This Is My Son: Learning the Way of Jesus Today

This week invites us to slow down at the River Jordan and see Jesus clearly - who he is, how he lives, and what it means to follow him now. Each day offers a simple step to help us live the way of Jesus in our own place, at this time, with faith and hope.

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Jesus Has Arrived and He Is Not Where You Think

Monday 12 January 2026

Have you ever felt like Jesus is somewhere… “out there”? A distant figure from history, or maybe someone who only shows up inside the four walls of a Salvation Army Hall or church? We talk about following him, but let’s be honest, it often feels like we’re trying to follow a ghost - someone far removed from the traffic jams, the deadlines, and the mountain of dirty dishes that make up our actual lives.

But what if I told you that Jesus has already arrived, and he’s not where you think he is? He isn’t waiting for you to get all cleaned up and come to some holy place. He’s already waiting for you in the messiest parts of your life, just like he showed up two thousand years ago at the Jordan River.

For so many of us, there’s a huge gap between the Jesus we read about and the lives we actually lead. We tend to put him in a “spiritual” box, separate from our work, our family frustrations, and our private anxieties. We imagine God’s presence is something we have to strive for, an experience we earn through enough prayer, worship, or just being a “good person”. And that creates this constant, chronic sense of failure. We feel disconnected and wonder, “Why don’t I feel God’s presence in my daily grind?”

We act as if we have to build a bridge to get to him. But the entire story of the Gospel, crystallised in one powerful moment, tells us something radically different. It tells us that God was never waiting for us to find our way to him. He was always on his way to us.

The Bible says, “Then Jesus went from Galilee to the Jordan River to be baptised by John”. (Matthew 3:13). Now, really think about this scene. The Jordan River wasn’t some pristine sanctuary. It was a muddy, chaotic place, jam-packed with people admitting their failures and looking for a fresh start. This is where the sinners were, and it’s exactly where Jesus showed up. He didn’t arrive in a palace or a temple. He stepped right into the messy, murky waters of real human life.

John the Baptist, who was leading this whole revival, was floored by Jesus’ arrival. He even said, “I’m the one who needs to be baptized by you, so why are you coming to me?” (Matthew 3:14). But Jesus insisted, saying it was necessary “carry out all that God requires”. (Matthew 3:15). In that moment, by identifying with us in our brokenness, Jesus wasn’t just getting wet. He was closing the distance between heaven and earth for good.

John 1:14 says it perfectly: “So the Word became human and made his home among us”. The original language is even cooler - it suggests that he literally “pitched his tent” with us. Jesus didn’t stay distant. He moved right into the neighbourhood. His arrival at the Jordan shows us his whole approach: he meets us exactly where we are, not where we think we should be.

So, what does this mean for you, right now? It means the most profound truth of your life is that Jesus isn’t far off. He has already arrived in your world. Following him isn’t about trying to get him to show up. It’s about learning to notice where he’s already working.

Let’s make this practical. Where can you find him today?

First, he’s at home. Jesus is present in those mundane moments that feel anything but holy. He’s there in the spilled milk at breakfast, that tense conversation with your spouse, the laundry pile that seems to be mocking you, and the quiet exhaustion you feel at the end of a long day. When you pause in that domestic chaos and whisper, “Jesus, you’re here - guide me”, you turn a mundane moment into a sacred one. You’re acknowledging the God who pitched his tent right in your living room.

Second, he’s at work. Jesus is present in your professional life. He’s there in the pressure of a deadline, the frustration with a difficult colleague, and the ethical dilemma you’re trying to navigate. He’s the mediator between the stress of your job and the peace of heaven. When you feel totally overwhelmed, you can just affirm, “Jesus, you stepped into the mess at the Jordan. Step into this mess with me now. Show me how you see this”. That ordinary workday becomes a place where you’re actively partnering with God.

Third, he’s in your community. Jesus is present at the grocery store, in the classroom, and on your street. He’s in the face of your lonely neighbour, the need of the struggling family down the road, and the stranger who just looks like they could use a kind word. Just like at the Jordan, Jesus stands in the middle of the crowd - the real, everyday crowd you’re a part of. Seeing him there transforms your daily errands into a mission, prompting small acts of love that reflect his heart.

Recognising his nearness changes everything. It reframes your struggles, sanctifies your routines, and fills your ordinary life with divine purpose. You can stop trying to escape the mess and start looking for Jesus right in the middle of it. Because that is where he has promised to be.

