ALL – Psalm 122::1-9
ALL – Proverbs 29:1
OT – Daniel 11:1-34
NT – 1 John 3:7-24
Interesting passage for the day: And this is what God says we must do: Believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another. – 1 John 3:23, The Living Bible
Thought: Easier said than done. That’s what I think anyway. Believing in Jesus. Loving people. Both are definitely easier said than done. In fact, apart from God’s gracious intervention in our lives, they’re both impossible for any of us.
Humanity will not easily believe in the true God. He insists on His own sovereignty, not just in outward behaviors but inwards. He cannot be manipulated. If it is His will that we learn patience through suffering, then even though He fully intends to end all suffering for His people one day, He will not end it for His pleading child until patience sprouts like a lily from the suffering-tilled heart. We may willingly believe that Jesus is the Son of God, but believing in Him is another matter entirely. That requires submitting our rights, choices and desires to our Lord without bitterness. Believing in requires unconditional trust. And our hearts will not give anyone, even the Creator of the world, our unconditional trust unless the Holy Spirit has first given them the supernatural gift of faith.
Nor will our hearts love one another easily. We will shower love upon attractive people—at least, until they scorn us. We will devote ourselves to those who have blessed us—at least, until they harm us. We will commit ourselves to our families and friends—at least, until they betray us. We will serve those who pay us—at least, until they ask us to shoulder more of a burden than we think their pennies are worth. But to love one another unconditionally is hard. In fact, it is pretty much impossible. We do not easily love the unattractive. We shudder at the thought of doing a kind deed to our enemies. We boil with rage against those who have betrayed our close relationships. And we view our employment as a mere business transaction rather than as an opportunity to love; in business, love always has a price. But to love one another truly and unconditionally, regardless of seeing “what’s in it for me”—there is no human love that achieves this goal apart from the Holy Spirit’s gentle, strong re-creation of our hearts.
Believing in the name of God’s Son Jesus Christ. Loving one another. Do you hear these commands and think, “No problem!” If so, I pray that your life is soaring along on the Holy Spirit’s wings. Because otherwise, you are grossly misunderstanding the nature of true faith and the nature of true love. And if so, you are swiftly approaching the greatest failure of your existence.
Question: Has Jesus asked you to do something the risks of which you’re not sure you can trust your Lord to handle for you? Will you call on the Holy Spirit for help and believe in Jesus? Has Jesus commanded you to love someone you simply cannot love? Will you call on the Holy Spirit for help and love that someone?
To review the Bible reading plan options, please visit http://tinyurl.com/yj2o7jz.
Showing posts with label command. Show all posts
Showing posts with label command. Show all posts
Friday, December 3, 2010
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Moment by Moment Love
ALL – Psalm 117:1-2
ALL – Proverbs 28:1
OT – Ezekiel 37:1-38:23
NT – James 1:19-2:17
Interesting passage for the day: Yes indeed, it is good when you truly obey our Lord’s command, “You must love and help your neighbors just as much as you love and take care of yourself.” – James 2:8, The Living Bible
Thought: This is a command worth living up to. At the same time, it’s a continuing command. Loving our neighbors is an obligation that’s never finished as long as we live. We never run out of people to love. There’s always an opportunity to be kind, or patient, or generous.
I’m folding laundry right now. It’s part of what Christy and I affectionately call the “never ending chore.” No sooner have we put the last pair of socks in the drawer than it’s time to wash and fold three more loads of laundry.
That’s kind of what love is like. We can burst through a high-intensity day of incredible helpfulness, goodness, and camaraderie. We can even have a heroic moment or two. Does that mean that we’ve fulfilled this command to love our neighbors? Nope. We’ve obeyed it, but we haven’t fulfilled it, because there’s more service to offer, more opportunities to exercise patience, and more people in need of our grace, mercy and love.
Sometimes it feels like a burden. But it’s a burden we bear with Jesus at our side, and so it’s not so much a burden as a way of life. It’s a great rhythm to settle into, so long as Jesus is with us always, to the very end of the age.
Question: Do you take breaks from fulfilling the command to love our neighbors? How can we rest within this command and lifestyle rather than rest by retreating from it?
To review the Bible reading plan options, please visit http://tinyurl.com/yj2o7jz.
ALL – Proverbs 28:1
OT – Ezekiel 37:1-38:23
NT – James 1:19-2:17
Interesting passage for the day: Yes indeed, it is good when you truly obey our Lord’s command, “You must love and help your neighbors just as much as you love and take care of yourself.” – James 2:8, The Living Bible
Thought: This is a command worth living up to. At the same time, it’s a continuing command. Loving our neighbors is an obligation that’s never finished as long as we live. We never run out of people to love. There’s always an opportunity to be kind, or patient, or generous.
I’m folding laundry right now. It’s part of what Christy and I affectionately call the “never ending chore.” No sooner have we put the last pair of socks in the drawer than it’s time to wash and fold three more loads of laundry.
