Sermon Recap | Nov. 2, 2025

November 5th, 2025

Intentionality

Dr. Bill Shuler

In a world where many people prefer to stay neutral and avoid taking strong stands, authentic faith calls us to something different. We're challenged to move beyond being passive observers to becoming active participants in God's kingdom work.

What Does It Mean to Be Intentional in Faith?

Intentionality is defined as a determination to act in a certain way - a resolve. Just as Jesus resolved to go to Jerusalem before His crucifixion, we too must make deliberate choices about how we live our faith.

A recent Lifeway Research study of churchgoers identified eight attributes of mature believers, with intentionality being one of the most crucial. Spiritual maturity doesn't happen by accident. It requires proactive, deliberate investment in our relationship with God.

The Problem with Staying Neutral

There's a modern epidemic of people who "neither go too far in or stay too far out." This describes those who admire faith from a distance but never fully commit. In the Book of Acts, we read that "none dared join them, though many esteemed them from afar" when referring to the early church.

Many people today fall into three categories:

Those who make things happen
Those who watch things happen
Those who wonder what happened

The call is to be among those who make eternal things happen for the Lord.

What Does Intentional Faith Look Like in Practice?

Living to Please and Honor God

According to the Lifeway study, when asked about living life to please and honor God, 73% of men and 82% of women in churches agreed with this statement. This reveals that authentic faith means our primary motivation becomes honoring God in all we do.

Private Worship and Prayer

Intentional believers don't limit their spiritual life to Sunday services. They understand that Sunday should be "the icing on the cake," not the entire cake. Throughout the week, they maintain personal worship, prayer, and connection with God.

The study found that regarding private worship outside church services:

49% of men and 58% of women engage daily to a few times weekly
Only 19% of men and 14% of women rarely or never do this

Spontaneous Prayer Throughout the Day

Mature believers develop the habit of praying spontaneously throughout their day. They maintain ongoing conversation with God, seeking His guidance in real-time situations. This creates a lifestyle where God's presence becomes as real as the breath we breathe.

How Do We Prioritize God's Kingdom?

Matthew 6:33 instructs us to "seek first the kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." The word "seek" in Greek means to go after and make a primary importance.

When we prioritize God's kingdom:

Everything else falls into proper alignment
We experience God's provision for our needs
We become conduits for His power and blessing

What's the Connection Between Devotional Life and God's Power?

There's a direct correlation between one's devotional life and the power of God evident in their life. Faith can exist on two levels:

Mere belief - Simply acknowledging that God exists
Transformative faith - Experiencing God's presence so powerfully that it tears down strongholds and brings freedom

Those who walk in authentic relationship with God find that everywhere they go, people come to Jesus, experience healing, and find deliverance and restoration.

Learning from Biblical Examples

Joseph's Journey

Joseph's story demonstrates how intentionality in private leads to public impact. Before he became second in command in Egypt and saved nations from famine, he was:

Faithful in communing with God in the fields
Faithful in serving in Potiphar's house
Faithful in interpreting dreams in prison

His greatness began with intentionality when no one was watching except God.

Daniel's Discipline

Daniel's miraculous deliverance from the lion's den and his influence with kings stemmed from his discipline of praying three times daily. His private devotion created the foundation for public power.

How Do We Remain Connected to the Vine?

In John 15, Jesus uses the metaphor of the vine and branches. The phrase "remain in me" appears 10 times in 11 verses, emphasizing its importance. Our fruitfulness is proportionate to our connectedness to Christ.

Key principles for remaining connected:

Abide means to be with and be faithful to Christ
No branch can bear fruit by itself
Apart from Christ, we can do nothing of eternal significance
God prunes us to make us more fruitful

Why Does Hunger and Thirst Matter?

Jesus said, "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled." This blessing doesn't come to the lackadaisical person who simply hopes something happens while they sit passively.

Hunger and thirst are terms of intentionality. Those who actively seek God will be filled. This requires moving beyond surface-level faith to deep, authentic relationship with Christ.

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Life Application

This week, commit to living with greater intentionality in your faith. Instead of being a passive observer, become an active participant in God's kingdom work. Start each day by asking God how He wants to use you, and end each day reflecting on how you honored Him.

Consider these questions as you apply this message:

Am I living primarily to please and honor God, or am I motivated by other things?
Do I maintain regular private worship and prayer outside of church services?
How can I develop the habit of spontaneous prayer throughout my day?
What areas of my life need to move from neutral to intentional for God's kingdom?
Who has God placed in my life that needs to see authentic faith lived out?

Remember, someone is on the other side of your obedience. Your intentional faith could be the key to someone else discovering hope, encouragement, and the transformative power of knowing Jesus Christ.

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Posted in Prayer + Devotion, Sermon Blog