So, here’s the challenge: Today, just for today, look for him. Where did you see Jesus show up? Was it in a moment of unexpected peace during a hectic morning? In a good conversation with a colleague? Or in the quiet of your commute home?

Jesus has arrived. He isn’t distant. He stepped into the Jordan River, and he steps into the fabric of your daily life. He is with you, full of unfailing love and faithfulness, not just on Sundays, but in every single moment.

Let’s pray.

Jesus, open our eyes. Help us see you not as a distant king, but as the God who is right here with us. In our homes, in our work, and in our neighbourhoods, help us notice your nearness. Amen.

The Humility That Changes Everything

Tuesday 13 January 2026

Have you ever stopped to think about how strange Jesus’s baptism really was? Here you have the most perfect person who ever lived, someone with literally nothing to repent for. And what’s the very first thing he does in his public ministry? He wades into the muddy Jordan River to get a baptism that was designed for sinners. This one moment, this single act of radical humility, completely flips our script on what power and greatness are supposed to look like. It challenges our obsession with status, and it just might hold the key to a life of real purpose.

Try to picture the scene described in the Gospel of Matthew. John the Baptist is this fiery, wild preacher out in the desert, and he’s calling the whole nation to turn their lives around. Crowds are flocking to him, confessing their sins, and being washed in the river as a symbol of a fresh start. And then, through that crowd, comes Jesus. He isn’t there to preach or to take over. He’s there to be baptised.

John is completely stunned. You can almost feel his shock. He knows this is backward. He even tries to stop him, saying, “I am the one who needs to be baptized by you, so why are you coming to me?” (Matthew 3:14). John got it. He knew he was just the opening act, and Jesus was the headliner. He was cleansing people who needed it, but now he’s face-to-face with the sinless Son of God.

But Jesus’s response changes everything. He doesn’t agree. He doesn’t pull rank or point out how different they are. He just says, “It should be done, for we must carry out all that God requires”. (Matthew 3:15). And with those words, John agrees, and the King of the Universe stoops to participate in a ritual he didn’t even need.

So, what did Jesus actually mean by “carrying out all that God requires”? This wasn’t about him needing to get right with God - he already was. It was about completing a divine mission. His baptism wasn’t an admission of personal sin. It was an act of solidarity. In that moment, Jesus wasn’t saying, “I’m a sinner”. He was saying, “I’m with the sinners”. He chose, willingly, to stand with us in our place and fully associate himself with the broken humanity he came to save.

This was the launch party for his public ministry, the official start of his journey to the cross. He was publicly identifying with the very people he came to rescue. It was a powerful, visible statement that he wasn’t some distant king watching us struggle from a palace. He’s a hands-on Saviour, willing to step right into the mess with us. His baptism was a preview of the cross, a sign that he would one day take on all our sin so that we could be made right with God.

This act of humility is a perfect picture of what the Apostle Paul talks about in his letter to the Philippians. He says that Jesus, “Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave”. (Philippians 2:6-7). This idea is sometimes called kenosis - the self-emptying of Jesus. It doesn’t mean he stopped being God, but that he voluntarily set aside his divine rights and privileges to serve us.

His baptism was kenosis in action. The one who deserved all our worship took the position of someone who needed to repent. The one who was perfectly holy placed himself among the unholy. Don’t mistake this for weakness. It was the ultimate display of strength and love. He proved that true greatness isn’t found in flexing our rights, our status, or our importance. Real, God-like greatness is found in laying those things down for the people around you. It’s found in obedience and in a radical, self-giving love.

This is a direct challenge to how we live. We’re in a world that’s constantly screaming at us to build our brand, climb the ladder, and protect our image at all costs. We’re taught to chase status and to set ourselves apart. Jesus shows us the exact opposite path. The road to a meaningful life - the road of following him - is a downward path of humility. It means choosing service over status, and connection over separation.

Following Jesus means we can’t stay on the sidelines. We have to be willing to enter another person’s world and meet them in their need. Think about the mentor who gives up her evenings, not for a raise, but to sit with a struggling student. Or the successful professional who quietly walks away from a prestigious career to serve at a small charity, just because the need was real. That’s the humility of Jesus playing out in real life. It’s the friend who visits someone in a hospital or prison, not with a lecture or quick fixes, but just to be present and stand with them. It’s the choice to listen more than you talk, and to serve without needing a thank you.

