Reflections on Lukewarmness

THIS WEEK’S BOLD STEP DEVOTION

“I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other!” (Revelation 3:15).

I grew up in a little town called Rubena located in the province of Burgos, Castile and Leon, Spain. For fun, my friends and I would explore the nearby cave, Cueva de los Lobos where I took Dee when we were dating. The darkness inside the cave made it hard to see how dirty we had become. Only when we emerged into the light did we realize how covered in mud and grime we were.

Similarly, we can be accustomed to darkness and complacency in our faith and may not even realize it. In the book of Revelation, the church at Laodicea is a cautionary example about the danger of spiritual apathy. Jesus’ description of them as “lukewarm” highlights the problem of being apathetic in our faith where we’re neither hot nor cold, but rather somewhere in between. Like the Laodiceans, we may think we’re okay, but Jesus knows the true state of our hearts.

Denial is a powerful enemy of our spiritual growth. When we deny our problems or refuse to acknowledge our shortcomings, we prevent ourselves from addressing them and growing as a result. But God desires so much more for us. It’s time to wake up from our spiritual slumber! When we settle for or normalize lukewarmness, we grieve the heart of God and lose out on a passionate, committed relationship with Jesus.

The good news is that God never gives up on us, even when we’ve settled for a lukewarm faith. He continues to pursue us, speak to us, and call out to us through His Spirit who urges us to choose- either be hot or cold. If that’s you, might today be the day to renew your commitment to Him and embrace a fervency that aligns with His heart?

Listen to the sermon series: Regain What Was Lost/Your Spiritual Passion

Part 1Part 2

Ministry Update from Mark

National research by the Barna Group indicates that pastors are discouraged, with 46 percent of pastors saying that they have given serious consideration to leaving vocational ministry. Pastors spend long hours caring for the spiritual needs of people in their congregations and leading vital service ministries in their communities and this work can be both exhilarating and exhausting.

That’s why we invited pastors and their spouses to join us at our annual Moody Bible Institute’s Pastor’s Appreciation Dinner to bless and encourage them with a 3-course meal, live music, a message and giveaways. Compliments of Moody Ministries, it’s our way of saying thank you to these couples for serving the Lord and their local assembly so faithfully!