Devotional:
Day 1: The Mission of Every Christian is to Make Disciples
This mission is not reserved for a select few but is the calling of every person who has submitted their life to Jesus. It is the core purpose of the church and the natural outflow of a life transformed by grace. This call to make disciples is an invitation into the ongoing work of God in the world, a work that He desires to do through each of His followers. It is a continuation of the prayer to become people who move toward others. [00:39]
“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.” (Matthew 28:19-20 ESV)
Reflection: Who is one person God has already placed in your everyday rhythms that you could begin to pray for and come alongside as they journey toward Jesus?
Day 2: Moving Toward Others with Mercy, Not Passing By
The call to love our neighbor is a call to move toward the people God has put in front of us. It is an active compassion that sees a need and gets involved, making another’s problem our own. This kind of love is demonstrated in tangible action, not just vague feelings of sadness. It chooses to engage rather than to find a reason to avoid the cost or the messiness of another person’s life. [22:35]
“But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion. He went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he set him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him.” (Luke 10:33-34 ESV)
Reflection: When you consider the opportunities God has recently placed in your path, what is one practical way you could move toward someone with mercy instead of finding a reason to pass by on the other side?
Day 3: Love is Demonstrated in Costly, Practical Action
True neighborly love is not an abstract concept but is proven through concrete, often costly, steps. It invests time, resources, and personal comfort for the good of another. This love is willing to be interrupted and inconvenienced, reflecting the character of God who moved toward us in our greatest time of need. It is a love that acts, not just a love that feels. [22:48]
“And the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, ‘Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.’” (Luke 10:35 ESV)
Reflection: What is one tangible, albeit potentially costly, action you could take this week to demonstrate God’s love to the person you identified?
Day 4: The Question is Not “Who is My Neighbor?” but “Will I Be a Neighbor?”
We are often tempted to define the limits of our responsibility, asking who we are required to love. Jesus reframes the entire conversation away from justifying our limits and toward becoming the kind of person who shows mercy. The focus shifts from identifying who qualifies for our love to examining our own hearts and our willingness to obey. [24:07]
“Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?” He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” And Jesus said to him, “You go, and do likewise.” (Luke 10:36-37 ESV)
Reflection: In what specific relationship or situation are you currently tempted to ask, “Is this really my responsibility?” and how might Jesus be inviting you to “go and do likewise” instead?
Day 5: We Love Because We Have First Been Loved by God
Our ability to move toward others in mercy flows from receiving the profound mercy God has shown us in Christ. We do not muster this love through our own effort; it is the natural response to being loved by the One who did not pass us by in our sin. Our mission begins not with trying harder, but by sitting in and wrestling with the overwhelming grace we have been given. [34:25]
“We love because he first loved us.” (1 John 4:19 ESV)
Reflection: How can intentionally reflecting on the specific ways God has moved toward you in mercy empower you to move toward others with that same compassion this week?
Sermon Summary
Over the last weeks of focused prayer and fasting, the church committed to becoming a people who make disciples by reworking everyday rhythms. Luke 10 frames that mission as moving toward others with mercy, truth, and love—an obligation for every follower, not a specialty reserved for a few. Common excuses—lack of time, not knowing non-Christians, feeling unqualified, or hiding behind “boundaries”—receive direct challenge: disciple-making usually begins by paying attention to the people already present in daily life and taking one faithful step. The lawyer’s question in Luke 10, “Who is my neighbor?” exposes a heart that seeks limits; Jesus answers by telling a story that overturns expectations. The priest and Levite pass by, avoiding mercy; the Samaritan, an outsider, stops, uses his resources, and commits to ongoing care. Neighborly love proves itself in costly, concrete actions—bandaging wounds, covering expenses, sharing time—and not in abstract sentiment or moral performance. The command to love God and love neighbor functions as a mirror that reveals need for mercy rather than a checklist to earn favor. Practical application calls believers to start where they are: identify one specific person God has placed nearby and ask what tangible mercy would look like—conversation, a meal, a ride, forgiveness, or simply consistent presence. Passion for distant causes remains valid, but it must not become an excuse to ignore the people one can actually reach. Finally, authentic witness flows from having first received God’s mercy; only those who have been carried and forgiven can genuinely carry and forgive others. The work of becoming a neighbor begins with being held by mercy and moves outward in patient, sometimes messy, acts of love that create openings for the gospel to spread.
