We're continuing to pray through a few Psalms this week. For more info what I'm talking about, read Monday's post.
Psalm 66 (NLT)
Shout joyful praises to God, all the earth!
Sing about the glory of his name!
Tell the world how glorious he is.
Say to God, “How awesome are your deeds!
Your enemies cringe before your mighty power.
Everything on earth will worship you;
they will sing your praises,
shouting your name in glorious songs.”
Come and see what our God has done,
what awesome miracles he performs for people!
He made a dry path through the Red Sea,
and his people went across on foot.
There we rejoiced in him.
For by his great power he rules forever.
He watches every movement of the nations;
let no rebel rise in defiance.
Let the whole world bless our God
and loudly sing his praises.
Our lives are in his hands,
and he keeps our feet from stumbling.
You have tested us, O God;
you have purified us like silver.
You captured us in your net
and laid the burden of slavery on our backs.
Then you put a leader over us.
We went through fire and flood,
but you brought us to a place of great abundance.
Now I come to your Temple with burnt offerings
to fulfill the vows I made to you—
yes, the sacred vows that I made
when I was in deep trouble.
That is why I am sacrificing burnt offerings to you—
the best of my rams as a pleasing aroma,
and a sacrifice of bulls and male goats.
Come and listen, all you who fear God,
and I will tell you what he did for me.
For I cried out to him for help,
praising him as I spoke.
If I had not confessed the sin in my heart,
the Lord would not have listened.
But God did listen!
He paid attention to my prayer.
Praise God, who did not ignore my prayer
or withdraw his unfailing love from me.
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
Monday, July 30, 2012
Praying Through The Psalms: Psalm 23
We're continuing to pray through a few Psalms this week. For more info what I'm talking about, read Monday's post.
Psalm 23 (NLT)
The Lord is my shepherd;
I have all that I need.
He lets me rest in green meadows;
he leads me beside peaceful streams.
He renews my strength.
He guides me along right paths,
bringing honor to his name.
Even when I walk
through the darkest valley,
I will not be afraid,
for you are close beside me.
Your rod and your staff
protect and comfort me.
You prepare a feast for me
in the presence of my enemies.
You honor me by anointing my head with oil.
My cup overflows with blessings.
Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me
all the days of my life,
and I will live in the house of the Lord forever.
Psalm 23 (NLT)
The Lord is my shepherd;
I have all that I need.
He lets me rest in green meadows;
he leads me beside peaceful streams.
He renews my strength.
He guides me along right paths,
bringing honor to his name.
Even when I walk
through the darkest valley,
I will not be afraid,
for you are close beside me.
Your rod and your staff
protect and comfort me.
You prepare a feast for me
in the presence of my enemies.
You honor me by anointing my head with oil.
My cup overflows with blessings.
Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me
all the days of my life,
and I will live in the house of the Lord forever.
Sunday, July 29, 2012
Praying Through The Psalms: Psalm 16
I asked a friend one time what he does when life begins to overwhelm him. He told me some things that I was expecting to hear: Pray, read my bible, spend time just being quiet before God. Then he took it a step further by telling me that he focuses hard on his relationship with Christ by having personal times of worship using prayer and God's Word.
He said he prays through the Psalms.
I had never heard of this concept and it intrigued me. What I came to find out is that the book of Psalms is full of beautiful passages that showcase the full range of our human experience. Things like depression, doubt, fear, and pain all the way to joy, redemption, forgiveness, and awe. I came to find out that these beautiful passages are more than just songs. They're a commentary on life. They are all parts of a story that we are all living.
So this week I want to invite you to pray through some Psalms with me.
I invite you to use the words that David wrote many thousands of years ago to spark a revival in your personal walk with the Lord!
Psalm 16 (NLT)
Keep me safe, O God,
for I have come to you for refuge.
I said to the Lord, “You are my Master!
Every good thing I have comes from you.”
The godly people in the land
are my true heroes!
I take pleasure in them!
Troubles multiply for those who chase after other gods.
I will not take part in their sacrifices of blood
or even speak the names of their gods.
Lord, you alone are my inheritance, my cup of blessing.
You guard all that is mine.
The land you have given me is a pleasant land.
What a wonderful inheritance!
I will bless the Lord who guides me;
even at night my heart instructs me.
I know the Lord is always with me.
I will not be shaken, for he is right beside me.
No wonder my heart is glad, and I rejoice.
My body rests in safety.
For you will not leave my soul among the dead
or allow your holy one to rot in the grave.
You will show me the way of life,
granting me the joy of your presence
and the pleasures of living with you forever.
He said he prays through the Psalms.
I had never heard of this concept and it intrigued me. What I came to find out is that the book of Psalms is full of beautiful passages that showcase the full range of our human experience. Things like depression, doubt, fear, and pain all the way to joy, redemption, forgiveness, and awe. I came to find out that these beautiful passages are more than just songs. They're a commentary on life. They are all parts of a story that we are all living.
So this week I want to invite you to pray through some Psalms with me.
I invite you to use the words that David wrote many thousands of years ago to spark a revival in your personal walk with the Lord!
Psalm 16 (NLT)
Keep me safe, O God,
for I have come to you for refuge.
I said to the Lord, “You are my Master!
Every good thing I have comes from you.”
The godly people in the land
are my true heroes!
I take pleasure in them!
Troubles multiply for those who chase after other gods.
I will not take part in their sacrifices of blood
or even speak the names of their gods.
Lord, you alone are my inheritance, my cup of blessing.
You guard all that is mine.
The land you have given me is a pleasant land.
What a wonderful inheritance!
I will bless the Lord who guides me;
even at night my heart instructs me.
I know the Lord is always with me.
I will not be shaken, for he is right beside me.
No wonder my heart is glad, and I rejoice.
My body rests in safety.
For you will not leave my soul among the dead
or allow your holy one to rot in the grave.
You will show me the way of life,
granting me the joy of your presence
and the pleasures of living with you forever.
Saturday, July 28, 2012
Morning Message
Scripture References:
Title or topic of message:
Notes:
Questions I have about the message:
How can I apply this message to my life?
Title or topic of message:
Notes:
Questions I have about the message:
How can I apply this message to my life?
Friday, July 27, 2012
Reflection and Meditation
1. Spend some time today looking back over what you wrote down for Tuesday's devotion. Continue to ask to God to show you what steps you need to take to tackle the things in your life that don't bring honor to God.
2. Do you have a friend that needs to be "looked after?" Take a few minutes to call them and just let them know that you are praying for them and that you're there for them. Jesus is glorified through us loving others!
3. Were you convicted about anything specifically as we discussed how we can become "bitter roots?" Spend a few minutes confessing these things to God and asking him to begin to deliver you!
4. What are some ways in which you struggle personally with unbelief? Turn these things over to God and reaffirm to him and to yourself that you will trust him no matter what!
2. Do you have a friend that needs to be "looked after?" Take a few minutes to call them and just let them know that you are praying for them and that you're there for them. Jesus is glorified through us loving others!
3. Were you convicted about anything specifically as we discussed how we can become "bitter roots?" Spend a few minutes confessing these things to God and asking him to begin to deliver you!
4. What are some ways in which you struggle personally with unbelief? Turn these things over to God and reaffirm to him and to yourself that you will trust him no matter what!
Thursday, July 26, 2012
Come Boldly
Hebrews 4:16 (NLT)
So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.
One of the biggest struggles we will face in this life is our unbelief. I’m not talking about rejecting the Gospel or believing an atheist worldview. I’m talking about the unbelief that we, as Christians, deal with on a daily basis.
The fact that we don’t believe our God is mighty to save or able to literally heal sickness.
The fact that we don’t put much value at all in the age to come and instead dedicate our lives to enjoying this blink of an eye that is our life here on earth.
The fact that we believe that we won’t be able to pay our bills if we give any of our money to the church.
We could go on and on but the point is this: We have to stand firm in our faith. We have to really believe that God is able to provide. We have to really believe that he is worth forsaking the temporary pleasures of this life. We have to believe in life after death just as strongly as we believe in this life we are living on earth.
When we believe these things, we are able to “come boldly to the throne of our gracious God.”
When we believe these things, we are able to “receive his mercy.”
When we believe these things, we are able to “find grace to help us when we need it most.”
God, heal our unbelief.
So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.
One of the biggest struggles we will face in this life is our unbelief. I’m not talking about rejecting the Gospel or believing an atheist worldview. I’m talking about the unbelief that we, as Christians, deal with on a daily basis.
The fact that we don’t believe our God is mighty to save or able to literally heal sickness.
The fact that we don’t put much value at all in the age to come and instead dedicate our lives to enjoying this blink of an eye that is our life here on earth.
The fact that we believe that we won’t be able to pay our bills if we give any of our money to the church.
We could go on and on but the point is this: We have to stand firm in our faith. We have to really believe that God is able to provide. We have to really believe that he is worth forsaking the temporary pleasures of this life. We have to believe in life after death just as strongly as we believe in this life we are living on earth.
When we believe these things, we are able to “come boldly to the throne of our gracious God.”
When we believe these things, we are able to “receive his mercy.”
When we believe these things, we are able to “find grace to help us when we need it most.”
God, heal our unbelief.
Wednesday, July 25, 2012
I Pity The Bitter Root
Hebrews 12:15 (NLT)
Look after each other so that none of you fails to receive the grace of God. Watch out that no poisonous root of bitterness grows up to trouble you, corrupting many.
The second very important aspect to this passage is this:
Watch out that no poisonous root of bitterness grows up to trouble you, corrupting many.
There are many ways that a person can be a bitter root.
We can gossip.
We can slander.
We can complain.
We can argue.
We can choose not to forgive.
We can be judgemental.
We can be selfish.
