to pray while your mind wandered to your to-do list. It's nearly impossible to give your full attention to both.

This is exactly what Jesus was addressing when He talked about purity of heart. A pure heart isn't about never making mistakes or achieving moral perfection. Instead, it's about having undivided devotion to God—one focus, one allegiance, one love.

Think about the things that compete for your heart's attention. Maybe it's your career ambitions, your financial security, your social media presence, or even your reputation among friends and family. These aren't necessarily bad things, but when they divide our hearts and compete with our devotion to God, they become obstacles to seeing Him clearly.

The truth is, we all struggle with divided hearts. We want to love God, but we also want to protect our image, pursue our dreams, and maintain control over our lives. Jesus understood this struggle, which is why He said no one can serve two masters.

When your heart becomes focused solely on God, something beautiful happens. You begin to see Him everywhere—in the sunrise, in a friend's kindness, in the way circumstances work together for good. Your spiritual vision becomes clearer because your heart isn't clouded by competing loyalties.

Today, God is inviting you to examine what might be dividing your heart and to choose Him above all else.

Bible Verse

'Who may ascend the mountain of the Lord? Who may stand in his holy place? The one who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not trust in an idol or swear by a false god.' - Psalm 24:3-4

Reflection Question

What is currently competing with God for your heart's devotion, and what would it look like to surrender that area completely to Him?

Quote To be pure in heart is to have a heart undivided in devotion to God. It's to have one focus, one allegiance, one love.

Prayer

Father, I confess that my heart is often divided between You and other things. Help me to identify what competes for my devotion and give me the courage to choose You above all else. Make my heart undivided in its love for You. Amen.

The Promise That Changes Everything

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

October 19th Sermon, Day 1

Imagine if someone told you that you could actually see God. Not just learn about Him or hear about Him, but truly see Him. This isn't some mystical experience reserved for spiritual elites or ancient prophets. Jesus made this incredible promise to ordinary people like you and me.

When Jesus spoke these words, His audience was obsessed with external cleanliness and ritual purity. They believed that following the right ceremonies and maintaining outward appearances would bring them closer to God. But Jesus completely shifted their understanding. He wasn't talking about being clean on the outside; He was talking about something far more profound happening on the inside.

This promise is available to you today. It's not about achieving perfection or following a complex set of rules. It's about the condition of your heart. The question isn't whether you look good to others or whether you've checked all the religious boxes. The question is: what's happening in the deepest part of who you are?

God wants to reveal Himself to you in ways you've never imagined. He wants you to recognize His presence in your daily life, to see His hand at work in your circumstances, and to experience His love in a tangible way. This journey begins with understanding that seeing God isn't about external performance—it's about internal transformation.

The beautiful truth is that this promise is for you, right where you are today. You don't have to wait until you're 'good enough' or 'spiritual enough.' God is ready to show Himself to you now.

Bible Verse

'Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.' - Matthew 5:8

Reflection Question

What external things have you been focusing on in your relationship with God, and how might He be calling you to shift your attention to what's happening in your heart?

Quote “What if I told you that you could see God? Jesus tells us something astonishing: We can see God!”

Prayer

Lord, thank You for the incredible promise that I can see You. Help me to stop focusing on external appearances and start paying attention to what You want to do in my heart. Open my eyes to see You at work in my life today. Amen.

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.