Devo for 10/26/2025 Service - Message by Pastor Andrew Thomas

Pastor Andrew continued the series ”Our Purpose” last weekend, talking about growth.  The series is based on the 5 purposes of LifeMission Church:

Salvation-Family-Freedom-Growth-Mission

Pastor Andrew noted the importance of spiritual growth in our walk with Jesus. He mentioned how Paul showed us by example that our ministry includes planting seeds and watering people while God does the growing.

 I planted, Apollos watered, but God was causing the growth.  So then neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but God who causes the growth.              1 Corinthians 3:6-7

One might read this verse and miss an important point: we have to be willing to let God grow us.  If we neglect ourselves, we will not be effective in planting seeds and watering others for very long.   We cannot pour out from an empty cup, so we have to be growing ourselves.

To go along with our opportunity to let God grow us, this next verse highlights an area that men tend to struggle with when trying to grow.

“Brothers and sisters, I do not regard myself as having taken hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead,” Philippians 3:13

This is an excellent piece of wisdom from Paul.  He is telling us to forget the things of the past and focus on moving forward.  Too many times, we hang on to something that anchors us in our past.  It might be a wound, or words spoken over us, a sin we committed, an addiction, or a life experience that hurt us.  It’s almost like we are reaching out to God with our right hand so we can grow, but with our left hand, we are holding onto a stronghold from our past that is firmly anchored in the ground.  This prevents us from growing and getting all that God has for us.  Doing this can cause us to become empty, isolated, and stagnant.

So, what part of your past are you still holding on to?  What are you not letting go of? Spend time asking the Father to show you the answer to these questions.  Ask Him to show you how to let go!  Then start walking in the wisdom found in Isaiah!

“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past.” Isaiah 43:18

Don’t forget to invite God into your day!

Topic for Study

• Transformation

• Galatians 2:20

• Romans 12:2

• Psalm 51:10-12

October Memory Verse: 

Psalm 51:2

“Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin”