Daily Devotions with Pastor John - The Great Commission

0:00What happens when faith and mental health meet for real? What's up? I'm Grace Graber. Welcome to Breaking Through with Grace Graber, a podcast for honest conversations about anxiety, trauma, healing, hope, and the God who never backs away when life gets heavy. We are going to talk about everything mental health. No pretending, no perfect answers, just real stories, real faith, and a reminder that you're not alone. Get ready. You're going to be absolutely obsessed. Breaking through with Grace Graber, available now, wherever you get your podcasts. Life Audio For more resources to help you in your walk with Christ, please visit us at BibleStudyHeadquarters.com. Hey listeners, it's Kelly from Life Audio. We know life gets busy, and sometimes it's easy for your faith to get pushed to the side. That's why we created the Good Word, a free weekly newsletter designed to give you a moment to slow down, be encouraged, and reconnect with what matters most.

1:00God's Word. Inside you'll find devotionals, guided prayers, podcast recommendations, and other faith-built content we think you'll love. No ads, no clutter. Just good content to help you stay rooted in God's Word throughout your week. Sign up for the Good Word today at lifeaudio.com-forward-slash-the-good-word. That's lifeaudio.com-forward-slash-the-good-word. You're listening to Daily Devotions with Pastor John. I'm John Stongy, and today's devotion is inspired by Matthew, Chapter 28, verses 19 and 20, which says, Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you, and behold, I am with you always to the end of the age.

2:03Your life has a purpose, as people who have been blessed by Jesus with the privilege to know Him, trust Him, love Him, and follow Him. He has commissioned us to help others come to know Him as well. He invites us to share the good news of His gospel in every context He places us in. Likewise, as others come to know Him, He teaches us to remain involved in their lives as leaders, mentors, or teachers. He wants to see seasoned mature Christians making intentional investments in the growth and maturity of newer Christians. What's the mark of a mature Christian? A mature Christian loves Jesus enough that they actually obey the counsel of His Word, instead of idolizing their own ideas and preferences. This is something Jesus wants mature Christians to help those who are new in the faith to also come to understand. Likewise, Christ gives believers the privilege to identify with Him in

3:07baptism as a visible expression of the faith and devotion He has fostered within us. This is a privilege He wants us to share with as many people as we possibly can. Let's pray. Lord, we thank You for Your Word, and we thank You for the privilege that it is to be able to look at this pivotal portion of Scripture from the gospel of Matthew. And, Lord, we know that You promise that You will be with us all throughout this era of history. You're right here present in our lives. You're not off at a distance. You're with us in every way. And You tell us to be mindful of that as we go and make disciples of all nations, encouraging people to identify with You in baptism as an expression of their genuine faith and teaching others to obey what You have commanded. Lord, we know that that's something You've been teaching us throughout the course of our

4:09lives. You've been helping us to value Your words and Your instruction over our own ideas. You've been developing a sensitivity within our hearts where we learn to listen to Your council instead of rejecting it. And You're encouraging us to model this for others and to directly teach others what it means to listen to Your Word. Lord, we realize that it's so easy for us to go through our lives, idolizing our own preferences and idolizing our own ideas, and putting the things that our sin nature would prefer over what You have communicated to us in the Scriptures. Lord, we know that it's Your desire that we become mature followers of Yours. And as we embrace that priority, we pray that we would live out the commission that You've given to us in Matthew 28 to help mentor and disciple others so that they would gain a better glimpse of what it means to listen to You and follow You as well. We do so, Lord, by faith,

5:14knowing that You have softened our hearts and You have prompted us to trust in You. And we're grateful for these instructions that teach us how our faith is to be lived out. Thank You for all of these things, and we pray this in Jesus' name. Amen. Thanks for watching Mom's Wherever You Listen to Podcast.