Like I said, there are many ways that we can become a bitter root. It’s very easy if we aren’t careful.
Because of this, it’s always important that we examine ourselves in light of scripture to make sure that we aren’t hindering anyone from seeing Christ in us.
Take a few minutes to pray and ask God to point out these things in your life. Don’t be a bitter root.
Pity the bitter root!
Look after each other so that none of you fails to receive the grace of God. Watch out that no poisonous root of bitterness grows up to trouble you, corrupting many.
The second very important aspect to this passage is this:
Watch out that no poisonous root of bitterness grows up to trouble you, corrupting many.
There are many ways that a person can be a bitter root.
We can gossip.
We can slander.
We can complain.
We can argue.
We can choose not to forgive.
We can be judgemental.
We can be selfish.
Like I said, there are many ways that we can become a bitter root. It’s very easy if we aren’t careful.
Because of this, it’s always important that we examine ourselves in light of scripture to make sure that we aren’t hindering anyone from seeing Christ in us.
Take a few minutes to pray and ask God to point out these things in your life. Don’t be a bitter root.
Pity the bitter root!
Tuesday, July 24, 2012
Look After One Another
Hebrews 12:15 (NLT)
Look after each other so that none of you fails to receive the grace of God. Watch out that no poisonous root of bitterness grows up to trouble you, corrupting many.
There are two very important aspects to this passage. The first is this:
Look after each other so that none of you fails to receive the grace of God.
If you looked, you’d find a ton of commentary on this verse and rightfully so. However, because this is a short devotion and you don’t have all day, I want to keep it simple. Simply put, we must love each other. We have to look past each other’s faults and love each other just like Jesus loves us. This is hard to do at times but God gives us clues in His Word as to how this can be done. One clue is in this verse.
Because we love each other, we watch out for each other. When we take ourselves out of the equation and we begin to open our eyes to the pain around us, we can’t help but reach out. It is absolutely imperative that, as Christ-followers, we are completely invested in not only our own walk with the Lord but also the walks of those around us. We have to be mindful of the spiritual lives of our brothers and sisters in Christ. When a friend is struggling with their faith, we should be the first ones there to comfort and guide them. When a friend has a relapse from an addiction, we should be the first ones there to comfort them and pick them back up.
Remember that our purpose is never to judge or condemn a person. We don’t have that right. What we can do is love them and show them the love of Jesus. That’s not only what we should do; it’s what we’ve been commanded to do.
We’ll look at the second aspect of this verse tomorrow.
Look after each other so that none of you fails to receive the grace of God. Watch out that no poisonous root of bitterness grows up to trouble you, corrupting many.
There are two very important aspects to this passage. The first is this:
Look after each other so that none of you fails to receive the grace of God.
If you looked, you’d find a ton of commentary on this verse and rightfully so. However, because this is a short devotion and you don’t have all day, I want to keep it simple. Simply put, we must love each other. We have to look past each other’s faults and love each other just like Jesus loves us. This is hard to do at times but God gives us clues in His Word as to how this can be done. One clue is in this verse.
Because we love each other, we watch out for each other. When we take ourselves out of the equation and we begin to open our eyes to the pain around us, we can’t help but reach out. It is absolutely imperative that, as Christ-followers, we are completely invested in not only our own walk with the Lord but also the walks of those around us. We have to be mindful of the spiritual lives of our brothers and sisters in Christ. When a friend is struggling with their faith, we should be the first ones there to comfort and guide them. When a friend has a relapse from an addiction, we should be the first ones there to comfort them and pick them back up.
Remember that our purpose is never to judge or condemn a person. We don’t have that right. What we can do is love them and show them the love of Jesus. That’s not only what we should do; it’s what we’ve been commanded to do.
We’ll look at the second aspect of this verse tomorrow.
Monday, July 23, 2012
Holiness… Could You Use That In a Sentence?
Hebrews 12:14 (NLT)
Work at living in peace with everyone, and work at living a holy life, for those who are not holy will not see the Lord.
1 Peter 1:13-16 (NLT)
So think clearly and exercise self-control. Look forward to the gracious salvation that will come to you when Jesus Christ is revealed to the world. So you must live as God’s obedient children. Don’t slip back into your old ways of living to satisfy your own desires. You didn’t know any better then. But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy. For the Scriptures say, “You must be holy because I am holy.”
We’ve spent the past 2 weeks discussing holiness. We’ve discussed the guidelines that Peter laid out for us in the Bible.
Today, I want you to do something a little bit different. This might take 10 or 15 minutes so if you have something to do, come back to this later today so you’ll have time to do it.
I want you take a piece of notebook paper or open up your word processor and jot down responses to the following 3 things:
Spend a few minutes praising God for delivering you from these things!
Spend some time with God praying about these things and if you’re comfortable enough to do so, share these with a trusted Christian friend and begin to work towards putting an end to them.
God has called us to be holy. Not tomorrow or in a few years but now.
Let’s be holy today!
Work at living in peace with everyone, and work at living a holy life, for those who are not holy will not see the Lord.
1 Peter 1:13-16 (NLT)
So think clearly and exercise self-control. Look forward to the gracious salvation that will come to you when Jesus Christ is revealed to the world. So you must live as God’s obedient children. Don’t slip back into your old ways of living to satisfy your own desires. You didn’t know any better then. But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy. For the Scriptures say, “You must be holy because I am holy.”
We’ve spent the past 2 weeks discussing holiness. We’ve discussed the guidelines that Peter laid out for us in the Bible.
Today, I want you to do something a little bit different. This might take 10 or 15 minutes so if you have something to do, come back to this later today so you’ll have time to do it.
I want you take a piece of notebook paper or open up your word processor and jot down responses to the following 3 things:
- I want you to think of 5 things in your life that God has radically changed. It could be an attitude, an addiction, or anything else. Write down 5 different things.
Spend a few minutes praising God for delivering you from these things!
- Now write down 5 things in your life that you know need to radically change. These may be things that God has revealed to you over the past couple weeks or it could be something you’ve been carrying for a long time.
- What steps do you need to take to tackle these things and devote your life to walking with the Lord in holiness?
Spend some time with God praying about these things and if you’re comfortable enough to do so, share these with a trusted Christian friend and begin to work towards putting an end to them.
God has called us to be holy. Not tomorrow or in a few years but now.
Let’s be holy today!
Sunday, July 22, 2012
You Know Better
Hebrews 12:14 (NLT)
Work at living in peace with everyone, and work at living a holy life, for those who are not holy will not see the Lord.
1 Peter 1:13-16 (NLT)
So think clearly and exercise self-control. Look forward to the gracious salvation that will come to you when Jesus Christ is revealed to the world. So you must live as God’s obedient children. Don’t slip back into your old ways of living to satisfy your own desires. You didn’t know any better then. But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy. For the Scriptures say, “You must be holy because I am holy.”
Holy people “know better.”
“You know better!”
How many times growing up did you hear your parents say this? For me, it was often and it was never code words for, “You’re being a good boy.” As a matter of fact, when I hear the statement, I cringe. But praise God He is changing that in my life.
When HE tells me that I know better, it is a good thing.
When HE tells me I know better, I take great joy in it.
It not only guides me as I attempt to live out the Great Commission. It also gives me a blessed assurance that the Holy Spirit is in my heart guiding my steps.
If you’ve given your life to Christ, you know what I’m talking about. We call it that still, soft voice. A whisper. Sometimes it is. But sometimes it’s like God has a bullhorn and is revealing a truth to you so loudly and so clearly that not only do you hear it but you can’t deny or ignore it! That, my friends, is the Holy Spirit working in your life. This is a good thing!
I want to encourage you today. The fact that you hear that Voice and are guided by that Voice tells you that you are indeed a child of the Most High God! He is changing you and molding you every time you hear it! Take joy in this! Most of all, be careful to not ignore it.
The Bible tells us in the scripture above that “those who are not holy will not see the Lord.” God uses the Holy Spirit in our lives to make us holy. He changes us from the inside out. He creates us anew and gives us the blessed wisdom to “know better.” He makes us holy so that we can see Him in this wretched world!
Thank God for that today!
Holy people “know better.”
Work at living in peace with everyone, and work at living a holy life, for those who are not holy will not see the Lord.
1 Peter 1:13-16 (NLT)
So think clearly and exercise self-control. Look forward to the gracious salvation that will come to you when Jesus Christ is revealed to the world. So you must live as God’s obedient children. Don’t slip back into your old ways of living to satisfy your own desires. You didn’t know any better then. But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy. For the Scriptures say, “You must be holy because I am holy.”
Holy people “know better.”
“You know better!”
How many times growing up did you hear your parents say this? For me, it was often and it was never code words for, “You’re being a good boy.” As a matter of fact, when I hear the statement, I cringe. But praise God He is changing that in my life.
When HE tells me that I know better, it is a good thing.
When HE tells me I know better, I take great joy in it.
It not only guides me as I attempt to live out the Great Commission. It also gives me a blessed assurance that the Holy Spirit is in my heart guiding my steps.
If you’ve given your life to Christ, you know what I’m talking about. We call it that still, soft voice. A whisper. Sometimes it is. But sometimes it’s like God has a bullhorn and is revealing a truth to you so loudly and so clearly that not only do you hear it but you can’t deny or ignore it! That, my friends, is the Holy Spirit working in your life. This is a good thing!
I want to encourage you today. The fact that you hear that Voice and are guided by that Voice tells you that you are indeed a child of the Most High God! He is changing you and molding you every time you hear it! Take joy in this! Most of all, be careful to not ignore it.
The Bible tells us in the scripture above that “those who are not holy will not see the Lord.” God uses the Holy Spirit in our lives to make us holy. He changes us from the inside out. He creates us anew and gives us the blessed wisdom to “know better.” He makes us holy so that we can see Him in this wretched world!
