2nd Timothy says: “In a large house there are not only vessels of gold and silver, but also vessels of wood and earthenware, some for honor and some for dishonor.” A vessel of wood can be just as important as one made of gold. So don’t despise the small things. Whatever is suitable for the Master’s use, is worthy of honor.

Our job is to advance the gospel, no matter what role we might play in Christ’s kingdom. This always means being unselfishly united in spirit with our fellow believers. Having a heart for others, lived out through service and a cooperative spirit, is the wellspring of fruitfulness.

When we commit to this goal, we often find ourselves moving into God’s purpose for us. It may not happen with a whole lot of fanfare, but one day we simply realize that we are living out what God always destined us to do.

From Free from the Power of Sin: the Keys to Growing in God in Spite of Yourself

Listen to more Radio Features.

• 1. A Willing Spirit, but a Weak Flesh!
• 2. Trouble with Saying No to Sin
• 3. God Losing Value in Our Eyes
• 4. Thriving in a Sin-riddled World
• 5. Problems with My Heart
• 6. The Power of Sin Is the Law
• 7. Inheriting God’s Promise through Obedient Faith
• 8. Great Dreams Rooted in a Great God
• 9. Glorifying and Enjoying God: the Crux of Life
• 10. Sharing in Christ as Siblings
• 11. God Designed Life in Him to be Tough
• 12. Understanding and Embracing Suffering
• 13. Why are we the way we are?
• 14. Our Flesh: Body, Mind and Soul
• 15. Our Spirit: the Dwelling Place of God
• 16. Spiritual Life Means the Sharing of God’s life
• 17. Forget the Symptoms; Attack the Disease!
• 18. Rebuilding our Character is God’s Job
• 19. Does the World Revolve Around Me?
• 20. Free Will is Rooted in Self-interest
• 21. Self-interest—a Gift of God
• 22. Is Our Heart Capable of Genuine Change?
• 23. How Do You Feel about Yourself?
• 24. What if Sin Was No Longer a Problem?
• 25. Our Battle with the Flesh Demands Choice
• 26. Slaves Purchased to be Set Free
• 27. Moral Awareness at Our Very Core
• 28. Not in the Flesh, but in the Spirit
• 29. Dead to Sin? I don’t Feel Very Dead!
• 30. Dealing with Sin in a Whole New Way
• 31. Joined to Christ in Death and Resurrection
• 32. Our Body of Sin is Done Away With
• 33. Sin is a Symptom of a Serious Disease Within.
• 34. It’s not About what We Do or don’t Do
• 35. Duped by Satan into Earning Our Way
• 36. Attempting to be Justified Through Law
• 37. Why does God Keep Himself Hidden?
• 38. We Tend to Confuse Faith with Hope
• 39. God Hates Sin because of its Destructive Power
• 40. As We Attempt to Rid our Life of Sin…
• 41. “Give it Up! You’re a Failure!”
• 42. The Holy Spirit: Our Guarantee of God’s Promise
• 43. Pride is the Core of the Problem
• 44. The Purpose Law is to Expose Sin
• 45. “My flesh is finally dead!” Is It?
• 46. God has Acquitted His Children
• 47. Feeling the Need to Work for God’s Grace?
• 48. Amazing Grace can Breed Complacency
• 49. Building on God’s Righteousness
• 50. Satan Finds Fertile Ground in Human Nature
• 51. Blanketed by Gods’ Righteousness
• 52. Spiritual Circumcision: What a Concept!
• 53. The Importance of Being Fruitful
• 54. Aiming at Two Critical Targets
• 55. Exploitation of our Shame
• 56. Run to God when You Sin
• 57. Righteousness Can Never be Earned
