Inviting God – Week 3 / Moses

Week 3 – Day 1: An Invitation to Lead 

Read: Exodus 3:1-12 

 

I love the story of Moses. Every part of it resonates with our own experience. Moses had sinned deeply. His sin caused him to flee— to run away. He was in hiding, yet the Lord sought him out. Sound familiar?

And when the Lord came to him, He did something remarkable. He didn’t come in condemnation – He came to invite Moses in. He invited him closer. And God didn’t lower His standards or hide His holiness (verse 5). But knowing exactly who Moses was and what he had done, God still invited him in and offered him a great opportunity – to help lead His people out of slavery and into freedom and life. 

 

Isn’t that our story? Seriously. Like Moses, we have all sinned. It’s part of why we struggle so much to believe that God could or wants to use us. Like Moses, we know what we’ve done. We know who we are. And so, when the Lord invites us to join Him on His mission to set captives free, we usually respond the same way he did, “Who am I?” (verse 11).  

 

But our disbelief doesn’t alter the invitation or the task. God wants to use us to help set His people free—those He has chosen to receive eternal life (Romans 8:29-30, Ephesians 1:4-5). And here’s the thing: we don’t know who those people are. What we do know is God’s heart. We know that He doesn’t want anyone to spend eternity separated from Him. 

 

One of my favorite verses about this is in Second Peter. 2 Peter 3:9 in the NIV says, “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead, he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” I love that verse because it reminds me that God wants everyone to be reconciled to Himself. He loves the world (John 3:16). That’s why Jesus hasn’t returned yet. God wants heaven crowded!

By the way, take a closer look at that verse. Who does it say God is being patient with? The sinful people who haven’t accepted Him yet? While that is certainly true on some level, that’s not what the text says. Peter’s second letter is written to believers. This is for the people in the church. It’s for us! And he clearly states – God is not slow in His return; instead, He is being patient with us because He wants everyone to come to repentance.

Listen, God knows who will accept Him, but we don’t. We can’t. What we do know is that He expects us to be part of His plan to reach them. What we do know is that He has been extremely patient with us, as we have mostly stayed quiet, and like Moses, we have made excuse after excuse for not accepting the leadership role that God has invited us to.
 

My hope and prayer as we enter week three together is that we all see God’s heart, hear His invitation, and recognize the fields ripe for harvest (John 4:35). What if we stopped hiding? What if you and I believed God? What if we embraced His call to lead others out of bondage and into the freedom only Jesus can provide?

God doesn’t just call us to follow; He calls and equips each of us to lead. To lead others the same way He has led us – out of slavery, out of darkness, and into His marvelous light and life.

Prayer: Father, help me embrace this call to lead. For so long, I’ve thought of myself as only a follower. I’ve assumed that you wanted to use “someone else” to accomplish your Great Commission. But I’m starting to see things differently, and I’m running out of excuses. Help me overcome my fears. Remind me that you will be with me as I step into obedience. Use me to help bring others into the freedom that only Jesus offers. Amen.
 

Reflection: 

1. Moses had a past, but God still called him to lead. What fears or insecurities from your past cause you to question whether God could use you to invite others into His Kingdom? How does today’s passage speak to those doubts?

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2. God’s invitation is also a call to lead. In what ways has God already placed you in a position to lead others toward Him—at home, at work, in friendships, or in your community? How are you responding to that invitation?

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3. God is patient with us because He wants everyone to come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9). How does this truth shape the urgency and intentionality with which you pray for, see, and invite others into the family of God?

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Application:  

This week, step into the leadership God has called you to by identifying one person who may be “in hiding” spiritually—someone who feels unworthy or disqualified. Pray for them by name, ask God to open a natural door for conversation, and then take a step to invite them closer—whether that’s a coffee meeting, a personal testimony, or an invitation to church. Just like Moses, trust that God will be with you in the conversation. 

 

 

 

Week 3 – Day 2: Bigger Than Our Excuses 

Read: Exodus 4:1–17 

 

I’m not sure if another passage in Scripture helps me connect more deeply with Moses than this one. God seeks him out, invites him in, and calls him to a task that’s both incredible and beautiful – to go and set the captives free. As I mentioned yesterday, that’s our story! 

 

But so is today’s reading. Because just like Moses, when we hear what God has called us to do – to give ourselves fully to His mission of reconciliation and restoration – leading His people out of slavery and death and into freedom and life – we respond the same way. We immediately make excuses and think of all the reasons that God has chosen the wrong person for the task. 

