Serving God Each Season

Our Daily Bread Podcast | Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread Ministries

Religion & Spirituality, Christianity

4.6 • 955 Ratings

🗓️ 12 July 2025

⏱️ 4 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

After years of discipling Caleb by himself, Mark was dismayed to find out that a church leader had assigned another mentor to the young man. The leader remarked, “Finally, Caleb has a mentor.”

What did they think I was doing all these years? Mark wondered. Though he had not expected any reward or recognition, he couldn’t help feeling hurt.

Years later, however, Caleb told Mark that he had entered Caleb’s life just when he most needed spiritual guidance. On hearing these encouraging words, Mark came to this realization: God gives believers in Jesus specific gifts to serve Him differently—without comparing with others—and He controls the timing.

In 1 Corinthians 12:4-31, Paul stresses the value of members of the body having different gifts, roles, and assignments, while remembering the ultimate source of the results: “I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow” (3:6).

Each of us may be given a unique season and opportunity to do God’s work. Unlike people, God doesn’t compare our work, for He loves us as individuals. May we keep our eyes and hearts focused on doing our best in the season that God has given us—relying completely on His strength and empowerment—and not worry about what others achieve in their own way and time.

Transcript

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0:00.0	I planted the seed.
0:02.2	Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow.
0:06.1	1 Corinthians 3, verse 6.
0:09.6	Welcome to this daily encouragement from our daily bread.
0:13.8	Serving God each season was written by Leslie Coe and read by Stephen Tabor.
0:21.8	1 Corinthians chapter 3 verses 5 through 9
0:25.6	What after all is Apollos and what is Paul? Only servants through whom you came to believe
0:33.5	as the Lord has assigned to each his task. I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been
0:40.9	making it grow. So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God
0:47.7	who makes things grow. The one who plants and the one who waters have one purpose, and they will each be rewarded according
0:55.5	to their own labor. For we are co-workers in God's service. You are God's field, God's building.
1:07.5	Serving God each season, written by Leslie Coe.
1:12.5	After years of discipling Caleb by himself, Mark was dismayed to find out that a church leader
1:18.7	had assigned another mentor to the young man. The leader remarked, finally, Caleb has a mentor.
1:25.9	What did they think I was doing all these years? Mark wondered.
1:29.7	Though he hadn't expected any reward or recognition, he couldn't help feeling hurt.
1:35.5	Years later, however, Caleb told Mark that he'd entered Caleb's life just when he most needed spiritual guidance.
1:43.7	On hearing these encouraging words, Mark came to this
1:46.9	realization. God gives believers in Jesus specific gifts to serve him differently, without comparing
1:54.5	with others, and he oversees the timing. In 1 Corinthians 12 verses 4 through 31, Paul stresses the value of members of the body of
2:04.2	Christ, the church, having different gifts, roles, and assignments. And in chapter 3, he reminds us
2:11.5	of the one who's the ultimate source of the results. I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow.
	...

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