After He was filled with the Holy Spirit at the Jordan River, Jesus spent 40 days in the desert being tempted by Satan. Then, He started to teach throughout all of Galilee and news about Him began to spread. The book of Luke tells us that when Jesus finally returned to His hometown of Nazareth, He went to the local synagogue; and in front of all of His family, friends and neighbors, He began to read these words from the prophet Isaiah: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed; to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord” (Luke 4:18–19). 



He then shut the book and sat down. As everyone in the synagogue watched Him, Jesus announced, “While you heard those words just now, they were coming true!” Luke later makes it clear that Jesus passed this same ministry on to His disciples (Luke 9:1–2) and ultimately to the entire Church (Acts 1:1–2, 8).


As followers of Christ, our mission is the same as His—to see people saved, healed, set free, discipled, equipped and empowered to serve God and His kingdom. Jesus has called us to take the message of His good news to our families, friends, neighbors, co-workers, strangers, enemies … everyone. What you read over the 21 days of this devotional are the stories of ordinary people. They lived in the real world and faced the same kinds of issues and obstacles that each of us face. But each of them heard God, believed Him and obeyed His call to step out in faith and go. 



Will you do the same? Will you step out in faith and go? Let’s say “yes” to God’s call.