God’s Mercy Frees You to Serve

[God’s Mercy Frees You to Serve]( Current Teaching Series [The Miracle of Mercy]( [Listen to Today's Broadcast]( [God’s Mercy Frees You to Serve]( By Rick Warren — 03/18/2022 [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Pinterest]( [Email]( “Since God in His mercy has given us this ministry, we do not lose heart.” 2 Corinthians 4:1 (BSB) You were created to make a contribution with your life, not to just exist and live only for yourself. God shaped you to serve him, and it’s all because of his mercy. Paul said in 2 Corinthians 4:1: “Since God in His mercy has given us this ministry, we do not lose heart” (BSB). Some people think “ministry” is a churchy word. It’s something only ministers do. But anytime you use the talents, gifts, and abilities God has given you to help somebody else, you’re doing ministry. Even your job can be your ministry—whether you’re an accountant, teacher, or truck driver! When you understand that everything God does through you is because of his mercy, two things happen: You don’t have to prove your worth. Do you ever try to prove your worth through your work? Maybe you think that the more successful you are, the more valuable you are. But your worth has nothing to do with your work. Instead, your worth is found in the fact that God made you, loves you, and sent Jesus to die for you. Understanding God’s mercy takes you off the performance track. You don’t have to wallow in your mistakes. We’ve all made mistakes. We’ve all sinned. But because of God’s mercy, you don’t have to dwell on your past. You can repent and turn away from your sin. Your past doesn’t have to hold you back from doing the work God has given you to do. In fact, God has never used a perfect person—because there aren’t any, except for Jesus Christ. When you look through the Bible, you’ll find all kinds of people who God used despite their mistakes. Jacob was a chronic liar; Rahab was a prostitute; Jonah was fearful and reluctant; Martha worried a lot; the Samaritan woman had several failed marriages; Peter was impulsive; Moses, David, and Paul were all guilty of murder. Yet God used each person in incredible ways. So there’s nothing that would prevent God from using you. Because of God’s great mercy, you can live out God’s purpose for your life. [PLAY today’s audio teaching from Pastor Rick >>]( Talk It Over - What would it look like if you approached your job like it was a ministry? - What do you allow determine your worth and value? - Is there a past sin or mistake that’s been keeping you from living out God’s purposes? Take time to talk to God about it. The post [God’s Mercy Frees You to Serve]( appeared first on [Pastor Rick's Daily Hope](. [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Pinterest]( [Email]( [Get The Miracle of Mercy Study Kit when you give a gift to support Daily Hope!]( "Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy" – (Matthew 5:7 NIV). Mercy is the number one attribute used to describe God in Scripture. It’s the reason we can approach him with confidence—and it’s something he calls us to show to others. We want to help you do that by sending you Pastor Rick’s Miracle of Mercy study kit. Through his 6-session DVD and workbook study, you’ll discover the five marks of biblical mercy as you learn how to: • Forgive the fallen • Help the hurting • Be patient with difficult people • Show kindness to your enemies • And care for the lost [LEARN MORE]( [Complete Audio Series (Purchase)]( Includes 5 full-length messages from Pastor Rick's series The Miracle of Mercy. [LEARN MORE]( [Series Summary]( Message 1: God Can Use Anybody Message 2: God's Mercy and My Failures Message 3: How Much You Matter to God Message 4: Showing Mercy to Your Family Message 5: Being an Agent of Mercy in the World [PLAY TODAY'S BROADCAST]( Pastor Rick Warren [Facebook]( [Instagram]( [Linkedin]( Enjoy today's devotional? Listen to Pastor Rick’s daily audio teaching at [PastorRick.com]( Did someone forward this devotional to you? [Subscribe to Pastor Rick Warren's Daily Devotional.]( As the founding pastor of Saddleback Church with his wife Kay, Dr. Rick Warren leads a 30,000-member congregation in California with campuses in major cities around the world. As an author, his book [The Purpose Driven Life]( is one of the best-selling nonfiction books in publishing history. It has been translated into 74 languages and sold more than 50 million copies in all formats. His book [The Purpose Driven Church]( was named one of the 100 Christian books that changed the century. Rick also founded [The PEACE Plan]( to address five global issues—spiritual emptiness, self-serving leadership, poverty, disease, and illiteracy—through the power of ordinary people in the local church. You can listen to Pastor Rick’s Daily Hope, his daily 25-minute audio teaching, and sign up for his free daily devotionals at [PastorRick.com](. © 2022 by Rick Warren. All rights reserved. Used by permission. You can unsubscribe by clicking the link below. Sent to: {EMAIL} [Unsubscribe]( Pastor Rick's Daily Hope, 23182 Arroyo Vista, Rancho Santa Margarita, CA 92688, United States