Thank God for that today!
Holy people “know better.”
Saturday, July 21, 2012
Morning Message
Scripture References:
Title or topic of message:
Notes:
Questions I have about the message:
How can I apply this message to my life?
Title or topic of message:
Notes:
Questions I have about the message:
How can I apply this message to my life?
Friday, July 20, 2012
Reflection and Meditation
1. We went over three aspects to keeping a clear mind: Taking care of yourself physically, taking care of yourself spiritually, and letting God take care of the rest. Which one of these did you most relate to? Why? What are some things you can do to shore up this area of your life?
2. Has your "tongue" every gotten you in trouble? Think about how the situation might have played out differently had you maintained control over the words that came out of your mouth.
3. Why do you think it's so hard to maintain focus on the eternal rather than the temporary? What are some simple things that you can do to make sure your perspective is right?
4. Does the word "obedience" carry a positive or a negative implication for you? Why is this?
5. Through incorporating the prayer at the end of Thursday's devotion into your daily quiet time, what has God revealed to you?
6. Do you hold everything that you're taught up to the light of scripture to make sure it is true? Ask God to reveal the truth of His Word to you on a daily basis so you aren't led astray!
2. Has your "tongue" every gotten you in trouble? Think about how the situation might have played out differently had you maintained control over the words that came out of your mouth.
3. Why do you think it's so hard to maintain focus on the eternal rather than the temporary? What are some simple things that you can do to make sure your perspective is right?
4. Does the word "obedience" carry a positive or a negative implication for you? Why is this?
5. Through incorporating the prayer at the end of Thursday's devotion into your daily quiet time, what has God revealed to you?
6. Do you hold everything that you're taught up to the light of scripture to make sure it is true? Ask God to reveal the truth of His Word to you on a daily basis so you aren't led astray!
Thursday, July 19, 2012
I Can’t Get No…
Hebrews 12:14 (NLT)
Work at living in peace with everyone, and work at living a holy life, for those who are not holy will not see the Lord.
1 Peter 1:13-16 (NLT)
So think clearly and exercise self-control. Look forward to the gracious salvation that will come to you when Jesus Christ is revealed to the world. So you must live as God’s obedient children. Don’t slip back into your old ways of living to satisfy your own desires. You didn’t know any better then. But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy. For the Scriptures say, “You must be holy because I am holy.”
Holy people do not live to satisfy their own desires. This sort of coincides with what we talked about Wednesday.
Can I poke a hole in something today? There are many people preaching a message that tells us that we can not only find, but that we also deserve, prosperity in this life on earth.
I heard one very famous teacher (I’m not naming names but it rhymes with Oel Josteen) that tells us, “We have a right to total victory. Not partial victory where we have a good family, good health, but constantly struggling in our finances… God created you to be totally free, to have [health and wealth]… You have rights and privileges. One of those privileges is total victory.”
This sounds great, right? I mean, this really sounds compelling. This man and his teachings are revered and respected by millions. There’s only one small problem…
This line of thought is not found in scripture. It is not only not found in scripture; it is the complete opposite of what we find in scripture.
Matthew 16:25 (NLT)
If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it.
Matthew 6:19-21 (NLT)
Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.
Did Jesus live in “total victory” on this earth? Did He seem to view health and wealth as His “right and privilege?” Of course not! Why should we cling and aspire to have things that the God of universe deemed to be of no importance when He walked on earth? Jesus is our ultimate example. He lived a perfect life on earth. He laid His life down as the ultimate sacrifice that our sins would be forgiven. He gave His life for ours. He conquered Hell because He knew we weren’t able.
It’s all because of Jesus that can say to the pleasures of this life, “No, I’m going to live for a greater reward, God’s reward.”
Please don’t buy into the hype that tells you that you deserve blessings on this earth. The truth is that if God gave us all what we deserved, we would be in hell right now.
Overcome the temporary and begin to live your eternal life right now!
Holy people do not live to satisfy their own desires.
Work at living in peace with everyone, and work at living a holy life, for those who are not holy will not see the Lord.
1 Peter 1:13-16 (NLT)
So think clearly and exercise self-control. Look forward to the gracious salvation that will come to you when Jesus Christ is revealed to the world. So you must live as God’s obedient children. Don’t slip back into your old ways of living to satisfy your own desires. You didn’t know any better then. But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy. For the Scriptures say, “You must be holy because I am holy.”
Holy people do not live to satisfy their own desires. This sort of coincides with what we talked about Wednesday.
Can I poke a hole in something today? There are many people preaching a message that tells us that we can not only find, but that we also deserve, prosperity in this life on earth.
I heard one very famous teacher (I’m not naming names but it rhymes with Oel Josteen) that tells us, “We have a right to total victory. Not partial victory where we have a good family, good health, but constantly struggling in our finances… God created you to be totally free, to have [health and wealth]… You have rights and privileges. One of those privileges is total victory.”
This sounds great, right? I mean, this really sounds compelling. This man and his teachings are revered and respected by millions. There’s only one small problem…
This line of thought is not found in scripture. It is not only not found in scripture; it is the complete opposite of what we find in scripture.
Matthew 16:25 (NLT)
If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it.
Matthew 6:19-21 (NLT)
Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.
Did Jesus live in “total victory” on this earth? Did He seem to view health and wealth as His “right and privilege?” Of course not! Why should we cling and aspire to have things that the God of universe deemed to be of no importance when He walked on earth? Jesus is our ultimate example. He lived a perfect life on earth. He laid His life down as the ultimate sacrifice that our sins would be forgiven. He gave His life for ours. He conquered Hell because He knew we weren’t able.
It’s all because of Jesus that can say to the pleasures of this life, “No, I’m going to live for a greater reward, God’s reward.”
Please don’t buy into the hype that tells you that you deserve blessings on this earth. The truth is that if God gave us all what we deserved, we would be in hell right now.
Overcome the temporary and begin to live your eternal life right now!
Holy people do not live to satisfy their own desires.
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
Obedience
Hebrews 12:14 (NLT)
Work at living in peace with everyone, and work at living a holy life, for those who are not holy will not see the Lord.
1 Peter 1:13-16 (NLT)
So think clearly and exercise self-control. Look forward to the gracious salvation that will come to you when Jesus Christ is revealed to the world. So you must live as God’s obedient children. Don’t slip back into your old ways of living to satisfy your own desires. You didn’t know any better then. But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy. For the Scriptures say, “You must be holy because I am holy.”
Holy people are obedient to God. Peter tells us that we must “live as God’s obedient children.” What does it mean to be obedient?
The Webster dictionary tells us that to be obedient means to be “submissive to the restraint or command of authority : willing to obey.”
Key word: Submissive.
When we come to Christ, we must do so on His terms. He’s not going to “work with us.” There’s no deal to be worked out. We either obey Him or we don’t. We either choose to live for Him or we don’t. There’s not a gray area here. Check out what Paul tells us in Ephesians:
Ephesians 4:21-24 (NLT)
Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from him, throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy.
When we accept Christ as our Lord and Savior, the Holy Spirit renews us! He creates in us a new nature. It’s through Him and ONLY through Him that we can obey. It’s because of Him that we are no longer hell-bent on squeezing all that we can out of this fleeting life on earth. Instead, we are given an incredible hope in this age and the promise of eternal life beyond it!
I don’t have the ability to explain this any further so I’ll make my final point and close this out. We can’t be obedient to God on our own. Our only hope is the Holy Spirit working in our lives.
Your only hope is the Holy Spirit working in your life.
Pray the following prayer every morning when you wake up and every evening when you go to sleep and see what God reveals to you:
God, I want to make sure I come to You on Your terms. I want to make sure that I’m not living for me. Please show me things in my life that are causing me to disobey You and give me a way to overcome them. I trust You and I love You. Amen.
Holy people are obedient to God.
Work at living in peace with everyone, and work at living a holy life, for those who are not holy will not see the Lord.
1 Peter 1:13-16 (NLT)
So think clearly and exercise self-control. Look forward to the gracious salvation that will come to you when Jesus Christ is revealed to the world. So you must live as God’s obedient children. Don’t slip back into your old ways of living to satisfy your own desires. You didn’t know any better then. But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy. For the Scriptures say, “You must be holy because I am holy.”
Holy people are obedient to God. Peter tells us that we must “live as God’s obedient children.” What does it mean to be obedient?
The Webster dictionary tells us that to be obedient means to be “submissive to the restraint or command of authority : willing to obey.”
Key word: Submissive.
When we come to Christ, we must do so on His terms. He’s not going to “work with us.” There’s no deal to be worked out. We either obey Him or we don’t. We either choose to live for Him or we don’t. There’s not a gray area here. Check out what Paul tells us in Ephesians:
Ephesians 4:21-24 (NLT)
Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from him, throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy.
When we accept Christ as our Lord and Savior, the Holy Spirit renews us! He creates in us a new nature. It’s through Him and ONLY through Him that we can obey. It’s because of Him that we are no longer hell-bent on squeezing all that we can out of this fleeting life on earth. Instead, we are given an incredible hope in this age and the promise of eternal life beyond it!
I don’t have the ability to explain this any further so I’ll make my final point and close this out. We can’t be obedient to God on our own. Our only hope is the Holy Spirit working in our lives.
Your only hope is the Holy Spirit working in your life.
Pray the following prayer every morning when you wake up and every evening when you go to sleep and see what God reveals to you:
God, I want to make sure I come to You on Your terms. I want to make sure that I’m not living for me. Please show me things in my life that are causing me to disobey You and give me a way to overcome them. I trust You and I love You. Amen.
Holy people are obedient to God.
Tuesday, July 17, 2012
Eternal Living
Hebrews 12:14 (NLT)
Work at living in peace with everyone, and work at living a holy life, for those who are not holy will not see the Lord.
