Week 39 : Underground Jesus: Movement
September 28-October 2
DAY 1
Day 1: You Were Made for a Mission
Reading: Acts 13:1-3 — The church at Antioch worships, fasts, and receives direction from the Holy Spirit to send out Barnabas and Saul for the work they were called to.
Devotional: Every movement begins before it becomes visible. In Antioch, the mission did not start with a strategy session or a budget meeting. It started in a room full of people who were worshiping and fasting. They were not waiting for perfect conditions. They were positioning themselves before God so that God could position them for the world. The mission of God has always been larger than any one person, any one church, or any one culture. You were not saved simply to occupy a seat. You were saved to participate in something eternal. Ask yourself today: am I available to be sent?
Reading: Acts 13:1-3 — The church at Antioch worships, fasts, and receives direction from the Holy Spirit to send out Barnabas and Saul for the work they were called to.
Devotional: Every movement begins before it becomes visible. In Antioch, the mission did not start with a strategy session or a budget meeting. It started in a room full of people who were worshiping and fasting. They were not waiting for perfect conditions. They were positioning themselves before God so that God could position them for the world. The mission of God has always been larger than any one person, any one church, or any one culture. You were not saved simply to occupy a seat. You were saved to participate in something eternal. Ask yourself today: am I available to be sent?
DAY 2
Day 2: Diversity Is Divine
Reading: Galatians 3:28 — This passage declares that in Christ there is no division among people based on ethnicity, social standing, or background, because all are one in him.
Devotional: The leadership team at Antioch was not accidental. God assembled a group of people from different backgrounds, ethnicities, and social classes and called them to lead together. A Levite, a man described as black, a Roman from North Africa, a man raised among political elites, and a former religious persecutor all sat at the same table. This was not a coincidence. This was a blueprint. The kingdom of God has never been the property of one culture. When the church reflects the diversity of heaven, it sends a message to the world that Jesus is for everyone. Unity in diversity is not a political statement. It is a kingdom statement.
Reading: Galatians 3:28 — This passage declares that in Christ there is no division among people based on ethnicity, social standing, or background, because all are one in him.
Devotional: The leadership team at Antioch was not accidental. God assembled a group of people from different backgrounds, ethnicities, and social classes and called them to lead together. A Levite, a man described as black, a Roman from North Africa, a man raised among political elites, and a former religious persecutor all sat at the same table. This was not a coincidence. This was a blueprint. The kingdom of God has never been the property of one culture. When the church reflects the diversity of heaven, it sends a message to the world that Jesus is for everyone. Unity in diversity is not a political statement. It is a kingdom statement.
DAY 3
Day 3: God Can Change Your Name
Reading: Genesis 17:5 — God changes Abram's name to Abraham, signifying a new identity tied to a specific divine calling and promise that would extend to all nations.
Devotional: When God changes a name in Scripture, he is not simply updating a label. He is rewriting an identity to match a mission. Saul became Paul not merely as a symbol of conversion but as a preparation for a calling that his old name could not carry. The same is true for you. Whatever you have been called by your past, your failures, your family, or your fears, God is not bound by those names. He sees who you are becoming, and he is already speaking over you the name that matches your purpose. Your history has not disqualified you. It has prepared you for a mission field you have not yet entered.
Reading: Genesis 17:5 — God changes Abram's name to Abraham, signifying a new identity tied to a specific divine calling and promise that would extend to all nations.
Devotional: When God changes a name in Scripture, he is not simply updating a label. He is rewriting an identity to match a mission. Saul became Paul not merely as a symbol of conversion but as a preparation for a calling that his old name could not carry. The same is true for you. Whatever you have been called by your past, your failures, your family, or your fears, God is not bound by those names. He sees who you are becoming, and he is already speaking over you the name that matches your purpose. Your history has not disqualified you. It has prepared you for a mission field you have not yet entered.
DAY 4
Day 4: The Holy Spirit Is Not Optional
Reading: Acts 1:8 — Jesus tells his followers that they will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon them, and that this power will enable them to be witnesses to the ends of the earth.
Devotional: The early church did not launch a movement on talent, resources, or reputation. They waited. They prayed. They fasted. And when the Holy Spirit came, everything changed. The Holy Spirit is not a supplemental feature of the Christian life. He is the engine. Without him, ministry becomes performance. Without him, generosity becomes obligation. Without him, boldness becomes arrogance. The movement that God is building in your life and in your church requires the same power that raised Jesus from the dead. You cannot manufacture that in your own strength. But you can position yourself to receive it through prayer, fasting, and surrender.
Reading: Acts 1:8 — Jesus tells his followers that they will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon them, and that this power will enable them to be witnesses to the ends of the earth.
Devotional: The early church did not launch a movement on talent, resources, or reputation. They waited. They prayed. They fasted. And when the Holy Spirit came, everything changed. The Holy Spirit is not a supplemental feature of the Christian life. He is the engine. Without him, ministry becomes performance. Without him, generosity becomes obligation. Without him, boldness becomes arrogance. The movement that God is building in your life and in your church requires the same power that raised Jesus from the dead. You cannot manufacture that in your own strength. But you can position yourself to receive it through prayer, fasting, and surrender.
DAY 5
Day 5: The Movement Is Bigger Than You
Reading: John 3:16 — This passage declares that God's love extends to the entire world, and that his gift of his Son was meant to bring eternal life to all who believe, without exception.
Devotional: The cause of Christ was never designed to fit inside four walls. From the moment God made a covenant with Abraham, the plan was always the world. Every nation. Every tongue. Every background. The church exists not to build an impressive gathering but to fuel a relentless sending. When you give your time, your talent, and your treasure, you are not funding a building. You are fueling a movement that is reaching people who are far from God and bringing them into a passionate relationship with Jesus. The movement does not need spectators. It needs participants. Today is not just another Sunday. Today is an invitation to put skin in the game.
Reading: John 3:16 — This passage declares that God's love extends to the entire world, and that his gift of his Son was meant to bring eternal life to all who believe, without exception.
Devotional: The cause of Christ was never designed to fit inside four walls. From the moment God made a covenant with Abraham, the plan was always the world. Every nation. Every tongue. Every background. The church exists not to build an impressive gathering but to fuel a relentless sending. When you give your time, your talent, and your treasure, you are not funding a building. You are fueling a movement that is reaching people who are far from God and bringing them into a passionate relationship with Jesus. The movement does not need spectators. It needs participants. Today is not just another Sunday. Today is an invitation to put skin in the game.