April 28, 2025

A TEAM EFFORT

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE

“Dear friends, you always followed my instructions when I was with you. And now that I am away, it is even more important. Work hard to show the results of your salvation, obeying God with deep reverence and fear. For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.”

Philippians 2:12–13 NLT

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TODAY’S THOUGHT

Spiritual growth is a team effort—between us and God. When we come to faith, God gives His Holy Spirit to live in us. The Spirit doesn’t just live in us passively—He works with us, helping us become more like Christ. But we have a role to play too.

Paul isn’t telling us to earn our salvation here. Salvation is a gift from God—we receive it by grace through faith in Jesus, not by our own efforts. But after we’re saved, we’re called to live it out—to show the evidence of that salvation in our daily lives.

Think of it like a puzzle: God gives us all the pieces, but we must put them together. Or you can think like a farmer: he doesn’t work the land to own it—he already owns it. He works it to produce fruit.

It’s the same with our faith. God has already given us the “land”—our salvation, our identity in Christ. Now we’re invited to work with Him to grow and produce fruit. The Holy Spirit gives us both the desire and the ability to do what pleases God—but we must still choose to follow Him each day.

Spiritual growth doesn’t happen by accident. It happens by the daily decisions we make—to pray, to obey, to serve, to love. Those small choices shape who we become over time.

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TODAY’S PRAYER:

Holy Spirit, thank You for living in me. Help me to see the work You’ve begun in my heart. Teach me how to walk it out daily—to live in a way that pleases You and reflects the change You’ve made in me.

“Scroll down to share what you feel God is saying based on today’s reading.”