Jesus’s baptism shows us a truth that can change everything for us: humility isn’t about thinking less of yourself. It’s about thinking of yourself less. It’s the decision to move from a place of status to a place of service. He showed us that true authority isn’t perfected in being served, but in serving.

And here’s the beautiful paradox: in humbling himself, Jesus was lifted up by God. By choosing to identify with our brokenness, he started the very work that leads to our healing. The humility that changes everything is our choice to follow his lead.

So, what could that look like for you this week? Where might you be called to step into someone else’s world, to choose service over status? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments - this is a journey we’re all on together. And if this resonated with you, I hope you’ll subscribe for more content about what it looks like to follow Jesus in our everyday lives.

God Ignores Your Big Plans Until You Do This One Thing

Wednesday 14 January 2026

So, you’ve got this huge dream for God. You’ve prayed about it, you’ve planned it all out, and you are so ready to make a massive impact for his kingdom. You’ve laid your vision at his feet, asking for a sign, an open door, just... anything.

But all you’re getting back is silence.

It feels like God is ignoring your big plans. And let’s be honest, it’s a frustrating, even a painful place to be. You start to wonder, “Did I hear you wrong? Am I not good enough? Have you forgotten about me?”

But what if I told you that his silence isn’t rejection? What if it’s actually a test? And what if there’s one small, consistent action that Jesus himself modelled for thirty years that can unlock everything you’ve been praying for? This one thing is the secret to turning God’s silence into your greatest preparation.

That feeling of being ignored is one of the hardest seasons in the Christian walk. You look around and see other people getting their breakthroughs, launching their ministries, and stepping into their calling, while you feel like you’re stuck in the waiting room of destiny. The silence can make you question everything you thought you knew about God’s plan for your life.

But God’s silence isn’t his absence. That’s why someone was once able to write in Christianity Today, “I have learned that God’s silence to my questions is not a door slammed in my face. I may not have answers. But I do have him”. And, often, when God is silent, he is working on you before he starts working through you. He’s preparing the vessel for the very thing he’s preparing for you.

Just think about the most important life in history: Jesus. We love to talk about his three years of world-changing ministry, but we tend to skim over the thirty years that came before. Thirty years of silence. Thirty years of an ordinary life. Thirty years of hidden faithfulness before any public miracles, before the Sermon on the Mount, before the cross.

What was he doing all that time? He was living a life of quiet obedience. He was a son, a carpenter, a neighbour. He was faithful in the small, unseen, everyday moments. That wasn’t a period of inaction. It was a period of profound preparation. His character was being proven long before his calling was ever made public. This shifts the entire perspective. God isn’t ignoring your big future plans. He’s intensely focused on your small, present faithfulness.

So, what is this one thing that changes everything? It’s revealed in the exact moment that breaks Jesus’s thirty years of silence.

In Matthew chapter 3, Jesus comes to the Jordan River to be baptised. It’s a simple, humble act of obedience. He isn’t performing some huge miracle. He is simply carrying out all that God required by taking a faithful step. And what happens the moment he does?

The Bible says, “After his baptism, as Jesus came up out of the water, the heavens were opened and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and settling on him. And a voice from heaven said, ‘This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy’”. (Matthew 3:16-17)

Notice the sequence there. Nothing significant happens until Jesus obeys in a simple, humble way. Heaven doesn’t open while he’s just dreaming of his future ministry. It opens the moment he takes a step of ordinary obedience. And that’s the key. Heaven opens over ordinary obedience. Your breakthrough isn’t found in striving for some big future moment, but in your faithfulness in the small, present one.

So, what does this “one thing” - this ordinary act of obedience - actually look like in your life? It’s not about doing something spectacular to get God’s attention. It’s about doing the simple things with great integrity and love. It’s about what the prophet Micah said God requires of us: “To do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God”. (Micah 6:8).

This means your preparation for that big plan isn’t way off in the future. It’s happening right now.

· At work: It looks like doing what is right by refusing to cut corners on a project or by speaking the truth with integrity, even when no one’s watching. That’s you being faithful.

· At home: It looks like loving mercy by choosing patience over frustration with your family or humbly asking for forgiveness after an argument. That’s you being faithful.