1 Peter 1:13-16 (NLT)
So think clearly and exercise self-control. Look forward to the gracious salvation that will come to you when Jesus Christ is revealed to the world. So you must live as God’s obedient children. Don’t slip back into your old ways of living to satisfy your own desires. You didn’t know any better then. But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy. For the Scriptures say, “You must be holy because I am holy.”
We must be a holy people. The next aspect of holiness that Peter points out is this:
Holy people live for the eternal and not the temporary. Holy people look forward to the “gracious salvation” that will come to them when Jesus Christ comes back to the world.
As the story goes, a young banker was driving his BMW in the mountains, during a snow storm. As he rounded a turn, the vehicle slid out of control and toward a deep cliff. At the last moment, he unbuckled his seatbelt and jumped from the car. Though he escaped with his life, his left arm was caught near the hinge of the door and torn off at the shoulder. A trucker passing nearby witnessed the accident, stopped his rig, and ran back to see if he could be of help. There standing, in a state of shock, was the banker at the edge of the cliff moaning, "Oh my BMW, my BMW." The trucker pointed to the banker's shoulder and said, "Man, you've got bigger problems than a car." With that the banker looked at his shoulder, finally realizing he'd lost his arm, and began crying, "Oh my new Rolex, my new Rolex."
This is a funny story but make no mistake… The lives we live can be just as silly. When we stop putting aside time during our day for prayer and bible study, we are ignoring our severed arm and focusing on our BMW. When we stop spending time with our Christian brothers and sisters, we are ignoring our severed arm and focusing on our Rolex.
I urge you today to hold onto the hope that you received when you accepted Christ into your life. Jesus told us that this life would be hard and that few would actually give up the pleasures of this world to find it:
Matthew 7:13-14 (NLT)
You can enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way. But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it.
Make no mistake… This world and the things in it are beautiful. Because of this, the pull of the world can easily steal our affections away from Christ and cause us to live for the temporary things this life can bring us. As a holy people, we must keep this life in perspective. Check out what Paul tells us in Romans:
Romans 8:18 (NLT)
Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later.
Look forward to your “gracious salvation.”
Hold on to your hope in Christ and let everything else go.
Holy people live for the eternal and not the temporary.
Work at living in peace with everyone, and work at living a holy life, for those who are not holy will not see the Lord.
1 Peter 1:13-16 (NLT)
So think clearly and exercise self-control. Look forward to the gracious salvation that will come to you when Jesus Christ is revealed to the world. So you must live as God’s obedient children. Don’t slip back into your old ways of living to satisfy your own desires. You didn’t know any better then. But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy. For the Scriptures say, “You must be holy because I am holy.”
We must be a holy people. The next aspect of holiness that Peter points out is this:
Holy people live for the eternal and not the temporary. Holy people look forward to the “gracious salvation” that will come to them when Jesus Christ comes back to the world.
As the story goes, a young banker was driving his BMW in the mountains, during a snow storm. As he rounded a turn, the vehicle slid out of control and toward a deep cliff. At the last moment, he unbuckled his seatbelt and jumped from the car. Though he escaped with his life, his left arm was caught near the hinge of the door and torn off at the shoulder. A trucker passing nearby witnessed the accident, stopped his rig, and ran back to see if he could be of help. There standing, in a state of shock, was the banker at the edge of the cliff moaning, "Oh my BMW, my BMW." The trucker pointed to the banker's shoulder and said, "Man, you've got bigger problems than a car." With that the banker looked at his shoulder, finally realizing he'd lost his arm, and began crying, "Oh my new Rolex, my new Rolex."
This is a funny story but make no mistake… The lives we live can be just as silly. When we stop putting aside time during our day for prayer and bible study, we are ignoring our severed arm and focusing on our BMW. When we stop spending time with our Christian brothers and sisters, we are ignoring our severed arm and focusing on our Rolex.
I urge you today to hold onto the hope that you received when you accepted Christ into your life. Jesus told us that this life would be hard and that few would actually give up the pleasures of this world to find it:
Matthew 7:13-14 (NLT)
You can enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way. But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it.
Make no mistake… This world and the things in it are beautiful. Because of this, the pull of the world can easily steal our affections away from Christ and cause us to live for the temporary things this life can bring us. As a holy people, we must keep this life in perspective. Check out what Paul tells us in Romans:
Romans 8:18 (NLT)
Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later.
Look forward to your “gracious salvation.”
Hold on to your hope in Christ and let everything else go.
Holy people live for the eternal and not the temporary.
Monday, July 16, 2012
Exercise Self-Control
Hebrews 12:14 (NLT)
Work at living in peace with everyone, and work at living a holy life, for those who are not holy will not see the Lord.
1 Peter 1:13-16 (NLT)
So think clearly and exercise self-control. Look forward to the gracious salvation that will come to you when Jesus Christ is revealed to the world. So you must live as God’s obedient children. Don’t slip back into your old ways of living to satisfy your own desires. You didn’t know any better then. But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy. For the Scriptures say, “You must be holy because I am holy.”
I don’t guess I could have picked two worse words to title this post with but all things considered, there was really no other way. The fact remains: Holy people exercise self-control.
If we are to be holy as God has commanded us to be holy, we must exercise self-control.
So how do we exercise self-control? James gives us the key:
James 3: 2 (NLT)
For if we could control our tongues, we would be perfect and could also control ourselves in every other way.
Obviously, the first thing we must do is control our tongues. That sounds simple enough, right?
Wrong.
James 2:6 (NLT)
And the tongue is a flame of fire. It is a whole world of wickedness, corrupting your entire body. It can set your whole life on fire, for it is set on fire by hell itself.
Wow.
What do we do with a thing like that? Paul tells us:
Philippians 4:6 (NLT)
Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.
If we’re to gain control over our tongues and over hell itself, we must go to the Author of our salvation.
The Beginning and the End of our faith.
The One who has conquered hell and freed us.
Jesus Christ is what we do with a thing like that. We give it to Him.
Spend some time this morning asking God to take control of your tongue. Ask Him to use what was once set on fire by hell itself as a force for good. He can do it but don’t forget the most important part:
ONLY He can do it.
Exercise self-control.
Work at living in peace with everyone, and work at living a holy life, for those who are not holy will not see the Lord.
1 Peter 1:13-16 (NLT)
So think clearly and exercise self-control. Look forward to the gracious salvation that will come to you when Jesus Christ is revealed to the world. So you must live as God’s obedient children. Don’t slip back into your old ways of living to satisfy your own desires. You didn’t know any better then. But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy. For the Scriptures say, “You must be holy because I am holy.”
I don’t guess I could have picked two worse words to title this post with but all things considered, there was really no other way. The fact remains: Holy people exercise self-control.
If we are to be holy as God has commanded us to be holy, we must exercise self-control.
So how do we exercise self-control? James gives us the key:
James 3: 2 (NLT)
For if we could control our tongues, we would be perfect and could also control ourselves in every other way.
Obviously, the first thing we must do is control our tongues. That sounds simple enough, right?
Wrong.
James 2:6 (NLT)
And the tongue is a flame of fire. It is a whole world of wickedness, corrupting your entire body. It can set your whole life on fire, for it is set on fire by hell itself.
Wow.
What do we do with a thing like that? Paul tells us:
Philippians 4:6 (NLT)
Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.
If we’re to gain control over our tongues and over hell itself, we must go to the Author of our salvation.
The Beginning and the End of our faith.
The One who has conquered hell and freed us.
Jesus Christ is what we do with a thing like that. We give it to Him.
Spend some time this morning asking God to take control of your tongue. Ask Him to use what was once set on fire by hell itself as a force for good. He can do it but don’t forget the most important part:
ONLY He can do it.
Exercise self-control.
Sunday, July 15, 2012
Thinking Clearly #2
Hebrews 12:14 (NLT)
Work at living in peace with everyone, and work at living a holy life, for those who are not holy will not see the Lord.
1 Peter 1:13-16 (NLT)
So think clearly and exercise self-control. Look forward to the gracious salvation that will come to you when Jesus Christ is revealed to the world. So you must live as God’s obedient children. Don’t slip back into your old ways of living to satisfy your own desires. You didn’t know any better then. But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy. For the Scriptures say, “You must be holy because I am holy.”
We spent the latter part of last week talking about holiness. We’ll continue that conversation this week. As we saw before, the scripture above lays out some basic principles in regards to holiness that we’re going to spend a few days diving into. The first is thinking clearly. If we’re going to be a holy people, we must have clear minds.
So how do we make sure our minds are clear? There are three ways that we’re going to discuss here:
We discussed taking care of yourself physically on Friday so we’ll move forward to the next two today. This is not something new. We’ve discussed how to take care of ourselves spiritually but luckily this is something that I don’t think we can hear enough.
There are three basic yet vital aspects to taking care of ourselves spiritually:
The last way that we make sure our minds are clear is to take care of ourselves physically and spiritually and let God take care of the rest. Check out what Paul tells us in Philippians:
Philippians 4:6 (NLT)
Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.
There’s not much that I can add to this. We serve a BIG God. He is bigger than we can even imagine. Yet it is so easy to lose perspective and see the problems that life throws at us in a bigger light than we see God in. There is a way to conquer this defeated thought process and that is delivered to us by Paul above.
“Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything.”
Holy people think clearly. Let’s be holy.
Work at living in peace with everyone, and work at living a holy life, for those who are not holy will not see the Lord.
1 Peter 1:13-16 (NLT)
So think clearly and exercise self-control. Look forward to the gracious salvation that will come to you when Jesus Christ is revealed to the world. So you must live as God’s obedient children. Don’t slip back into your old ways of living to satisfy your own desires. You didn’t know any better then. But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy. For the Scriptures say, “You must be holy because I am holy.”
