Introduction

Ladies and gentlemen, brothers and sisters in Christ, I greet you all in the precious name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. It's wonderful to see each of you here today, gathered in fellowship and in pursuit of the wisdom that can only be found in God's holy Word. Today, we find ourselves standing on the precipice of a profound exploration of faith, as we turn our hearts and minds to the Gospel of Luke, chapter 9, verse 62.

In this passage, Jesus tells us, "No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God." This is a powerful message, one that challenges us to consider our commitment to God's call, our use of the strengths He has blessed us with, and the growth we can achieve when we focus our energies on our spiritual development.

Heeding God's Call

In our lives, we often find ourselves at crossroads, where we must make choices that will shape our future. These choices require us to step out of our comfort zones. But as followers of Christ, we are not alone in these moments of decision. We have a guide, a compass that can help us navigate these challenging times. This guide is God's call to us.

God's call is not always loud and clear. It's not always a booming voice from the heavens. More often than not, it's a gentle whisper in our hearts, a subtle nudge in the right direction. It's a feeling of peace when we make the right choice, a sense of unease when we stray from the path. It's the quiet voice of conscience, the inner light of wisdom.

But how do we recognize this call? How do we know when God is speaking to us? The answer lies in the Bible, in the teachings of Jesus. Jesus tells us that we must be like children to enter the kingdom of God. This means that we must be open, receptive, and trusting. We must be willing to listen, to learn, and to follow. We must be humble enough to admit that we don't have all the answers, and wise enough to seek guidance from the One who does.

The first step in heeding God's call is to cultivate a relationship with Him. This involves spending time in prayer, reading and meditating on the Scriptures, and seeking to live out His teachings in our daily lives. It means striving to love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, and to love our neighbors as ourselves.

Next is to be attentive to the ways in which God communicates with us. God speaks to us in many ways - through the beauty of nature, through the words of a friend, through the circumstances of our lives. We must learn to recognize these divine messages and to respond to them with faith and obedience.

The third step is to be willing to take action. Heeding God's call is not just about listening; it's about doing. It's about putting our faith into action, about stepping out in faith even when the path ahead is unclear.

Finally is to persevere. Heeding God's call is a lifelong commitment. It's a journey of faith that requires patience, courage, and determination. There will be times when we stumble, when we lose our way, when we feel like giving up. But we must press on, trusting in God's grace and mercy to sustain us.

Harnessing Our Strengths

We are now confronted with the necessity of harnessing our strengths ... View this full PRO sermon free with PRO