 

That’s why this text is so relatable! We’ve all experienced this. We all do it. Think about it honestly – when you hear that YOU are God’s chosen method for setting His children free, what’s the first thing that comes to mind? Seriously? I would guess it’s either an excuse or a feeling of profound inadequacy for the task. 

 

But here’s the thing: God always equips those He calls. When God invites us to join Him on His mission to seek and save the lost, to bring His children out of slavery to sin and into life in Christ, He also prepares and provides us with what we need to accomplish it. 

 

First and foremost, He gives us His Spirit. When we put our faith and trust in Jesus as Savior and Lord, we are born again—born of the Spirit of God (John 3:5-8). God Himself now lives inside of us through the Holy Spirit, and that matters! It means we are no longer alone. That’s one of the promises Jesus made before He ascended into heaven and sent the Holy Spirit. He promised His disciples that He would not leave them alone. So, when we embrace God’s calling on our lives to be His ambassadors and actively seek to save the lost, hoping to bring them out of slavery and into life, we are never alone in the process. God is always with us.

And part of His presence with us and in us is another powerful source of provision meant to help us overcome our excuses – and that’s the fact that the Holy Spirit gives us power to speak! Most of us are like Moses. We feel inadequate to represent God, like we are going to somehow mess it up. That’s in essence what He’s saying to God, “I’m not great with words, are you sure you don’t want to send someone else?” Sound familiar?  

 

But God overrides that excuse for us, just as He did with Moses. In Moses’ case, God provided Aaron. In ours, He uses His Spirit (who lives in us) to empower us so we can tell others what He’s done for us (Acts 1:8). That means we don’t need to worry about what to say or undergo special training, because God will empower us to share what He has done for us. That’s what a witness does—communicates what they have experienced. Think about the man born blind in John 9. His testimony was straightforward, yet God used it powerfully: “All I know is I was blind and now I see.” When we accept God’s invitation to join Him on His mission, He supplies us with the power to speak up, and He uses our words to impact others’ lives deeply.

There’s one more area I want to highlight today as we discuss how God always equips those He calls. Not only does God give us His Spirit and His power, but He also provides us with His Word. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 states, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” 

 

Let’s break that down. It’s saying that the whole Bible is inspired by God—that it is literally His Word, His life-giving breath (Genesis 2:7). It also says that this Word from God is extremely useful to us. It teaches us, convicts us, corrects us, and restores us, helping us become more like God. And don’t miss that last part. All of this is so we will be equipped for every good work the Lord has planned for us—especially the good work of setting captives free! 

 

Here’s what I’m saying. I love you, but… the Great Commission isn’t optional. God has invited you into relationship. He has invited you into His family, and He has called you to His mission. You are His plan. You are part of His leadership team—like it or not, that’s true. And I know that can be overwhelming, but you are not alone. God equips those He calls. He’s given you His Spirit, His power, and His Word—and that’s all you need.

And this week, I pray that, like Moses, you discover that His provision for you is greater than your excuses. God wants to use you in this. He will use you in this. Trust Him.

Prayer: Father, I know. I know. So, why am I struggling so much to trust You? To lean into Your provision for me? Use today’s passage and Moses’ failed attempts at excuses to bring me to a place of complete trust and understanding today. You want to use me to bring freedom to others. Let Your presence, power, and word overwhelm my excuses today! 

 

 

Reflection: 

1. God equips those He calls. Which of your own excuses or feelings of inadequacy tend to hold you back from seeing, hearing, valuing, and inviting others into God’s Kingdom? How does knowing God has given you His Spirit, power, and Word speak to those excuses?

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2. The Holy Spirit empowers us to speak. Like the man in John 9, what’s a simple, personal testimony you could share this week about how God has changed your life? Who might need to hear it?

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3. The Great Commission is not optional. How would your week look different if you truly believed you were part of God’s “leadership team” in setting captives free? What is the first step you could take today?

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Application: 

This week, identify one person you’ve felt hesitant to approach because of fear, inadequacy, or lack of words. Pray specifically for that person, asking the Holy Spirit to give you the moment and the words to speak. Then, take the step—share your story, invite them to church, or offer to pray for them. Trust that God’s presence, power, and Word are more than enough to overcome your excuses. 

 

 

 

Week 3 – Day 3: The Promised Presence 

Read: Exodus 33:12-23 

 

As we enter week three of this journey to rediscover God’s heart and our purpose, you may have some thoughts and feelings swirling around in your mind and heart. By now, you’re starting to see that God has not only invited you into a personal relationship, but He has also entrusted you with a significant responsibility to help others find that same relationship. That can feel overwhelming. 