We spent the latter part of last week talking about holiness. We’ll continue that conversation this week. As we saw before, the scripture above lays out some basic principles in regards to holiness that we’re going to spend a few days diving into. The first is thinking clearly. If we’re going to be a holy people, we must have clear minds.
So how do we make sure our minds are clear? There are three ways that we’re going to discuss here:
- Take care of yourself physically.
- Take care of yourself spiritually.
- Let God take care of the rest.
We discussed taking care of yourself physically on Friday so we’ll move forward to the next two today. This is not something new. We’ve discussed how to take care of ourselves spiritually but luckily this is something that I don’t think we can hear enough.
There are three basic yet vital aspects to taking care of ourselves spiritually:
- PRAY – We must spend time with God in prayer. We have to work at a relationship with God the same way we work at a relationship with a friend here on earth. We talk to Him. Constantly. If you want to get to know a person better, you spend time with them. You have deep conversations with them. It’s the same way with God, our Father. The more time we spend just talking to Him, the more intimate our relationship with Him will become.
- BIBLE – We must spend time reading and studying God’s Word. He has given us a book of letters that reveal His heart and His character. The Bible is our ultimate guide to who God is and if our goal is to fall in love with Him and give our lives to Him, we need to know Him at least a little bit, don’t you think?
- PEOPLE – We must spend time with our Christian brothers and sisters. The easiest way to do this is to get plugged into a church family. Here at Refuge, we do little things to make sure that we have time to hang out. On top of the time we spend together in worship, we eat breakfast on Sundays, dinner on Wednesdays, and have LifeGroups to connect us even deeper. This is vital to your spiritual health. Don’t go it alone!
The last way that we make sure our minds are clear is to take care of ourselves physically and spiritually and let God take care of the rest. Check out what Paul tells us in Philippians:
Philippians 4:6 (NLT)
Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.
There’s not much that I can add to this. We serve a BIG God. He is bigger than we can even imagine. Yet it is so easy to lose perspective and see the problems that life throws at us in a bigger light than we see God in. There is a way to conquer this defeated thought process and that is delivered to us by Paul above.
“Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything.”
Holy people think clearly. Let’s be holy.
Saturday, July 14, 2012
Morning Message
Scripture References:
Title or topic of message:
Notes:
Questions I have about the message:
How can I apply this message to my life?
Title or topic of message:
Notes:
Questions I have about the message:
How can I apply this message to my life?
Friday, July 13, 2012
Reflection and Meditation
1. Have you felt the Lord's discipline on your life before? Recount one of these experiences and how it changed your life. Praise God for loving you enough to introduce you to some divine discipline!
2. We were made to be encouragers! Think of three different people who you know could use some encouragement this week. Spend a few minutes writing each one a note or letter or encouragement and give it to them!
3. What does it mean, personally, for you to live in peace with those around you? Recount some experiences where a peaceful response might have changed everything and ask God to give you the courage and boldness to stand up for Him peacefully amidst the chaos of this life!
4. Does the word Holiness excite your or scare you to death? Why?
5. When you see the phrase, “I want the things you just can’t give me,” in regards to God, what is the first thing that pops into your head? Ask God to help you give it up and make a plan to do so!
6. Turn off the TV, take a walk, and spend some time talking with God!
2. We were made to be encouragers! Think of three different people who you know could use some encouragement this week. Spend a few minutes writing each one a note or letter or encouragement and give it to them!
3. What does it mean, personally, for you to live in peace with those around you? Recount some experiences where a peaceful response might have changed everything and ask God to give you the courage and boldness to stand up for Him peacefully amidst the chaos of this life!
4. Does the word Holiness excite your or scare you to death? Why?
5. When you see the phrase, “I want the things you just can’t give me,” in regards to God, what is the first thing that pops into your head? Ask God to help you give it up and make a plan to do so!
6. Turn off the TV, take a walk, and spend some time talking with God!
Thursday, July 12, 2012
Thinking Clearly #1
Uh oh... It's Friday, the 13th. Y'all stay with me today!
Hebrews 12:14 (NLT)
Work at living in peace with everyone, and work at living a holy life, for those who are not holy will not see the Lord.
1 Peter 1:13-16 (NLT)
So think clearly and exercise self-control. Look forward to the gracious salvation that will come to you when Jesus Christ is revealed to the world. So you must live as God’s obedient children. Don’t slip back into your old ways of living to satisfy your own desires. You didn’t know any better then. But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy. For the Scriptures say, “You must be holy because I am holy.”
We’re talking about holiness. The scripture above lays out some basic principles in regards to holiness that we’re going to spend a few days diving into. The first is thinking clearly.
If we’re going to be a holy people, we must have clear minds.
So how do we make sure our minds are clear? There are three ways that we’re going to discuss here:
Check out what Paul tells us about taking care of ourselves physically:
1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (NLT)
Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body.
Wow. There is much being said in this verse that we could dive into but we’re going to simply study the surface of it today. The most important thing that Paul tells us is this: “You do not belong to yourself.” When we accept Christ and His call on our life, we give up our right to destroy ourselves. We give up our right to put on beer-goggles this Friday night. We give up our right to eat 16 plates at the buffet. We give up our right to destroy our lungs with cigarettes. We give all of these rights up!
Furthermore, if we’ve given God our whole lives, we cannot just give Him the easy things. We must give Him those things it would be impossible for us to give Him apart from the Holy Spirit’s working in our hearts.
There’s a line in a song that haunts me whenever I hear or think about it:
“I want the things you just can’t give me.”
Jesus knows us intimately. He knows how much we struggle with these things. But He also knows that He is all-powerful and that through Him, there is nothing that we can’t do (or give up).
Give God some of those things this weekend and pray for a clear mind!
We’ll continue this conversation next week.
Hebrews 12:14 (NLT)
Work at living in peace with everyone, and work at living a holy life, for those who are not holy will not see the Lord.
1 Peter 1:13-16 (NLT)
So think clearly and exercise self-control. Look forward to the gracious salvation that will come to you when Jesus Christ is revealed to the world. So you must live as God’s obedient children. Don’t slip back into your old ways of living to satisfy your own desires. You didn’t know any better then. But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy. For the Scriptures say, “You must be holy because I am holy.”
We’re talking about holiness. The scripture above lays out some basic principles in regards to holiness that we’re going to spend a few days diving into. The first is thinking clearly.
If we’re going to be a holy people, we must have clear minds.
So how do we make sure our minds are clear? There are three ways that we’re going to discuss here:
- Take care of yourself physically.
- Take care of yourself spiritually.
- Let God take care of the rest.
Check out what Paul tells us about taking care of ourselves physically:
1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (NLT)
Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body.
Wow. There is much being said in this verse that we could dive into but we’re going to simply study the surface of it today. The most important thing that Paul tells us is this: “You do not belong to yourself.” When we accept Christ and His call on our life, we give up our right to destroy ourselves. We give up our right to put on beer-goggles this Friday night. We give up our right to eat 16 plates at the buffet. We give up our right to destroy our lungs with cigarettes. We give all of these rights up!
Furthermore, if we’ve given God our whole lives, we cannot just give Him the easy things. We must give Him those things it would be impossible for us to give Him apart from the Holy Spirit’s working in our hearts.
There’s a line in a song that haunts me whenever I hear or think about it:
“I want the things you just can’t give me.”
Jesus knows us intimately. He knows how much we struggle with these things. But He also knows that He is all-powerful and that through Him, there is nothing that we can’t do (or give up).
Give God some of those things this weekend and pray for a clear mind!
We’ll continue this conversation next week.
Wednesday, July 11, 2012
What is Holiness, Alex?
Hebrews 12:14 (NLT)
Work at living in peace with everyone, and work at living a holy life, for those who are not holy will not see the Lord.
Yesterday, we focused on the first part of this verse. We learned that living in peace with everyone is not just a suggestion. It’s a commandment and something that we absolutely must do if we’re going to share our faith with a dying world. Today, I want to focus on the second half of the verse.
Holiness.
What is holiness? You could ask a million different people and probably get a million different answers. Today, I believe that the answer we’re looking for is found in the New Testament book of 1st Peter:
1 Peter 1:13-16 (NLT)
So think clearly and exercise self-control. Look forward to the gracious salvation that will come to you when Jesus Christ is revealed to the world. So you must live as God’s obedient children. Don’t slip back into your old ways of living to satisfy your own desires. You didn’t know any better then. But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy. For the Scriptures say, “You must be holy because I am holy.”
This passage of scripture tells us a few things about holiness:
Over the next few days, we will go a little more in-depth so today I want you to just pray that God will begin to show you the parts of your life that are not holy. The parts of your life that are unacceptable. If you ask Him earnestly, it may be painful but this pain is necessary if you are to grow and mature in your faith.
Besides, He only disciplines us because He loves us.
Work at living in peace with everyone, and work at living a holy life, for those who are not holy will not see the Lord.
Yesterday, we focused on the first part of this verse. We learned that living in peace with everyone is not just a suggestion. It’s a commandment and something that we absolutely must do if we’re going to share our faith with a dying world. Today, I want to focus on the second half of the verse.
Holiness.
What is holiness? You could ask a million different people and probably get a million different answers. Today, I believe that the answer we’re looking for is found in the New Testament book of 1st Peter:
1 Peter 1:13-16 (NLT)
So think clearly and exercise self-control. Look forward to the gracious salvation that will come to you when Jesus Christ is revealed to the world. So you must live as God’s obedient children. Don’t slip back into your old ways of living to satisfy your own desires. You didn’t know any better then. But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy. For the Scriptures say, “You must be holy because I am holy.”
This passage of scripture tells us a few things about holiness:
- Holy people think clearly.
- Holy people exercise self-control.