· In your community: It looks like serving in an unseen role at your corps or church - not for the recognition, but simply because you’re committed to God’s family. That’s you being faithful.

These small, daily acts of faithfulness are the very things God is using to shape your character for the weight of the calling he has on your life. After all, if we aren’t faithful with the little, why would he trust us with much?

Stop looking for a sign in the distance and start looking for the assignment that’s right in front of you. That big plan you have for God is beautiful, but God is far more interested in the person you are becoming today. Your season of silence isn’t a rejection. It’s a sacred training ground. God sees every small act of faithfulness, and he will reward it.

Don’t despise the small things, because heaven opens over ordinary obedience.

Let’s pray.

Father, thank you that your silence is not your absence. Forgive us for striving and looking for grand signs when we overlook the simple acts of obedience you’ve placed right in front of us. Give us the grace to do what is right, love mercy, and walk humbly with you, right where we are. Help us to be faithful in the small things today, trusting that you are preparing us for the great things you have in store. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

You Are Loved Before You Act

Thursday 15 January 2026

Have you ever had one of those days where you feel like you just can’t do enough? You’re checking things off your to-do list, serving at church, and trying to be a good person, but at the end of the day, there’s that nagging feeling that you still don’t quite measure up.

There are many times in my life when I have been so caught up in what I was doing for God that I completely missed the most important truth: I was already loved. I was living like a spiritual contractor, trying to earn God’s approval with every task I completed. Maybe that sounds familiar. If it does, there’s a profound truth that can change everything.

Before Jesus ever performed a single miracle or preached a single sermon, his Father declared his unconditional love over him. And today, we’re going to see how that very same love defines you before you even take a single step.

So many of us are running on a spiritual treadmill. We believe in God’s grace in theory, but in reality, we live as if his love is conditional. We think, “If I just pray more, serve more, or sin less, then God will finally be pleased with me”. But that way of living is exhausting. It keeps us in a cycle of striving and shame, always feeling like we’re spiritual orphans trying to earn our keep in the family. We end up basing our worth on our performance, so our sense of being loved rises and falls with every success and failure.

But this isn’t the life of freedom we were called to. It’s a heavy burden, and it’s one God never asked us to carry. The truth is that our identity isn’t something we build. It’s something we receive.

Let’s go to that pivotal moment in history - the baptism of Jesus. Matthew tells us that when Jesus came up out of the water, something incredible happened. The heavens opened, the Spirit of God descended like a dove, and a voice from heaven thundered for all to hear.

And what does the Father say? He doesn’t say, “Now go and earn my love”. He doesn’t give a list of tasks to complete. He simply says, “This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy” (Matthew 3:17).

Think about that for a second. This was before the miracles, before the healings, before the cross. Jesus’ identity as the beloved Son was declared before his public ministry ever began. His worth wasn’t based on what he was about to do. It was rooted in who he already was. He was loved not for his actions, but for his identity.

For years, I worked hard as a Salvation Army local officer, believing my activity was the measure of my devotion. But I was burning out. My service felt hollow because it was all driven by insecurity, by my desperate attempt to prove my worth. Then, the truth of Jesus’ baptism started to sink in. God’s love wasn’t the reward for my service. It was the source of it.

The Apostle Paul explains this identity shift perfectly in Romans when he writes, “So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, ‘Abba, Father’. For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children” (Romans 8:15-16).

We aren’t fearful slaves or contractors trying to earn a wage - we are sons and daughters. An employee works for payment, but a child simply belongs to the family. The Spirit himself confirms this deep in our souls: you are a child of God.

So how do we start living from a place of being loved, instead of living for it? Here are two simple, practical things you can do today.

First, try an “identity breath prayer”. Before you start work, before you serve, before you parent - just take 60 seconds. Close your eyes, breathe in, and pray, “Father, I receive your love”. Then, as you breathe out, release that pressure to perform. This small act roots you in your true identity before you even begin to act.

Second, create a new rhythm. Before you walk into a situation where you feel that pressure to prove yourself, remind your heart of one simple truth: “I am already beloved”. This shifts your focus from what you do to who you are. Your actions can then transform from a desperate attempt to earn love into a joyful overflow of the love you’ve already been given.

Your divine identity isn’t based on what you do, but on who you already are in God’s eyes. You are loved before you act. It is a free gift, secured by Jesus and affirmed by the Spirit.

Let’s pray together.