 

Like Moses, when faced with the reality of this calling, we often look inward and start to list all the reasons we CAN’T do this. But as we learned yesterday, God is bigger than every excuse or reason we make. He always equips those He calls! And not only does He equip them, He promises to BE with them as they GO. And this promised presence is the key to effective ministry!  

 

Look at God’s promise to Moses in verse 14. He says, “My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” This promise is followed by God giving Moses a glimpse of His glory, power, and might.  

 

Listen, there are some huge lessons for us here. Number one, we are never alone in this work that God has called us to – this ministry of reconciliation. Just as God promised to go with Moses, He has promised to go with us. 

 

Let’s take a close look at the Great Commission. Please pay special attention to how it concludes. “All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18-20) 

 

Like Moses, we are told to go, and we are promised that God’s presence will be with us as we do. Now, as I mentioned earlier, this has significant implications for us. It means that, even though the responsibility God has given us to lead others into His presence can be overwhelming at times, we are never alone in it. God is literally with us as we step out in obedience.

And His presence with us matters! That’s where the second and third lessons come in. You see, God is all-powerful. Genesis 18:14 says, “Is anything too hard for the Lord?” The answer, of course, is NO! Job declared of God, “I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted.” (Job 42:2). That means that as long as we are focused on accomplishing the purpose for which God has sent us out, we can’t be stopped! God will use us to accomplish His purpose – we will be operating in His power (Acts 1:8).  

 

Which brings me to our third lesson. Because when we are on mission, we are operating in God’s power, we can rest (Exodus 33:14). When I first started teaching the Bible to large groups, I got so nervous that my stomach would get upset. It was pretty rough, and it lasted for the ENTIRE first year of my ministry. But something eventually clicked. I realized, toward the end of that first year, that every time I stood up and shared God’s Word in obedience, He moved in power. That I didn’t have to do anything other than trust Him and faithfully open my mouth. 

 

The overwhelming sense of rest from that experience was a game-changer. I realized it wasn’t my responsibility to produce a specific outcome. I didn’t need to change anyone’s heart or mind. All I was called to do was faithfully share God’s Word and call others into a personal relationship. He takes care of the hard work of changing hearts and minds. It was so freeing! Even though I was “working” for the Lord, my mind, heart, and Spirit remained at peace. I genuinely believe that’s what God was telling Moses. Not that he wouldn’t face work and responsibility ahead, but that God would do all the heavy lifting, while Moses walked in obedience.

The same truth applies to us. I know the weight of fulfilling the Great Commission can feel overwhelming. But let me ask you something: Is it overwhelming because you’re trying to do everything alone—relying solely on your own strength? What might happen if, instead of stressing over what to say or how to change someone’s mind, you asked God to go with you each day and speak through you as you obediently invite others to experience the freedom only He can provide? What if you shared His heart for invitation and left all the results in His hands? Can you imagine how fulfilling and restful that could feel?

Prayer: Father, free me from all the fear, anxiety, and excuses that rise in my mind and heart when I think about the responsibility of the Great Commission you have called me to participate in. Remind me that I’m not alone in this great task. You are with me. You are the one doing all the heavy lifting. You are the one ultimately responsible for others accepting the invitations you’ve called me to offer. Help that truth give me great rest today as I seek to walk in obedience to your command to “Go and make disciples.” Amen. 

 

 

Reflection:
1. God’s presence brings rest. Where have you been carrying the weight of the Great Commission as if the outcome depended entirely on you? How might remembering “My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest” change your approach? 

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2. God’s power over our limitations. What’s one area in your faith conversations or invitations where you’ve been leaning on your own strength instead of God’s? What could it look like to trust Him to “do the heavy lifting”?

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3. Rest in obedience. When have you experienced peace and rest while serving God because you trusted Him with the results? How might that memory encourage you to invite someone this week without fear of “messing it up”?

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Application:
Today, before starting your usual activities, pause and pray: “Lord, go with me. Speak through me. Show me who You want me to see, hear, value, and invite today.” Then, be intentional about one personal interaction—listen well, value the person, and extend an invitation to take a next step toward Jesus. Leave the results in God’s hands, and rest in knowing He is with you. 

 

 

Week 3 – Day 4: Sufficient and Bold 

Read: 2 Corinthians 3:4–18  

 

Yesterday, we discussed the incredible truth that when we live on God’s mission and focus on helping others develop a personal relationship with Him, we are never alone. It’s only our job to invite others to know Him; it’s His job to bring about change in their lives. Recognizing this allows us to rest and trust in God for all the hard work that lies ahead.
 