- Holy people live for the eternal and not the temporary.
- Holy people are obedient to God.
- Holy people do not live to satisfy their own desires.
- Holy people “know better.”
Over the next few days, we will go a little more in-depth so today I want you to just pray that God will begin to show you the parts of your life that are not holy. The parts of your life that are unacceptable. If you ask Him earnestly, it may be painful but this pain is necessary if you are to grow and mature in your faith.
Besides, He only disciplines us because He loves us.
Tuesday, July 10, 2012
World Peace? Right…
Hebrews 12:14 (NLT)
Work at living in peace with everyone, and work at living a holy life, for those who are not holy will not see the Lord.
World peace.
That’s just something we hear Miss America sneak into the interview stage every year, right? Or is it a moody basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers? I’m not even sure anymore…
In this age, living in peace with everyone seems to be impossible.
It seems like everyone is fighting. Nations are constantly fighting other nations. States are constantly fighting other states. There are television networks whose only mission is to keep the fight going between both sides. The Maury Show has been airing for over 20 years (it’s sin-dicated! #rimshot) with the basic premise of broadcasting, for the nation to see, people airing their dirty laundry and literally fighting like spoiled children.
We call this entertainment.
In athletics, games are becoming life and death situations to some. A college football fan will write a person off based solely on the team they support. A group of soccer fans will riot and literally stomp people to death after their team is dealt a loss.
Again, we call this entertainment.
It’s when you seek some shelter from the storm that you walk into the seemingly safe world of American religion and find rock bands, light shows, and supremely polished motivational speakers amidst a world of pointing fingers where churches are fighting churches, Christians are fighting Christians, and most bizarrely, the god that they implore you to follow seems to be okay with it.
Imagine yourself on the outside looking in… Is it any wonder that the American church is having trouble making Jesus seem relevant?
My fellow Refugees, we are at a tipping point. As followers of Christ, we have to different. We have to be a bright light in this world of darkness! We have been commissioned by the King and Creator of the universe to share our faith with that hungry world right outside our front door.
We can’t do this if we’re fighting.
Do your best to live in peace with those around you today. If you’ve given your life to Christ, you have no excuse not to.
Work at living in peace with everyone, and work at living a holy life, for those who are not holy will not see the Lord.
World peace.
That’s just something we hear Miss America sneak into the interview stage every year, right? Or is it a moody basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers? I’m not even sure anymore…
In this age, living in peace with everyone seems to be impossible.
It seems like everyone is fighting. Nations are constantly fighting other nations. States are constantly fighting other states. There are television networks whose only mission is to keep the fight going between both sides. The Maury Show has been airing for over 20 years (it’s sin-dicated! #rimshot) with the basic premise of broadcasting, for the nation to see, people airing their dirty laundry and literally fighting like spoiled children.
We call this entertainment.
In athletics, games are becoming life and death situations to some. A college football fan will write a person off based solely on the team they support. A group of soccer fans will riot and literally stomp people to death after their team is dealt a loss.
Again, we call this entertainment.
It’s when you seek some shelter from the storm that you walk into the seemingly safe world of American religion and find rock bands, light shows, and supremely polished motivational speakers amidst a world of pointing fingers where churches are fighting churches, Christians are fighting Christians, and most bizarrely, the god that they implore you to follow seems to be okay with it.
Imagine yourself on the outside looking in… Is it any wonder that the American church is having trouble making Jesus seem relevant?
My fellow Refugees, we are at a tipping point. As followers of Christ, we have to different. We have to be a bright light in this world of darkness! We have been commissioned by the King and Creator of the universe to share our faith with that hungry world right outside our front door.
We can’t do this if we’re fighting.
Do your best to live in peace with those around you today. If you’ve given your life to Christ, you have no excuse not to.
Monday, July 9, 2012
A Day For Thanksgiving
Hebrews 12:12-13 (NLT)
So take a new grip with your tired hands and strengthen your weak knees. Mark out a straight path for your feet so that those who are weak and lame will not fall but become strong.
Life makes people tired. It makes people weak. It makes many people give up. If you look around, you’ll find person after person just walking around waiting to die. People with no hope and no purpose in life. People with nothing to look forward to. So many people have just decided that life isn’t worth living.
But not you, Refugees. Not you…
You see, I know something about you. You know what it means to trust God. You know what it means to wait for God’s timing. You know what it means when you hear that God loves you. You know what it means to go from death to life.
So today is a day for encouragement!
Today, I want you to follow the example of this scripture and “take a new grip with your tired hands.”
I want you to “strengthen your weak knees.”
What are some ways that we can do this while marking out a straight path for our feet so that will not fall but will become strong?
You already know...
We must spend time in prayer. We must spend time in God’s world. We must spend time with each other. We must make our life all about Jesus and sharing Him with others. That’s how we grow. That’s how we regenerate.
Spend 3 seconds every day just telling God that you trust Him.
As you begin your day today, thank God for giving you a hope and a purpose. Thank Him for giving us Heaven to look forward to. Thank Him for taking you from death to life. Thank Him for making your life worth living!
Now go live it!
So take a new grip with your tired hands and strengthen your weak knees. Mark out a straight path for your feet so that those who are weak and lame will not fall but become strong.
Life makes people tired. It makes people weak. It makes many people give up. If you look around, you’ll find person after person just walking around waiting to die. People with no hope and no purpose in life. People with nothing to look forward to. So many people have just decided that life isn’t worth living.
But not you, Refugees. Not you…
You see, I know something about you. You know what it means to trust God. You know what it means to wait for God’s timing. You know what it means when you hear that God loves you. You know what it means to go from death to life.
So today is a day for encouragement!
Today, I want you to follow the example of this scripture and “take a new grip with your tired hands.”
I want you to “strengthen your weak knees.”
What are some ways that we can do this while marking out a straight path for our feet so that will not fall but will become strong?
You already know...
We must spend time in prayer. We must spend time in God’s world. We must spend time with each other. We must make our life all about Jesus and sharing Him with others. That’s how we grow. That’s how we regenerate.
Spend 3 seconds every day just telling God that you trust Him.
As you begin your day today, thank God for giving you a hope and a purpose. Thank Him for giving us Heaven to look forward to. Thank Him for taking you from death to life. Thank Him for making your life worth living!
Now go live it!
Sunday, July 8, 2012
Divine Discipline
Hebrews 12:5-11 (NLT)
And have you forgotten the encouraging words God spoke to you as his children? He said, “My child, don’t make light of the Lord’s discipline, and don’t give up when he corrects you. For the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes each one he accepts as his child.”
As you endure this divine discipline, remember that God is treating you as his own children. Who ever heard of a child who is never disciplined by its father? If God doesn’t discipline you as he does all of his children, it means that you are illegitimate and are not really his children at all. Since we respected our earthly fathers who disciplined us, shouldn’t we submit even more to the discipline of the Father of our spirits, and live forever?
For our earthly fathers disciplined us for a few years, doing the best they knew how. But God’s discipline is always good for us, so that we might share in his holiness. No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening—it’s painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way.
To understand this passage, you have to understand something else first: God loves us and God loves you.
He has loved us from the beginning of eternity. When He said, “Let there be light,” He was creating the light for us that He would be glorified through us, His most prized creation. He so loved the world that He gave His only son, Jesus, as a sacrifice for our many sins. God loves us perfectly.
It is because of this perfect love that He disciplines us and teaches us. He wants to teach us more about who He is. He wants us to take hold of our glorious future. He wants us to let go of the temporary and commit our lives to the eternal. The writer of Hebrews tells us that sometimes this discipline will be painful. Sometimes it will feel like punishment. That’s what discipline is anyway, right?
Now you’re thinking about God punishing you and you don’t like it… I know. I’ve been there too. When we grow up hearing about this mighty God that loves us enough to die for us, we often don’t leave room for this aspect of this character. Compounded with the fact that our culture has programmed us to view discipline, correction, and punishment in very negative lights, the idea of a divine punishment coming into our lives from the hands of this loving God is something that is very difficult for many of us to accept. That’s because we like a “Santa Claus” god more than we like the mighty King that He is. We expect God to take care of us on our terms if we take care of Him on our terms. But God doesn’t work like that. He never has and He never will.
This scripture tells us to stop treating the Lord’s discipline in our lives as a harmful thing. It tells us to not give up. It also tells us that along with this punishment comes acceptance. We can find great joy in this today if we can stop blaming God for pain and instead begin to ask Him what He’s trying to show us through it. We can find great peace in this if we can view the trials we face with an eternal perspective.
As my lion-hearted counterpart says often: God loves you just the way you are but also loves you way too much to leave you that way.
And have you forgotten the encouraging words God spoke to you as his children? He said, “My child, don’t make light of the Lord’s discipline, and don’t give up when he corrects you. For the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes each one he accepts as his child.”
As you endure this divine discipline, remember that God is treating you as his own children. Who ever heard of a child who is never disciplined by its father? If God doesn’t discipline you as he does all of his children, it means that you are illegitimate and are not really his children at all. Since we respected our earthly fathers who disciplined us, shouldn’t we submit even more to the discipline of the Father of our spirits, and live forever?
For our earthly fathers disciplined us for a few years, doing the best they knew how. But God’s discipline is always good for us, so that we might share in his holiness. No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening—it’s painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way.
To understand this passage, you have to understand something else first: God loves us and God loves you.
He has loved us from the beginning of eternity. When He said, “Let there be light,” He was creating the light for us that He would be glorified through us, His most prized creation. He so loved the world that He gave His only son, Jesus, as a sacrifice for our many sins. God loves us perfectly.
