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We are all made to be Vessels

3/11/21 | The Weekly | by Matt Doan

    To my fellow vessels,


    Welcome to Reach Week at Calvary Church!

    Want to know more details about Reach Week? CLICK HERE

    Beginning this Sunday and for the next 7 days, we will be gathering together in a variety of ways to hear firsthand what God is doing around the world through our Missionary partners. You may be thinking, “Why do I need to know what is going on around the world, I am busy enough keeping track of my world in this crazy pandemic!” But here is an amazing truth. When we hear of God’s faithful movement around the world, it helps us gain clarity and confidence of how God is moving and faithful in our lives here in Orange County.

    For each of us is a vessel being formed and filled by God to be poured out for His good purposes in our neighborhoods and in the nations.

    Our theme verse for our 2021 Reach Week is from Isaiah 64:8,
    "And yet, O Lord, you are our Father.
     We are the clay, and you are the potter.
     We all are formed by your hand."

    This verse is such a powerful truth from Scripture! I was recently dwelling on each line of this verse and I wanted to share a few observations from my notes with you:

    “And yet, O Lord, you are our Father…”
    God is our strong, powerful, protective, kind, accessible, attentive, loving and gracious Father! As our Reach Week guest speaker, David Platt writes, “God uses all things in our lives to mold us, make us and shape us. We can trust Him in this because He is a good Father.” God help us to see you as our perfect Father, whom we can trust.

    “We are the clay…”
    God is the one who forms us. He is the One who shapes and molds our personalities, gifts, hearts and minds. As Kenneth Lau writes, “To a potter, the clay is a marvelous thing. The potter imagines with a rush of excitement the vessel that will eventually be made.” Lord, search me and test me. Am I moldable? Am I teachable? Am I allowing you to form me into the vessel you want me to be?

    “…and you are the potter.”
    God is the master builder, artist and craftsmen of our lives. He knows exactly what He is forming us to be. He is the one who fills us for His good and perfect purposes.

    “We all are formed by your hand.”
    It is the mighty and graceful hand of God that works within us. God is forming us by His hand to produce His will, to build His Church and to produce eternal kingdom work. The handiwork of God is never mistaken, in vain or futile.

    2021 Reach Week Prayer

    Heavenly Father, we say once again, we trust You. As the potter, the master builder, we trust the work you are doing in our lives and in the life of Calvary Church. We trust that you are forming and filling us to be vessels that are poured out for Your glory, both here in our neighborhoods and to the nations.

    Take some time to dwell on Isaiah 64:8 for yourself this weekend, check out our 2021 Reach Week Events and ways you can be involved and join us this weekend for Global Sunday in-person or online for the kick-off of Reach Week!  Remember, this Sunday also begins Daylight Saving Time as clocks move forward one hour Saturday night. 

    A piece of clay in progress,
    Matt Doan