Jim Moudy: Summer Devo Series

JIm Moudy: All right. It's nine o'clock, so we'll go ahead and kick off.
Good morning, friends.
JimMoudyDevo25: It's such a nice, beautiful morning here on the LCU campus.
It's just a blessing to be here.
Today, I want to explore what may be a new word to you.
About a month ago, I was flipping through my grandmother's journals.
And a line she had written stood out that contained a word I had never heard before.
The line read, "Sign up to be a GIMPER for God."
A GIMPER is someone who always does a little more than what's required or expected.
It didn't take me long to realize that my grandmother had been reading a book
called The Prayer of Jabez by Bruce Wilkinson.
In not being familiar with this book,
I took some time to read both of Wilkinson's books on the subject of blessing.
The Prayer of Jabez and the follow-up book, Beyond Jabez,
mentioned a desire that Wilkinson had to be a GIMPER for the Lord.
And so I wanted to explore that word a little bit further.
This idea of a GIMPER, a word coined by Dr. Richard Sumay,
a respected chaplain of Dallas Theological Seminary,
has inspired others to ponder its meaning and inspired many in their faith walk.
A GIMPER for Christ is a Christian who refuses to settle for mediocre faith,
always striving for God's purpose.
The challenge is to live with passion, not settling for complacency.
At LCU, our brand promises, "We walk with you,"
and our mission is to transform hearts, minds, and hands for lives of purpose and service.
These statements align with this calling
to be a GIMPER for God as students, staff, and faculty
pursue a living, vibrant faith walk together in community with the Lord.
So this morning I want to explore scripture for what this concept of being a GIMPER might look like.
A GIMPER for God hungers for more of God, more of his truth, power, and his authority in their lives.
In Philippians 3, 13 through 14, Paul gives us an illustration of what this looks like.
"But one thing I do, forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead,
I press toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus."
I remember as a first-year student at LCU, I thought I understood what this verse meant.
I was just going to give my best and achieve the goals that I had set before me.
But it was later in life I realized God doesn't want just our best.
He wants our all, running towards his purpose in our lives and to win for Christ, not our own victories.
A GIMPER isn't afraid to be bold and fully trust in the Lord.
Caleb, in Numbers 13, 30, declared, "We should go up and take possession of the land,
for we can certainly do it."
Caleb boldly declared faith and trust in God's promises,
a promise to deliver a land that many were saying was filled with giants.
How many times today do we look at things in front of us and think, "This is an insurmountable challenge"?
Well, with our work alone, all the things we strive for can seem impossible.
But with God, having full faith in him and working through us, we are told in Scripture that anything is possible.
A GIMPER for God isn't afraid to serve extravagantly.
In the Gospel of Mark, Jesus encountered a woman who anointed him.
And in this story, in Mark 14, 3-9, a woman pours expensive perfume on Jesus.
But when we reflect on this more, we see someone who gave without respect to cost.
She did not worship out of mediocrity. She gave her all.
Jesus praises her, stating, "I tell you the truth, whenever the good news is preached throughout the world,
this woman's deeds will be remembered and discussed."
And here we are today.
A GIMPER for God seeks his truth diligently.
Our walk with God shouldn't be limited by a daily Bible verse or a daily reading.
I want to encourage us, just like Paul encouraged Timothy in 2 Timothy 2, 15, that reads,
"Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed
and who correctly handles the word of truth."
We will never understand the truth and the purpose God has for us until we are willing to dive deep in his word.
And it's through that we allow the Holy Spirit to shape us in every aspect of our lives.
So today I want to encourage you to be a GIMPER.
God calls us to reject mediocrity and the mundane, to pursue a faith that can transform us.
We must embrace what God has set before us.
Psalms 119.30-32 reads, "I have chosen the way of faithfulness.
I have set my heart on your laws.
I hold fast to your statutes, Lord.
Do not let me be put to shame.
I run the path of your commands for you have broadened my understanding."
This is the life God calls us to.
We are so blessed to have a community like LCU to do that with each other.
And I hope we feel encouraged by one another.
It could be today that you're feeling spiritually stagnant,
but I want you to realize there are so many ways to reconnect with God and revitalize your spirit in this place.
You see, God has a purpose for you, and he wants to bless you.
In fact, he can and will bless others through you.
Whether you're teaching students, being a mentor, praying with your team, or simply showing up each day,
God can and will work through you.
So it's my hope the Gimper spirit becomes fully alive and well within our community.
When I look at what is going on here at LCU,
I see the Holy Spirit already at work in the lives of our students and in our community.
I see and hear it in the peace and calm of this morning.
I've heard it in the Moody Auditorium through an inspiring chapel program,
or being together with you guys in participating in service days like LCU for LBK,
or in small group Bible studies, and the list could go on,
of the countless moments we have to care and encourage each other.
My challenge to you is to take one step this week.
Maybe it's making a bold prayer request of God.
Maybe it's an act of service that causes you to do something extraordinary.
Or maybe it's inviting someone to walk with you in faith.
Don't coast. Run towards God's purpose.
Trust boldly like Caleb did. Serve extravagantly like the woman who
anointed Jesus, and seek the truth diligently like Paul
instructed Timothy in God's word.
Let's pray.
Father, today I ask that you ignite a fire in our hearts to
be gimpers for you, striving to do a little more than what is expected,
and allowing you to work in us, and for your glory, and for your purpose.
Father, transform our hearts to trust you more.
Use our hands to do the things that you have set before us.
And Father, put a spirit in us that seeks your truth daily.
Father, I want to thank you for walking with us and for blessing our work here
at LCU. May we be faithful to the mission
and the unique roles that you put us in.
And Father, for those who see and hear nothing but challenges
that seem insurmountable, I ask that those individuals may hear
your voice and recognize your constant presence
in their lives. Father, stir our hearts to seek you fully.
Lord, we long to be your hands and feet on this earth,
JIm Moudy: reflecting the love of Jesus, shown by you
as you sent your son to die on the cross for our sins.
We are so thankful for your grace and mercy that is
extended upon us each and every day. It's in your son's Jesus name we pray. Amen.
Cade Killough: Thanks for listening to LCU's podcast. For more content like this, go to lcu.edu.