It is because of this perfect love that He disciplines us and teaches us. He wants to teach us more about who He is. He wants us to take hold of our glorious future. He wants us to let go of the temporary and commit our lives to the eternal. The writer of Hebrews tells us that sometimes this discipline will be painful. Sometimes it will feel like punishment. That’s what discipline is anyway, right?
Now you’re thinking about God punishing you and you don’t like it… I know. I’ve been there too. When we grow up hearing about this mighty God that loves us enough to die for us, we often don’t leave room for this aspect of this character. Compounded with the fact that our culture has programmed us to view discipline, correction, and punishment in very negative lights, the idea of a divine punishment coming into our lives from the hands of this loving God is something that is very difficult for many of us to accept. That’s because we like a “Santa Claus” god more than we like the mighty King that He is. We expect God to take care of us on our terms if we take care of Him on our terms. But God doesn’t work like that. He never has and He never will.
This scripture tells us to stop treating the Lord’s discipline in our lives as a harmful thing. It tells us to not give up. It also tells us that along with this punishment comes acceptance. We can find great joy in this today if we can stop blaming God for pain and instead begin to ask Him what He’s trying to show us through it. We can find great peace in this if we can view the trials we face with an eternal perspective.
As my lion-hearted counterpart says often: God loves you just the way you are but also loves you way too much to leave you that way.
Saturday, July 7, 2012
Morning Message
Scripture References:
Title or topic of message:
Notes:
Questions I have about the message:
How can I apply this message to my life?
Title or topic of message:
Notes:
Questions I have about the message:
How can I apply this message to my life?
Friday, July 6, 2012
Reflection and Meditation
1. When you see the phrase "huge crowd of witnesses to your life of faith," what emotions stir inside of you? Are you overwhelmed by this statement or are you energized by it? Are you somewhere in the middle? Think about it...
2. Think about an "ordinary saint" that has guided you as you've grown from a baby Christian into a more mature follower of Christ? Thank God for them, write them a Thank-You note, and give it to them this week!
3. List 3 sins in your life that you are struggling to let go of. Now pray about them every single day. If you have a friend that you are comfortable sharing them with, ask them to pray for you as well.
4. spend a few minutes describing yourself before you came to know Christ. Write it down. Now spend a few minutes describing yourself now. If there is a tremendous difference, take joy in the fact that Christ has made you a new creation! If there's not, try to figure out why. Talk to John (the pastor, not the Baptist) or someone else that you trust to try to get to the bottom of it.
5. Think about some times that you have suffered because of your faith. It may be that you are suffering right now because of it. Spend some time asking God to renew your strength and then read Romans 8:18-30.
6. As a good friend of mine says often, try to "live out loud" this week! Don't sit in the corner of this life afraid to share your faith. Embrace the glorious future Christ has for you and be a living and breathing testimony to the change that Christ can bring!
2. Think about an "ordinary saint" that has guided you as you've grown from a baby Christian into a more mature follower of Christ? Thank God for them, write them a Thank-You note, and give it to them this week!
3. List 3 sins in your life that you are struggling to let go of. Now pray about them every single day. If you have a friend that you are comfortable sharing them with, ask them to pray for you as well.
4. spend a few minutes describing yourself before you came to know Christ. Write it down. Now spend a few minutes describing yourself now. If there is a tremendous difference, take joy in the fact that Christ has made you a new creation! If there's not, try to figure out why. Talk to John (the pastor, not the Baptist) or someone else that you trust to try to get to the bottom of it.
5. Think about some times that you have suffered because of your faith. It may be that you are suffering right now because of it. Spend some time asking God to renew your strength and then read Romans 8:18-30.
6. As a good friend of mine says often, try to "live out loud" this week! Don't sit in the corner of this life afraid to share your faith. Embrace the glorious future Christ has for you and be a living and breathing testimony to the change that Christ can bring!
Thursday, July 5, 2012
Worth It All
Hebrews 12:2-4 (NLT)
We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne. Think of all the hostility he endured from sinful people; then you won’t become weary and give up. After all, you have not yet given your lives in your struggle against sin.
There’s a song by Christian recording artist Rita Springer called “Worth It All” that I believe perfectly encapsulates this scripture (look it up on YouTube if you want to hear it!):
I don't understand Your ways, oh but I will give You my song - Give You all of my praise
You hold on to all my pain and with it You are pulling me closer and pulling me into Your ways
Now around every corner and up every mountain, I'm not looking for crowns or the water from fountains
I'm desperately seeking, frantic believing that the sight of Your face is all that I need
I will say to You it's gonna be worth it - It's gonna be worth it - It's gonna be worth it all
This scripture tells us that “because of the joy awaiting him, [Jesus] endured the cross, disregarding its shame.”
We know that there is a cost in this life that comes with living for Jesus. There are temptations and trials that come our way. There are people who won’t accept us because of our beliefs. There are social consequences for standing up and living out your faith.
Beyond the normal “American Christian” consequences, there are those that live abroad that know even more so what living for Jesus costs. Here it may cost us an awkward glance or, at worst, a measure of social rejection but for some people, living for Christ is a life or death decision.
When we are faced with pain or rejection on this earth for choosing Jesus, we must remember “the joy awaiting us.”
If we are ever faced with having to choose between life on this earth or Jesus, we must remember “the joy awaiting us.”
We must keep our eyes on Jesus in this life and follow His example! We must keep an eternal perspective! Despite all of His suffering, Jesus is now “seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne.” Keeping this joy and this glorious future in mind gave Jesus the drive that He needed to endure all the suffering that found Him on His way to Calvary and even worse, the sin that was cast upon Him as He hung on the cross. When he sat down next to His Father in Heaven, it was worth every second of the pain and rejection He felt on earth.
Paul tells us in Romans 8:18 that we have this same hope:
I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.
Through suffering in this life, we can find rest in our Savior. When friends and family turn their backs on us because of our faith, we can find perfect peace. If someone presses the barrel of a gun to our foreheads and tells us to make a choice between life and Jesus, we can smile and choose Christ because we know our Savior is in control of all things and being with Him for eternity makes anything that we’ll face on this earth worth it all.
It’s gonna be worth it…
We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne. Think of all the hostility he endured from sinful people; then you won’t become weary and give up. After all, you have not yet given your lives in your struggle against sin.
There’s a song by Christian recording artist Rita Springer called “Worth It All” that I believe perfectly encapsulates this scripture (look it up on YouTube if you want to hear it!):
I don't understand Your ways, oh but I will give You my song - Give You all of my praise
You hold on to all my pain and with it You are pulling me closer and pulling me into Your ways
Now around every corner and up every mountain, I'm not looking for crowns or the water from fountains
I'm desperately seeking, frantic believing that the sight of Your face is all that I need
I will say to You it's gonna be worth it - It's gonna be worth it - It's gonna be worth it all
This scripture tells us that “because of the joy awaiting him, [Jesus] endured the cross, disregarding its shame.”
We know that there is a cost in this life that comes with living for Jesus. There are temptations and trials that come our way. There are people who won’t accept us because of our beliefs. There are social consequences for standing up and living out your faith.
Beyond the normal “American Christian” consequences, there are those that live abroad that know even more so what living for Jesus costs. Here it may cost us an awkward glance or, at worst, a measure of social rejection but for some people, living for Christ is a life or death decision.
When we are faced with pain or rejection on this earth for choosing Jesus, we must remember “the joy awaiting us.”
If we are ever faced with having to choose between life on this earth or Jesus, we must remember “the joy awaiting us.”
We must keep our eyes on Jesus in this life and follow His example! We must keep an eternal perspective! Despite all of His suffering, Jesus is now “seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne.” Keeping this joy and this glorious future in mind gave Jesus the drive that He needed to endure all the suffering that found Him on His way to Calvary and even worse, the sin that was cast upon Him as He hung on the cross. When he sat down next to His Father in Heaven, it was worth every second of the pain and rejection He felt on earth.
Paul tells us in Romans 8:18 that we have this same hope:
I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.
Through suffering in this life, we can find rest in our Savior. When friends and family turn their backs on us because of our faith, we can find perfect peace. If someone presses the barrel of a gun to our foreheads and tells us to make a choice between life and Jesus, we can smile and choose Christ because we know our Savior is in control of all things and being with Him for eternity makes anything that we’ll face on this earth worth it all.
It’s gonna be worth it…
Wednesday, July 4, 2012
Keep Your Eyes on Jesus
Hebrews 12:2 (NLT)
We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne.
Over the last few days, we’ve talked about shedding all of the sin in our lives so that we can run the race set before us. We’ve talked about the “huge crowd of witnesses” to our “lives of faith.”
This all can sound very overwhelming and believe me, it is if we miss out on one very important fact; a fact that the writer of Hebrews knew was key:
Keeping our eyes on Jesus is the only hope we have of accomplishing these things.
Jesus is the beginning and the end of our faith. He is the starter and the finisher. When we muster up faith in a tough situation, we do it because Jesus gives us the strength to. When our life changes radically, we have no explanation than just to say that Jesus did it. I like how this translation puts it in that Jesus “initiates and perfects our faith.” He makes our faith perfect if we keep our eyes on Him!
As John (the pastor, not the Baptist) taught us this past Sunday, it is Jesus who finds us. We don’t have the capacity, apart from the Holy Spirit moving us to do so, to seek Him out. We don’t have the natural good sense to accept Jesus without Him first knocking on the doors of our heart. The whole story of our salvation is that Jesus encounters us and radically transforms our lives!
We don’t make these changes or create in ourselves something new. Jesus makes us new! He initiates our faith! And in the same way, He will see it to fruition, or perfection, as this translation puts it. He will grow us and He will continue to change us until we look more and more like Him!
Take comfort in this and keep your eyes on Jesus!
We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne.
Over the last few days, we’ve talked about shedding all of the sin in our lives so that we can run the race set before us. We’ve talked about the “huge crowd of witnesses” to our “lives of faith.”