Heavenly Father, thank you for loving us before we do anything to deserve it. Help us silence the voice of performance and hear your voice declaring that we are your beloved children. Let this truth sink from our heads to our hearts and completely change the way we live. Amen.

The REAL Reason Jesus Was Anointed by God

Friday 16 January 2026

You’ve probably heard the term ‘Christ’ your whole life. We say it, we sing it, but do we really know what it means? Now, you might think of the stories where women anointed Jesus with expensive oil, recognising him as a king - and those moments are incredibly important. But the anointing we’re talking about today is a little different. It wasn’t just a title or an honour. In the ancient world, being “the anointed one” was a job description. It was the formal start of a world-changing mission, a mission that connects Jesus to ancient kings, a powerful prophecy in Isaiah 61, and the long-awaited promise of Jubilee.

When we hear ‘anointed’, it’s easy to think of something purely symbolic. But in the Old Testament, anointing was a physical, hands-on act with a very specific point. When a new king, or priest, or prophet was chosen, they’d be anointed with oil. This act signified they were set apart for a divine task, and often, that God’s Spirit was empowering them to accomplish it.

A perfect example is King David. After the prophet Samuel anointed him with oil, the Bible says the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon him from that day on. The anointing wasn’t the end of his story. It was his inauguration. It was his commissioning for the mission God had for him. This is the context we can’t miss. The title “Messiah” in Hebrew and “Christ” in Greek both mean “The Anointed One”. So, when the Bible calls Jesus the Christ, it’s not just a fancy name. It’s identifying him as the one commissioned by God for the most important mission in history. So, the real question is... what exactly was that mission?

Centuries before Jesus’s birth, the prophet Isaiah laid out the job description with stunning clarity. In Isaiah chapter 61, speaking from the Messiah’s future perspective, he says: “The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is upon me, for the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to comfort the brokenhearted and to proclaim that captives will be released and prisoners will be freed. He has sent me to tell those who mourn that the time of the Lord’s favour has come...” (Isaiah 61:1-2).

This isn’t some vague, spiritual poem. It’s a to-do list. The Anointed One is empowered by the Spirit to deliver good news, to heal, and to set people free. That last phrase, “the time of the Lord’s favour”, was a direct throwback to the Year of Jubilee. Mandated in Leviticus, Jubilee was this radical social reset that was supposed to happen every 50 years. All debts were cancelled, all slaves were freed, and all land was returned to its original owners. It was a complete restart button for society. Isaiah was prophesying that the Messiah’s mission would be to kick off a spiritual Jubilee for all of humanity.

This ancient job description hangs in the air for centuries, right up until a pretty wild scene in a synagogue in Nazareth. As Luke 4 tells it, Jesus, fresh from his baptism where the Holy Spirit descended on him, stands up to read. He unrolls the Isaiah scroll and finds that exact passage we just read. He reads: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, for he has anointed me...” (Luke 4:18).

When he gets to the line, to proclaim “that the time of the Lord’s favour has come”, (Luke 4:19) he stops, rolls up the scroll, and sits down. With every eye in the place locked on him, he says something that changes everything: “The Scripture you’ve just heard has been fulfilled this very day!” (Luke 4:21).

That pause was intentional. The very next line in Isaiah, which Jesus chose not to read, is “and with it, the day of God’s anger against their enemies”. (Isaiah 61:2). By stopping where he did, Jesus made his mission clear: he was here to kick off the season of Jubilee - of grace and freedom. The anointing at his baptism was the divine empowerment by the Holy Spirit to officially begin that work. As Acts 10:38 puts it, “And you know that God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. Then Jesus went around doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him”.His anointing was his commissioning for a mission of active, liberating restoration.

So, the anointing of Jesus is so much bigger than just a title. It’s the live wire connecting the power of the Holy Spirit to the work of restoration. While the physical anointings he received from others were powerful acts that recognised him as the prophesied King, his anointing by the Spirit was the moment the job officially began. He wasn’t just given a title. He was empowered for a task. That task was to bring Jubilee - to announce freedom from the spiritual debts we could never pay on our own and release from the grip of sin and brokenness. The anointing was the official start of a rescue mission for all of us, a mission that still offers hope and restoration today.