But if you are honest with yourself, I bet there’s still a lot of doubt lingering about whether or not you can really do this. That’s why our passage today is so important. In verse 5, the Apostle Paul writes, “It is not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything as coming from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God.” Now keep in mind what He’s talking about. He is having the same conversation with the believers in Corinth that we’ve been having. He’s talking about their call to be ministers of reconciliation – ministers of a new covenant (verse 6).  

 

To fully understand this, we need to examine the nuances of the Greek text more closely. What he’s emphasizing is that when it comes to reconciliation, our feelings of inadequacy shouldn’t hold us back. His phrase, “We are not competent in ourselves,” can be literally translated as “we are not sufficient on our own” or “we are not capable by ourselves.” But then he writes, “our adequacy is from God.” That phrase literally means that God has given us enough ability and competence to accomplish a task (to be ministers of reconciliation). And finally, in verse 6, he states, “He has made us competent to be ministers of a new covenant…” The nuance here is that the word doesn’t simply mean to make sufficient or to fit, but it refers explicitly to being equipped with enough power to perform duties. 

 

Go back and reread that last line if necessary. You are not enough for this task on your own. Neither am I. Who is? However, the main point is that we are not alone! God is with us in this. He is our source of sufficiency for this. And He has equipped us with enough power to do it – He has made us sufficient. Understanding the source of our sufficiency is meant to bring about a change in us. As we discussed yesterday, it leads to rest. Recognizing that it’s not my job to change people allows me to rest in the simple, yet important, task God has called me to – inviting others into a relationship with Him. The other benefit of understanding this is a very real sense of boldness. 

 

If I’m consistently praying for the people God has placed in my life who lack a relationship with Him, and I fully understand God’s role and mine—which is that He is the one who brings change, and all I need to do is rest in that and invite others into His presence—then I no longer have to worry about what to say. I start viewing every interaction as an opportunity for answered prayer. I begin to confidently invite people to everything, believing that God will use me to speak to them. “Do you want to grab coffee?” “Hey, we have this amazing event next week at church; the kids would love it. Do you want to come?” “You guys should come over Sunday night; our small group is meeting, and we’ve got some wonderful families. It would be a great chance for you guys to meet other couples our age.” “Do y’all want to come check out church with us on Sunday? We’ve just started a new series, and I think you’ll love it. Plus, our Kids ministry is fantastic, and we can all go grab lunch afterward.” 

 

And I’m never afraid of rejection because it’s my job to invite others and continually share my love for God. It’s God’s job to use those invitations. As people start accepting them, new opportunities will come—opportunities to take the next steps. If they come to coffee, you can invite them to church or a Bible study. If they come to a small group or church, you can ask for their thoughts or if they have any questions. You can also use our discussion questions to deepen the conversation—trusting that God will provide exactly what you need to continue being a minister of reconciliation in their lives. 

 

Prayer: God, thank you for saving me and making me yours. Thank you for your patience with me. I’ve been hesitant to trust you in this part of my life, but I’m beginning to see the importance of obeying your Great Commission. Keep placing people in my path, Lord. Help me see others through your eyes. Who do I interact with regularly that isn’t churched? Remind me that you are my source of sufficiency, and because of that, I can be bold in inviting others closer—trusting you to use each step to draw them to yourself. I love you, Lord. Thank you for making me a part of your ministry and entrusting me with this work of reconciliation. 

 

Reflection: 

1. Source of strength – When you think about sharing your faith or inviting others, what doubts or feelings of inadequacy surface most often? How does Paul’s reminder that “our adequacy is from God” (v. 5) speak to those doubts?

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2. Rest and boldness – In what ways does recognizing that it’s God who changes hearts (not you) free you to rest in your role and step out more boldly?

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3. Practical invitations – Think about one person God has already placed in your life. What’s one natural, everyday invitation you could extend (coffee, dinner, church, small group, event) as a step of faith this week?

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Application: 

Today, practice boldness rooted in God’s sufficiency by acting on one intentional invitation. Prayerfully identify someone in your regular rhythm of life who may be far from God. Then see them, hear them, value them, and extend a clear, kind, and natural invitation to take a step closer to Jesus. Trust God to handle the results, and rest in knowing He has already equipped you for this ministry. 

 

 

Week 3 – Day 5: The Great Co-mission 

Read: Matthew 28:16-20  

 

While we will reference the Great Commission throughout this devotional, I’ve included this text here intentionally. As we finish week three and our study of Moses’s life, I want to make sure everything is clear so no one misses the point. Moses was called to a great task – he was given a significant leadership role over God’s people. Likewise, God has chosen you and me and given us an important task concerning His people.  

