Edition 22
Soapy Water
Last Edition Recap
How have you applied the last edition to your life?
Opening Prayer
Dear God, cleanse us as we serve You, that through our service we might discover Your constant presence. Amen.
Introduction
A man stood in darkness, entertaining thoughts of ending it all. Life felt too heavy. God seemed distant, angry, finished with him. Sin had piled too high. Finally, he broke his silence, seeking out his old youth pastor. “I’ve been there,” the pastor admitted. “Dark thoughts, distant God. But I discovered something—I started serving behind the scenes, setting up chairs for Sunday service. The more I helped God, the more fulfilled I felt. I was never alone, even in darkness. God was always there. I just needed to act like a Christian to discover the joy of really serving Jesus.” The pastor’s prescription was simple: “Put your money where your mouth is. The problem isn’t God—He hasn’t moved. The problem is you. If you don’t fulfil your side of the relationship with God, you won’t know how fulfilling God can be for your soul. Your soul cannot fake joy anymore—it needs God.” So the man volunteered to wash dishes after church services. One day, watching soapy water cleanse grimy dishes, revelation struck: “You are that grimy dish. I am the soapy water. Outside of me you cannot be cleansed or renewed. But when you immerse yourself into my service, I will always cleanse you and restore you to be used for my glory.” That dishwasher is now an ordained minister. Sometimes we find God not by waiting for feelings but by washing dishes.
Chat Point 1
How does serving others affect your sense of God’s presence in your life?
What prevents you from “placing yourself in God’s presence” through service?
When have you felt most distant from God, and what were you doing during that time?
How might your spiritual darkness be connected to your level of involvement in God’s work?
What would change if you treated service as a pathway to experiencing God rather than a duty?
Read
1 John 1:1-10, 1 Corinthians 6:11, Isaiah 43:1-13
Key Focus
1 John 1:9 – “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
Chat Point 2
What stood out for you about walking in the light versus walking in darkness?
How does being “washed, sanctified, and justified” change your identity and purpose?
What does “walking in the light” mean practically in your everyday life?
Why do you think God connects cleansing with service rather than just prayer?
How would your church community change if everyone understood they need to immerse themselves in service?
Final Thought
The revelation came whilst washing dishes: grimy plates transformed by soapy water, just like souls transformed by service. The man discovered what we often miss—God hasn’t gone anywhere. We have. We wait for feelings whilst God waits for action. “The more you serve God, the more you will experience the realness of God.” This isn’t earning salvation; it’s experiencing it. You are washed, sanctified, justified—declared righteous in God’s sight. But like dishes that sit unused gather dust, souls without service grow stale. The old pastor knew the secret: we don’t serve because we feel God’s presence; we feel God’s presence because we serve. Your soul cannot fake joy—it needs God. And God is found not in waiting rooms but in washing rooms, not in feeling but in doing, not in isolation but in immersion. When you immerse yourself in His service, He cleanses and restores you for His glory. He’s always with you. The question is: will you always be with Him? The dishes are waiting. So is your transformation.
My Action
What key insight or learning from this session resonates most with me, and what do I sense God is inviting me to do in response?
Shared Prayer
What are your prayer requests?
Closing Prayer
Lord, reveal where we may serve You, for in serving we discover You’ve never left us. Amen.
In-Between Chats: Personal Reflection
What specific area of service could you commit to this week to “place yourself in God’s presence”?
How might your spiritual dryness be related to your lack of involvement in practical service?
What would it look like to “put your money where your mouth is” in your relationship with God?
Edition Writer: Rev Kevin Zondagh
Ordained Minister, Life Coach, Couples Coach, Executive Coach. Founder of CoffeeChatConnect and Exemplar Coaching Pty Ltd.