The Spiritual Deception Most Christians Fall For

Saturday 17 January 2026

There’s a spiritual deception out there that’s so subtle, so common, that millions of sincere Christians are falling for it every day, and they don’t even realise it. It’s the deception of believing that if you listen to sermons, read your Bible, and agree with what God says… you’re OK. But the Bible gives this a specific name: self-deception. And James 1:22 gives us a stark warning we really have to talk about.

Here’s the warning: simply hearing God’s word isn’t enough. In fact, if that’s all we do, James says we are only fooling ourselves. We think we’re spiritually healthy because we’ve consumed spiritual content, but we’re actually robbing ourselves of the blessing God has for us. This is the most dangerous kind of deception because it feels so productive. It feels righteous. But a faith that only lives in our ears and in our minds and never makes its way to our hands and feet, is a powerless faith. It’s a faith that Jesus himself warned against.

James gives us this powerful, and frankly, pretty cutting analogy. In James 1 23-24, he says that anyone who is a hearer of the word and not a doer is like a person who looks at their own face in a mirror and then walks away and immediately forgets what they look like.

Think about how absurd that is. You look in the mirror, you see that your hair is a mess or you’ve got a smudge of something on your face. You see the issue, as clear as day. But then you just turn away and do nothing about it, completely forgetting what you just saw. That’s what James says we do spiritually. God’s Word is the mirror. We open it, or we listen to a sermon, and it shows us our true condition. It reveals our impatience, our pride, our selfishness, our lack of love. The mirror shows us exactly where our lives don’t line up with Christ.

But the deceived person, the “hearer only”, just walks away. They might feel a quick pang of conviction, but they don’t act on it. They don’t repent. They don’t make a change. They just go on with their day, and the truth they heard has zero impact on their life. This isn’t just lazy listening. It’s a profound spiritual problem. You’re deceiving yourself into thinking you’re OK, when the mirror of God’s Word has clearly shown you that a change is needed.

So, if that’s the deceived hearer, what does an authentic doer look like? We don’t have to guess. The Bible gives us the ultimate example: Jesus Christ.

In Acts 10, the apostle Peter is describing Jesus’s ministry, and he boils it all down to this: “And you know that God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. Then Jesus went around doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him” (acts 10:38). Jesus didn’t just have a passive faith. His life was a constant stream of active faith. The Holy Spirit empowered him, and the result was action - he was constantly “doing good”. He healed the sick, he fed the hungry, he touched the untouchable. His entire ministry was the will of God put into motion.

Jesus is the perfect model of what it means to be a “doer of the word”. He heard the will of his Father, and he did it. His actions were the proof of his relationship with the Father. This is the standard for us. Faith isn’t meant to be a passive state of agreement, but an active force that changes how we live. To be a Christian is to follow Christ, and following is an action. It means walking in the same way he walked.

This is where the rubber meets the road. James says we are to become “doers of the word”. In the original language, this has the sense of continually becoming a doer. It’s an ongoing process, not a one-and-done event. And let’s be crystal clear: this is not about earning your salvation through works. It’s about your works proving that your salvation is real. Obedience is the natural overflow of a transformed heart that loves God.

So how do we move from being a deceived hearer to a blessed doer? You start small. You pick one thing. What has God’s Word shown you in the mirror recently? Maybe it’s the command to forgive someone who has wronged you. A hearer says, “Yeah, I know I should forgive them”. A doer picks up the phone or writes that letter.

Maybe the Word has convicted you about your speech - how you gossip or complain. A hearer just feels bad about it for a minute. A doer actively practices holding their tongue and speaking words of life instead.

James 1:25 promises the one who looks into the word and perseveres, not being a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, “then God will bless you for doing it”. God’s blessing is released not when we hear the truth, but when we act on it.

The Christian life really comes down to this choice, presented to us every single day. Will we be a hearer who builds their life on the shifting sand of good intentions, or a doer who builds their life on the rock of obedience to Jesus Christ?

My challenge for you today is simple. Don’t just let this be another message you hear. Choose one area where you know you’ve been a “hearer only”. Just one. And decide today to become a doer in that area.

Let’s pray. Father, thank you for your Word, which is a mirror that shows us the truth. Forgive us for the times we’ve looked in it, seen what needs to change, and just walked away. Holy Spirit, empower us, just as you empowered Jesus, to go about “doing good”. Give us the courage not just to hear your commands, but to obey them out of love for you. Transform us into doers of your Word. Amen.

If this message challenged you, please share it with someone you know who needs to hear it. And don’t forget to like this video and subscribe for more content to help you live out an authentic faith.