Key Takeaways
- 1. Everyone is called to make disciples Discipleship belongs to every follower, not only specialists or extroverts. It asks for attention to ordinary relationships and one faithful step rather than heroic strategies. This normalizes missional life as daily stewardship of influence, where obedience matters more than performance. Such a posture reshapes time and priorities toward gospel-shaped presence. [00:39]
- 2. Neighborly love requires costly action True love shows up as inconvenience and expense—time, money, risk, and sustained care. The parable of the Samaritan reframes love as remedial work, not mere feeling or approval. Encountering another’s need demands making that need one’s own and investing tangible resources. This reshapes discipleship from theory into embodied mercy. [17:57]
- 3. Start with the person nearest Transformation usually begins by naming one specific person already in reach and asking, “What would mercy look like?” Small, sustained gestures—listening, meals, forgiveness, practical help—open the door for growth. Focusing on proximate relationships prevents diffused compassion that never becomes concrete. Intentional proximity multiplies outward witness. [30:46]
- 4. Receive mercy before giving mercyAuthentic neighboring issues from having been loved and carried first; mercy received fuels mercy given. Trying harder without internalizing grace turns ministry into moralism and performance. Grounding identity in Christ’s costly work enables humility, patience, and courage to enter messy relationships. The gospel equips the heart to become a true neighbor. [34:25]
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Bible Study Guide
Bible reading
*Luke 10:25–37 (ESV)*
25 And behold, a lawyer stood up to put him to the test, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal
life?” 26 He said to him, “What is written in the Law? How do you read it?” 27 And he answered, “You shall
love the
Lord your
God with all your
heart and with all your
soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your
neighbor as yourself.” 28 And he said to him, “You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live.” 29 But he, desiring to justify himself, said to
Jesus, “And who is my
neighbor?” 30
Jesus replied, “A man was going down from
Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him and departed, leaving him half dead. 31 Now by chance a priest was going down that road, and when he saw him he passed by on the other side. 32 So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had
compassion. 34 He went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he set him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him. 35 And the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, ‘Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.’ 36 Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a
neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?” 37 He said, “The one who showed him
mercy.” And
Jesus said to him, “You go, and do likewise.”
Observation questions
- What question did the expert in the law ask Jesus, and what was his motive for asking it?
- What specific actions did the Samaritan take to help the injured man?
- How did Jesus redefine the lawyer’s question about “who is my neighbor”?
- According to the sermon, what are some common excuses people use to avoid making disciples? [06:30]
Interpretation questions
- Why do you think the priest and the Levite chose to pass by the wounded man? What might have been their internal justifications?
- How does the command to “love your neighbor as yourself” function as a mirror rather than a checklist? [15:23]
- In what ways does the parable challenge our natural tendency to limit who we are responsible to love?
- Why is it significant that Jesus used a Samaritan, and not a Jewish religious leader, as the example of true neighborly love?
Application questions
- Who is one specific person God has already placed in your life that you could intentionally walk alongside in their journey toward Jesus? [30:46] What would it look like to take one faithful step toward them this week?
- Neighborly love often involves tangible acts of mercy—conversation, a meal, practical help, or forgiveness. What is one concrete way you can show costly love to someone near you? [32:07]
- Have you ever used “good boundaries” as an excuse to avoid messy relationships or opportunities to show mercy? [04:18] How can you discern between wise boundaries and self-protection?
- How does remembering God’s mercy toward you change the way you extend mercy to others? [34:25] In what areas do you need to receive His compassion more deeply before you can give it away?
- It’s easy to care about issues or people far away while ignoring those right in front of us. Is there anyone in your immediate circle you’ve been avoiding or overlooking? What would it look like to move toward them instead of away? [28:32]
- What excuses have you used to opt out of disciple-making—not enough time, not knowing non-Christians, feeling unqualified? [07:00] How can you begin to see the people already in your life as opportunities rather than obstacles?
- The Samaritan didn’t just feel compassion; he acted. Is there a situation in your life where you’ve felt compassion but haven’t yet taken action? What’s one step you can take this week to move toward that person or need?