 

Like Moses, we have been given the instruction, ‘Go.’ This is God’s personal invitation to step into His mission. Seriously, think about that. Moses had to “go” before Pharaoh, and we have to “go” to our friends, our neighbors, anyone who is far from Christ. Like Moses, we have to say hard things. He had to tell Pharaoh to let his people go. We have to tell others that the thing they need most in life is a personal relationship with God. Both require great boldness. 

 

And because of that, like Moses, we often make excuses for why we’re not capable of the task. As we’ve seen this week, God is bigger than all our excuses. He always equips those He calls. He promises Moses and us that as long as we’re doing what He has asked, He will be with us! His power, His presence, His peace, and yes – His boldness. He makes us sufficient for this great task. 

 

But here’s the thing – here’s where our stories diverge. Moses actually went. He went before the most powerful ruler in the world and said exactly what God told him to say. Unfortunately, most of us aren’t “going.”  

 

Maybe it’s because we don’t see our loved ones as being in captivity. Perhaps it’s because spiritual slavery is harder to notice. I’m not sure why most Christians don’t “go,” but it’s clear that they don’t. Seven out of ten unchurched people say they have never even been invited to church in their lives. That hard truth is simply unacceptable. And remember, evangelism (of which personal invitation is the most basic form) is just the first step of the Great Commission. 

 

Jesus’ mission was to seek and save the lost. His mission is now ours. And He commanded us that as we carry out His mission, we must also teach those we reach what it means to follow Him and send them out to be ministers of reconciliation too. 

 

We need to accept that each of us has been called (invited) into a leadership role when it comes to reconciliation. That Jesus Himself has commanded us to lead in His mission to seek and save the lost—to make disciples around the world. That’s our job. Our primary job. That’s what He has saved us for and equipped us to do. That’s why He’s given us His Spirit (Acts 1:8).  

 

A significant shift occurred when Jesus began preparing His disciples for His ascension into heaven. He started saying things like, “You are the light of the world” (Matthew 5:14). He was training them to lead others. That’s our story too! We are no longer just followers; each of us is called to lead — to guide others from darkness into light. That’s the heart of the Great Commission. In a world full of darkness—where people are held in spiritual bondage—we are called to be messengers of the Good News—proclaiming that through Christ, God is setting His people free. 

 

And as we accept that mission, Jesus assures us that we will encounter His presence in powerful, life-changing ways. So, please do me a favor today. Go back and reread the Great Commission (our text today). Take some time to think about the people in your life who might be far from God. Just because spiritual bondage is harder to see doesn’t make it any less real. Hear their hurt this week. Listen carefully, and you will hear the cries of people longing for freedom. Then do the unthinkable – trust God and “go.” 

 

Commit to changing your mindset: Jesus calls all His followers to lead. You’re not just a follower—Jesus urges you to “go” to your friends and neighbors, to play a role in setting them free. It all begins with demonstrating God’s inviting heart—that He desires a relationship with them! God is enough and will work through you, but you have to go.

One final thought: God’s plan for you may not be to lead an entire nation out of slavery, like Moses. But think about this—what if, through consistently praying for those around you and sharing God’s heart of invitation, God used you to bring one family out of slavery to sin and death and into the freedom and life of Christ? What if God used you to do that in the life of one family every year for the rest of your life? Pretty cool, right? God is willing and able—make yourself available and see what He does! 

 

Prayer: Father, set my feet free. Help me desire obedience more than I fear rejection. Teach me that the Great Commission – the ministry of reconciliation – is not optional. You have called me to lead in this, and I can no longer stay on the sidelines. Lord Jesus, forgive me for not realizing this sooner; for letting my doubt keep me quiet and still. I now see clearly what you’re calling me into, and today, Lord, I say yes. I will “go.” As I do, let your power work within me and through me to bring lasting change to the lives of those around me. 

 

 

 

 Reflection: 

 

1. Called to “Go” – When you read Jesus’ command to “go,” how does it challenge your current posture toward sharing your faith? Do you see yourself more as a follower or as a leader in God’s mission?

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2. Excuses vs. Equipping – What excuses do you find yourself making when it comes to living out the Great Commission? How does remembering God’s promise of His presence and power (v. 20, Acts 1:8) help you move past those excuses?

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3. Seeing Captivity Clearly – Who in your life may be in “spiritual captivity” without realizing it? How can you lovingly listen to their hurts and invite them to experience the freedom Jesus offers?

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Application: 

Take a concrete step today to share Christ with others. Think of one person or family member you believe God has put in your path. Pray for them, be attentive to their longing for freedom, and offer a clear invitation—be it for coffee, to your home, or to church. Trust God with the outcome, but commit to “go” in obedience.