God’s Secret Mission for Your Ordinary Life

Sunday 18 January 2026

You wake up. The alarm screams. You make the coffee, you sit in traffic, you clear the inbox, you cook the dinner. You crash into bed, just to do it all over again tomorrow. And sometimes, you lie there in the dark and wonder, ‘Is this really it? Does any of this - my ordinary, rinse-and-repeat life - actually matter in the grand scheme of things?’

It’s easy to feel like your life is just a long list of boring tasks. But what if I told you that you’ve been sent on a secret mission? And your desk, your kitchen, and your neighbourhood are the main places you’re meant to operate.

What if that nagging feeling of insignificance isn’t a sign that you’re failing, but a complete misunderstanding of your assignment?

There’s this ancient command from Jesus himself, something we call the Great Commission. You’ve probably heard it. It’s in the Gospel of Matthew, chapter 28, and it goes like this: “Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you” (Matthew 28:19-20).

Now, when we hear “go”, we immediately picture missionaries packing up their lives and moving to some remote corner of the earth. And yes, that’s definitely part of it! But the original Greek word for “go” is more accurately translated as “as you are going”.

As you are going to the supermarket. As you are going to your kid’s football match. As you are going about your normal, everyday life.

This isn’t about adding a whole new set of tasks to your already overflowing schedule. It’s a lens. It’s a classified briefing that completely reframes everything you already do. The mission isn’t to escape your ordinary life, but to see God’s incredible purpose hidden right inside it.

So, what’s the mission? “Make disciples”. OK, that can sound a little intimidating. But a disciple is just a follower, a student, and apprentice - someone who’s learning to live like Jesus. The mission is to find people, right where you already are, and invite them into that journey with you. It’s all about relationship. It’s about letting the way you live your life point to the hope you have.

This is where another part of your mission briefing kicks in. In Acts 1:8, Jesus says, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth”.

But check out the order he gives. It starts in “Jerusalem”. Your Jerusalem is your home. It’s your workplace, your group chat, your neighbourhood - your immediate circle. The mission kicks off in the most ordinary place of all: right where you stand. You’re called to be a witness, and what does a witness do? They just share what they’ve personally seen and heard. Your life itself is the testimony.

Think of yourself as an undercover agent for the kingdom of God. Your ordinary life is your perfect cover. That office where you answer emails, the kitchen where you stack the dishes, the supermarket checkout queue where you wait - these aren’t distractions from your mission. They are the mission. This is the field of operations.

Being a witness doesn’t always mean making some grand speech. Sometimes, it’s showing patience to that colleague who drives everyone else nuts. It’s sharing a bit of your own story over coffee. It’s praying for a neighbour who’s going through a tough time. It’s living with so much integrity and love that people can’t help but ask about the hope that you have.

The world isn’t changed by a handful of people doing extraordinary things. It’s changed by millions of faithful people doing ordinary things with a secret, divine purpose. Your daily routine is your divinely appointed post. You’re not just a teacher, a mechanic, an accountant, or a stay-at-home parent. You’re a witness, cleverly disguised as one.

Now, you might be thinking, “This sounds great, but it’s overwhelming. I don’t have the guts or the energy for this”. You’re right. You don’t. And the good news is, you were never meant to do it alone.

Remember the first part of that verse in Acts? “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you”. This mission doesn’t run on your charm, your talent, or your strength. It’s fuelled by the power of the Holy Spirit working through you. The moment you feel inadequate is the perfect moment for God’s power to show up.

And in that Great Commission, Jesus makes this incredible promise: “And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20). He doesn’t just give you the assignment. He goes with you. You are never, ever alone on this mission.

Your life is not a random series of boring chores. It is dripping with divine purpose. God has a plan to use the ordinary places and people in your life for a mission that is anything but ordinary: to show the world who he is.

The command is ancient, but the mission is live. It’s happening right now. It’s to live as his witness, right where you are, powered by his Spirit, and completely assured of his presence. Start seeing your life through that lens, and the mundane will become meaningful. The ordinary will become your sacred assignment.

Here’s your challenge: For the next seven days, pray this simple prayer each morning: “God, show me my mission field today”. Then, just go about your day with your eyes open. I also encourage you to read Matthew 28 and Acts 1 this week. Let this “secret mission” become the most open and exciting part of your life.

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