This all can sound very overwhelming and believe me, it is if we miss out on one very important fact; a fact that the writer of Hebrews knew was key:
Keeping our eyes on Jesus is the only hope we have of accomplishing these things.
Jesus is the beginning and the end of our faith. He is the starter and the finisher. When we muster up faith in a tough situation, we do it because Jesus gives us the strength to. When our life changes radically, we have no explanation than just to say that Jesus did it. I like how this translation puts it in that Jesus “initiates and perfects our faith.” He makes our faith perfect if we keep our eyes on Him!
As John (the pastor, not the Baptist) taught us this past Sunday, it is Jesus who finds us. We don’t have the capacity, apart from the Holy Spirit moving us to do so, to seek Him out. We don’t have the natural good sense to accept Jesus without Him first knocking on the doors of our heart. The whole story of our salvation is that Jesus encounters us and radically transforms our lives!
We don’t make these changes or create in ourselves something new. Jesus makes us new! He initiates our faith! And in the same way, He will see it to fruition, or perfection, as this translation puts it. He will grow us and He will continue to change us until we look more and more like Him!
Take comfort in this and keep your eyes on Jesus!
Tuesday, July 3, 2012
Strippers
Hebrews 12:1 (NLT)
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin the so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.
Strippers can make the best friends. Really…
God calls us to “strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up.”
Not what you had in mind? I’ll give you a few seconds to repent before we continue.
There are those of us that are trying to run this race with metaphorical 80-pound sacks of sin-crete on our shoulders. These sacks can be many different things. Things like destructive habits that we refuse to give up… These include things like alcohol, tobacco, Big Macs, pornography, and more… Then there are sacks filled with things like bitterness, prejudice, hatefulness, and unforgiveness. You might even be carrying a sack of old-fashioned religion (even though these sacks are decorated very nicely, they can smell pretty bad and typically weigh up to 120 pounds). In summary, these sacks of sin-crete include anything in your life that you know God is calling you to give up.
When we’re carrying these things on our shoulders, we find that even though we’re trying our best to run quickly and efficiently, we just can’t get ahead. The journey quickly becomes very overwhelming. We eventually stop running.
But guess who never stops running? You guessed it…
A person that has decided to strip off every weight on their shoulders!
Do you know anyone like this? A person that has given up on the things of this world. A person that has given up everything to follow Christ? If you do, make them your friend! Run the race with them! As we are learning as a church, life is better together!
If we can encourage each other and help each other lay these weights down, our church will not only be changing lives and making disciples, we’ll also be changing the definition of the term “stripper.”
Shed the weight and live your life for Jesus Christ!
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin the so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.
Strippers can make the best friends. Really…
God calls us to “strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up.”
Not what you had in mind? I’ll give you a few seconds to repent before we continue.
There are those of us that are trying to run this race with metaphorical 80-pound sacks of sin-crete on our shoulders. These sacks can be many different things. Things like destructive habits that we refuse to give up… These include things like alcohol, tobacco, Big Macs, pornography, and more… Then there are sacks filled with things like bitterness, prejudice, hatefulness, and unforgiveness. You might even be carrying a sack of old-fashioned religion (even though these sacks are decorated very nicely, they can smell pretty bad and typically weigh up to 120 pounds). In summary, these sacks of sin-crete include anything in your life that you know God is calling you to give up.
When we’re carrying these things on our shoulders, we find that even though we’re trying our best to run quickly and efficiently, we just can’t get ahead. The journey quickly becomes very overwhelming. We eventually stop running.
But guess who never stops running? You guessed it…
A person that has decided to strip off every weight on their shoulders!
Do you know anyone like this? A person that has given up on the things of this world. A person that has given up everything to follow Christ? If you do, make them your friend! Run the race with them! As we are learning as a church, life is better together!
If we can encourage each other and help each other lay these weights down, our church will not only be changing lives and making disciples, we’ll also be changing the definition of the term “stripper.”
Shed the weight and live your life for Jesus Christ!
Monday, July 2, 2012
Witnesses #2
Hebrews 12:1 (NLT)
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin the so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.
Yesterday, we discussed the first “huge crowd of witnesses” to our “life of faith” on this earth. We discussed that when we realize that the lives we live can be the difference in someone choosing Jesus and spending eternity in Heaven or rejecting Jesus and spending eternity in Hell, it changes absolutely everything.
We’re going to talk about that “crowd of witnesses” one more day. The second crowd that came to mind was the “huge crowd of witnesses” up in Heaven.
The many saints that have paved the way to where we find ourselves today.
Defenders of the faith.
Ordinary people that have given up comfort, security, and even their very lives for the sake of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Knowing that Peter, Paul, King David, King Solomon, Samuel, Moses, John (the Baptist, not the pastor), and even our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, are cheering me on with every step I take blows my mind.
In the same way, thinking about the sacrifices that “ordinary saints” have made over the past 2,000 years to make sure that Jesus Christ is a vibrant part of my life today is tremendously humbling. When surrounded by this “huge crowd of witnesses” to my “life of faith,” those hard things that Christ calls me to do become easier. They become less of a burden. They become more than options. They become the ONLY choices I can make.
I pray that your eyes are opened. I pray that you are able to sense the “huge crowd of witnesses to your “life of faith.”
Run with endurance! They’re cheering you on!
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin the so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.
Yesterday, we discussed the first “huge crowd of witnesses” to our “life of faith” on this earth. We discussed that when we realize that the lives we live can be the difference in someone choosing Jesus and spending eternity in Heaven or rejecting Jesus and spending eternity in Hell, it changes absolutely everything.
We’re going to talk about that “crowd of witnesses” one more day. The second crowd that came to mind was the “huge crowd of witnesses” up in Heaven.
The many saints that have paved the way to where we find ourselves today.
Defenders of the faith.
Ordinary people that have given up comfort, security, and even their very lives for the sake of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Knowing that Peter, Paul, King David, King Solomon, Samuel, Moses, John (the Baptist, not the pastor), and even our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, are cheering me on with every step I take blows my mind.
In the same way, thinking about the sacrifices that “ordinary saints” have made over the past 2,000 years to make sure that Jesus Christ is a vibrant part of my life today is tremendously humbling. When surrounded by this “huge crowd of witnesses” to my “life of faith,” those hard things that Christ calls me to do become easier. They become less of a burden. They become more than options. They become the ONLY choices I can make.
I pray that your eyes are opened. I pray that you are able to sense the “huge crowd of witnesses to your “life of faith.”
Run with endurance! They’re cheering you on!
Sunday, July 1, 2012
Witnesses #1
Jason (the un-nicknamed or the lion-hearted school teacher, whichever you prefer) has handed the reins back to me (Jason, the supposedly-but-not-always wiser and wittier) for a few weeks. His thought-provoking and thorough devotions, as you would rightly imagine, take time to ripen and like a prime cut of steak, must marinate and settle to seal in all of their juicy goodness. Bad analogy? I digress.
Hebrews 12:1 (NLT)
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin the so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.
This is one of my favorite verses in the Bible. I remember when I first stumbled upon it; tears came to my eyes as the intensity of this scripture sank in. The weight of God’s call on my life found me in that moment and absolutely overwhelmed me.
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses…
Two different crowds came to mind when I first read this.
The first was simply the crowd of people that surround me in my every-day life.
At first, I thought about my family, friends, and co-workers. I thought about the people that I know well. People that know me well. Then I had to take it to the next level. Waiters and waitresses. Wal-Mart cashiers. People I hunt and fish with. People I shop for clothes with. Strangers I stand next to in church. That I sit next to in the movie theater.
It blew my mind to realize that every single person that I find myself in contact with is a witness to my “life of faith.”
Everything I do is a reflection of my faith, whether it is in myself or in Jesus Christ. We don’t have to open our mouths to let the people around us know where our faith lies. The magnitude of this never sank in until I read this verse.
To look at the people around me as a “huge crowd of witnesses” to my “life of faith” changed everything... The things I do. The things I say. The things I look at. The things I avoid. The music I listen to. The movies I watch. Literally everything had to change!
I pray that God awakens you to this “huge crowd of witnesses” to your “life of faith.”
When you realize that the life you live can be the difference in someone choosing Jesus and spending eternity in Heaven or rejecting Jesus and spending eternity in Hell, it changes absolutely everything.
Everything.
Hebrews 12:1 (NLT)
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin the so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.
This is one of my favorite verses in the Bible. I remember when I first stumbled upon it; tears came to my eyes as the intensity of this scripture sank in. The weight of God’s call on my life found me in that moment and absolutely overwhelmed me.
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses…
Two different crowds came to mind when I first read this.
The first was simply the crowd of people that surround me in my every-day life.
At first, I thought about my family, friends, and co-workers. I thought about the people that I know well. People that know me well. Then I had to take it to the next level. Waiters and waitresses. Wal-Mart cashiers. People I hunt and fish with. People I shop for clothes with. Strangers I stand next to in church. That I sit next to in the movie theater.
It blew my mind to realize that every single person that I find myself in contact with is a witness to my “life of faith.”
Everything I do is a reflection of my faith, whether it is in myself or in Jesus Christ. We don’t have to open our mouths to let the people around us know where our faith lies. The magnitude of this never sank in until I read this verse.
To look at the people around me as a “huge crowd of witnesses” to my “life of faith” changed everything... The things I do. The things I say. The things I look at. The things I avoid. The music I listen to. The movies I watch. Literally everything had to change!
I pray that God awakens you to this “huge crowd of witnesses” to your “life of faith.”
When you realize that the life you live can be the difference in someone choosing Jesus and spending eternity in Heaven or rejecting Jesus and spending eternity in Hell, it changes absolutely everything.
Everything.
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