Here is a 5-day devotional journey designed to help your congregation move from a "dead fact" faith to the "recycled energy" of a grace-worked life.

Day 1: The Ground Beneath Your Feet
Scripture: “Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you... in which you stand.” (1 Cor 15:1)

We often treat the Gospel as the "starting line"—the thing that gets us into the race so we can then run on our own steam. But Paul says the Gospel is the ground we stand on. It is the permanent floor, not the temporary door. If we assume the Gospel is just "the basics," we stop being "worked" by it, and we start trying to build our own platforms of performance.

Reflection: Are you "standing" on Jesus’ finished work today, or are you trying to build a platform of your own to prove your worth?

Reflection: What "dead facts" about God do you need to turn into "living energy" through prayer?

Quote: "The Gospel is not just the ABCs of Christianity, it’s the A to Z." — Tim Keller

Action Point: Today, when you feel a "dip" in your confidence, stop and say out loud: "I am standing on what Jesus did, not what I am doing."

Prayer: Lord, remind me that my security is found in Your work, not my own. Help me to stand firm on Your grace today.

Day 2: The Danger of Staying Put
Scripture: “...unless you believed in vain.” (1 Cor 15:2b)

"In vain" means empty or hollow. It’s the "Wolf" who stays a wolf but wears a sheepdog collar. We fall into passivity when we use grace as an excuse for an idol of comfort. We tell ourselves, "God loves me as I am," which is true—but we forget that He loves us too much to leave us as we are. To believe "in vain" is to have the message but refuse the transformation.

Reflection: Where have you become comfortable with a "low view of work" or a "stay put" faith?

Reflection: What is one area where you’ve said "that's just who I am" instead of "that's who Jesus is changing"?

Quote: "If I am content with being a little less than the best I can be for my Lord, then I know nothing of Calvary love." — Amy Carmichael

Action Point: Identify one "difficult" thing you’ve been avoiding (a conversation, a chore, a habit) and do it today as an act of worship.

Prayer: Master Shepherd, forgive my laziness. Don't let my faith be hollow. Work in me a new desire to move forward.

Day 3: The Gift of Being "Least"
Scripture: “For I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.” (1 Cor 15:9)

The "Wolf" (Paul) didn’t try to hide his past; he used it to highlight God’s grace. When we try to be the "Most"—the most spiritual, the most productive, the most liked—we become resentful of others. But when we accept being "the least," we are finally free. The pressure to perform is gone. We are just "late to the party," amazed that we were invited at all.

Reflection: Why is it so hard to be "the least" in a world that demands we be "the most"?

Reflection: Who are you currently comparing yourself to, and how is that comparison stealing your joy?

Quote: "A life totally committed to God has nothing to fear, nothing to lose, and nothing to regret." — Pandita Ramabai

Action Point: Look for an opportunity to let someone else get the credit today or to take the "lowest" seat in a meeting or social setting.

Prayer: Jesus, thank You for being the G.O.A.T. so I don't have to be. I accept my 'least-ness' so I can enjoy Your 'greatness.'

Day 4: Recycled Energy
Scripture: “But by the grace of God I am what I am... I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me.” (1 Cor 15:10)

Paul worked harder than everyone else, but he wasn't burnt out. Why? Because he was using "recycled energy." He was working from love, not for love. When the Shepherd saves the wolf, the wolf doesn't stop running—he just starts running in a new direction. Grace isn't the absence of effort; it's the presence of a new Power.

Reflection: Does your work feel like a heavy burden you have to carry, or a gift you get to offer back to God?

Reflection: How can you tell when you are working on your own "caffeine and willpower" instead of God's grace?

Quote: "Our rest is based on the finished work of Christ, but our work is based on His continued working in us." — Watchman Nee

Action Point: In the middle of your busiest hour today, stop for 60 seconds to acknowledge that the energy in your hands is a gift from the Spirit.

Prayer: Lord, work through me today. Let my labor be a 'thank you note' to You. Give me Your recycled energy for every task.

Day 5: Not in Vain
Scripture: “...his grace toward me was not in vain.” (1 Cor 15:10)

The evidence of grace is a changed life. Not a perfect life, but a "worked" life. When the Master Shepherd reorients a "Wolf," the result is visible: the predator becomes a protector. Today, the grace given to you is not in vain. It is being used to shape you, to use you, and to bless others through you—even if you feel like the "last to the party."

Reflection: Looking back at the past year, where can you see God’s grace specifically "working" on your instincts?

Reflection: How does knowing your work is "not in vain" change how you view "small" or "unseen" tasks?

Quote: "Jesus took our exhaustion so that He might give us His immortality." — Athanasius of Alexandria

Action Point: Write down three things God has done in your character recently. Give thanks that His grace is actively winning.

Prayer: Master, I am Yours. Thank You for not giving up on me. Continue to work Your grace into every corner of my life. Amen.