Holy Agent of Change

ALL – Psalm 66:1-20
ALL – Proverbs 23:26-28
OT – Isaiah 39:1-41:16
NT – Ephesians 1:1-23

Interesting passage for the day: And because of what Christ did, all you others too, who heard the Good News about how to be saved, and trusted Christ, were marked as belonging to Christ by the Holy Spirit, who long ago had been promised to all of us Christians. – Galatians 1:13, The Living Bible

Thought: How thankful are you for the Holy Spirit? Do you realize that He has been given to us because of Jesus Christ? Peter tells us in Acts 2 that Jesus “poured out” the Holy Spirit on His disciples, and the Holy Spirit has been given to all believers since then. Romans tells us that if we do not have the Spirit of Christ, we do not belong to Jesus.

The Holy Spirit marks those who have faith in Jesus Christ. His fruit is grown in our lives. He lifts our eyes to Jesus when we would otherwise get distracted or discouraged. He speaks to our conscience and encourages us toward what is best. He brings the newness of Christ’s life to dwell in our souls, and He navigates the new creatures we are safely through this world’s challenges to dwell in our heavenly home.

Question: Are you working with Christ’s Spirit or against Him? What difference do you think that His presence in our lives should make?

To review the Bible reading plan options, please visit http://tinyurl.com/yj2o7jz.

First-Time Faith

ALL – Psalm 25:12-22
ALL – Proverbs 20:16-18
OT – 2 Chronicles 32:1-33:13
NT – Romans 15:23-16:7

Interesting passage for the day: Greet my good friend Epaenetus. He was the very first person to become a Christian in Asia. – Romans 15:5b, The Living Bible

Thought: Isn’t it amazing that we know who the very first Christian was in Asia (Roman Asia, mind you, not the continent of Asia, necessarily)? What exciting times those must have been for the early believers, going to new places with good news that no one had ever heard!

As each generation passes away, opportunities like this keep being renewed. Missionaries around the world continue to encounter remote people who have never heard the gospel—the good news that Jesus died to save them from their sins, and that He rose again to offer them an eternal, untarnished life. Even here in Swanton, OH, there are people who do not know Jesus Christ, people who would be the first Christians in their families if they would put their hope in Him (at VBS last night, we had some children who did not know what the Bible is, and some who were very confused because they didn’t know what was expected of them during our prayer time).

Christianity is always one generation from extinction. Fortunately, we have Jesus’ promise, “I will build my church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it.” Many people are still waiting to hear the good news for the first time—and when they receive it, it will be just as transforming as it was for Epaenetus, the first believer in Asia. Sharing the gospel is still a history-making enterprise—it makes history for each new person to receive Jesus Christ as Lord.

Question: Who was the first person you led to the Lord? How many people do you know for whom turning to Jesus would be a first-time experience in their lives?

To review the Bible reading plan options, please visit http://tinyurl.com/yj2o7jz.

Weekly Sermons in Swanton: Remember, You’re Believers

The message, preached on February 7th, 2010, covered 1 John 2:12-14, and it can be heard via streaming audio at http://www.swantonalliance.org. John took a moment in his letter to emphasize that he knew he was writing to believers—world-overcomers. Why would it be so important for the readers to know that John saw them this way? Note: Past sermons can be accessed through the resources page.