• 58. Paul’s radical message of liberty
• 59. Law Intensifies Destructive Desires
• 60. Holy in our Attitudes and Behavior?
• 61. Being Holy Means Set Apart to God
• 62. Must We Try to Become Holy?
• 63. No Struggle in Bearing Fruit!
• 64. Always Trying to Patch Over Sin
• 65. Character won’t Change Overnight
• 66. In a Holding Pattern, are You?
• 67. Prayer is a Two-way Street
• 68. Don’t Despise Small Things
• 69. Does Sin Separate Me from God?
• 70. Still Trapped in this Flesh
• 71. Not Two Natures Battling Within
• 72. No Guilt Trips; God’s on a Gift Trip
• 73. Sin: Pitfall or Practice?
• 74. Like It or Not, We’re All Slaves
• 75. Two Natures Struggling Within?
• 76. Pursuit of God by Obligation?
• 77. Preparing the Soil of Our Heart
• 78. What’s My Purpose, Anyway?
• 79. We’ll Always have Shortcomings
• 80. The Plague of Nagging Sin
• 81. Having Become Acceptable to God
• 82. Immersing Ourselves in God
• 83. Finally Fed Up with Failure
• 84. The Secret to Moving Forward
• 85. The Challenge of Besetting Sin
• 86. Sold into Bondage to Sin
• 87. The Futility of Trying to Earn It
• 88. What God Values Most
• 89. How Could God Use Me?
• 90. Forgotten by God?
• 91. Forgetting What Lies Behind
• 92. He’s the God of the Now!
• 93. Building Solid Character
• 94. Slaves of Righteousness
• 95. Benefitting from Your Failures
• 96. Sensed God Speaking?
• 97. Behaving Like Dead Men
• 98. God Sees Relationship Like We Do
• 99. An Appetite for Intimacy
• 100. Fresh Life Through Suffering
• 101. What Will Make It Easier?
• 102. From the Perspective of Eternity
• 103. Going It Alone Doesn’t Cut It
• 104. Given Up Because of Your Sin?
• 105. Aiming at Two Targets
• 106. Misreading Our Destiny
• 107. Not Serving in Our Own Strength
• 108. Don’t Despise the Small Things
• 109. You’ve been Invited
• 110. Boasting? “Well, if I must,” says Paul
• 111. It’s all about God
• 112. Wisdom Shouts in the Street!
• 113. If only I could be recognized
• 114. Clothed in Christ’s Righteousness
• 115. An Invitation into Covenant
• 116. A Clear Commitment
• 117. God’s Infinite Love
• 118. Opening Up to God’s Touch
• 119. It Costs Your Life!
• 120. In Christ!
• 121. Prize It Above All Else
• 122. Stake Your Life on It!
• 123. This World as a Stage
• 124. Only One Way to God
• 125. Have We Actually Advanced?
• 126. “What must I Do to be Saved?”
• 127. The Ultimate Price
• 128. The Nature of Biblical Belief
• 129. Faith Results in Action!
• 130. Born Again?
• 131. Spiritual Illiteracy
• 132. The Power of Ideas
• 133. Our Heart-shaped Cavity
• 134. The Root of Sin
• 135. Why Be Alienated?
• 136. Faith is the Key
• 137. The Obedience of Surrender
• 138. One Giant Step
• 139. Faith Comes From Hearing
• 140. Freedom of Choice
• 141. It’s Time to Act!
• 142. The Mystery of Suffering—Part 1
• 143. The Mystery of Suffering—Part 2
• 144. The Mystery of Suffering—Part 3
• 145. Joy Rooted in Peace
• 146. Found in the Book of Life!
• 147. Awaiting Judgment
• 148. I’d Bet My Life on It!
• 149. Surrender your Life!
• 150. The Power of Belief
• 151. Wisdom Shouts!
• 152. On Discernment
• 153. As God Reveals Himself…
• 154. The “Jesus App”
• 155. Yourself or Your-“cell-f”?
• 156. Fulfillment through Suffering
• 157. Choosing God’s Best
• 158. The Holy Spirit Within
• 159. Images. Don’t Fall for it.
• 160. Intimacy Is What It’s About