Welcome to Paul Tripp's Wednesday's Word podcast. I'm Dalton, a member of the Paul Trip

Ministries team. Join me each week as I read aloud Paul's popular Wednesday's Word

devotional. You can subscribe to our email list to receive this devotional straight to your inbox

each week. Or you can read online at paultrip.com slash Wednesday or on Facebook, Instagram, and the Paul Trip app.

This week, Paul wants to continue to equip us to be better disciple makers in our church

communities by being prepared for the unscheduled ministry opportunities in life.

Here's this week's Wednesday's work. The central mission of God's kingdom on earth is spiritual life transformation, and God

chooses to use people who are themselves in need of transformation as instruments

of the same transformation

in the lives of others. But how? In simple terms, God accomplishes this work as the Holy Spirit

empowers his people to bring His word to others. Quote, and let the peace of Christ rule in your

hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body, and be thankful. Let the

Word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom,

singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God."

End quote, Colossians 3, 15, and 16. This passage is often applied, and appropriately so, to the public preaching

and teaching of the Word. Another term you could use is the formal ministry of the church,

whether that be worship services, adult and children's Sunday school, men's, women's and youth

ministry, or midweek small groups. While these scheduled times of teaching the word are vitally important,

much more personal ministry goes on during the week,

or at least according to the biblical model, it should.

Recall Ephesians 4, 11 through 16 from last week.

God has appointed his church with leaders,

...