That’s kind of what love is like. We can burst through a high-intensity day of incredible helpfulness, goodness, and camaraderie. We can even have a heroic moment or two. Does that mean that we’ve fulfilled this command to love our neighbors? Nope. We’ve obeyed it, but we haven’t fulfilled it, because there’s more service to offer, more opportunities to exercise patience, and more people in need of our grace, mercy and love.
Sometimes it feels like a burden. But it’s a burden we bear with Jesus at our side, and so it’s not so much a burden as a way of life. It’s a great rhythm to settle into, so long as Jesus is with us always, to the very end of the age.
Question: Do you take breaks from fulfilling the command to love our neighbors? How can we rest within this command and lifestyle rather than rest by retreating from it?
To review the Bible reading plan options, please visit http://tinyurl.com/yj2o7jz.
Friday, September 3, 2010
Promise-Motivated Life
ALL – Psalm 47:1-9
ALL – Proverbs 22:16
OT – Ecclesiastes 4:1-6:12
NT – 2 Cor. 6:14-7:7
Interesting passage for the day: And what union can there be between God’s temple and idols? For you are God’s temple, the home of the living God, and God has said of you, “I will live in them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.” – 2 Corinthians 6:16, The Living Bible
Thought: We all know that we’re supposed to do good. But what makes us want to do good? We recognize that God’s commands are right. But what makes us want to obey them?
How about God’s promises?
Take the one above, where God says that He shall live in us and walk among us, that He shall be our God, that we will be His people. He’s fulfilling that promise already! He’s already sent His Holy Spirit to live in us. He’s already become our God; we’ve already become His people. What a great God is ours! And we have more to look forward to. When Jesus comes again, this promise gets fulfilled in even more wonderful ways!
Doesn’t that make you yearn to please God? Looking forward to being with Him as fully as possible takes the concept of obeying Him and turns it from a “have to” into a “get to,” from a drudgery into a desire. I want God to be my God. He’s promised to be my God. So I want to please Him. God is so good.
Question: Which of God’s promises are especially inspiring and motivating for you? Please share them with us.
To review the Bible reading plan options, please visit http://tinyurl.com/yj2o7jz.
ALL – Proverbs 22:16
OT – Ecclesiastes 4:1-6:12
NT – 2 Cor. 6:14-7:7
Interesting passage for the day: And what union can there be between God’s temple and idols? For you are God’s temple, the home of the living God, and God has said of you, “I will live in them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.” – 2 Corinthians 6:16, The Living Bible
Thought: We all know that we’re supposed to do good. But what makes us want to do good? We recognize that God’s commands are right. But what makes us want to obey them?
How about God’s promises?
Take the one above, where God says that He shall live in us and walk among us, that He shall be our God, that we will be His people. He’s fulfilling that promise already! He’s already sent His Holy Spirit to live in us. He’s already become our God; we’ve already become His people. What a great God is ours! And we have more to look forward to. When Jesus comes again, this promise gets fulfilled in even more wonderful ways!
Doesn’t that make you yearn to please God? Looking forward to being with Him as fully as possible takes the concept of obeying Him and turns it from a “have to” into a “get to,” from a drudgery into a desire. I want God to be my God. He’s promised to be my God. So I want to please Him. God is so good.
Question: Which of God’s promises are especially inspiring and motivating for you? Please share them with us.
To review the Bible reading plan options, please visit http://tinyurl.com/yj2o7jz.
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Command: Share Good News
ALL – Psalm 26:1-12
ALL – Proverbs 20:19
OT – 2 Chronicles 33:14-34:33
NT – Romans 16:8-27
Interesting passage for the day: This is God’s plan of salvation for you Gentles, kept secret from the beginning of time. But now as the prophets foretold and as God commands, this message is being preached everywhere, so that people all around the world will have faith in Christ and obey him. – Romans 16:25b-26, The Living Bible
Thought: Salvation is God’s idea. When a natural disaster strikes and tons of lives perish, and thousands of people are left homeless and without access to clean water or food, those people can’t really save themselves. It takes someone who is already safe and who has the resources to save others – this person has to initiate a Search and Rescue Mission.
That’s what God has done. All of us have been struck by the natural disaster of our own sins and their consequences. But God had the idea to save us. He’s implemented His plan, called the gospel—the Good News. And it is God’s command that those who have the Good News make sure it keeps spreading to others, so that they can be saved, too.
Question: Some people are really gifted at spreading the good news. But while some will spread the Good News more successfully than others, we all have some way to obey God’s command. Even if it seems small, what can you do to spread God’s Good News?
To review the Bible reading plan options, please visit http://tinyurl.com/yj2o7jz.
ALL – Proverbs 20:19
OT – 2 Chronicles 33:14-34:33
NT – Romans 16:8-27
Interesting passage for the day: This is God’s plan of salvation for you Gentles, kept secret from the beginning of time. But now as the prophets foretold and as God commands, this message is being preached everywhere, so that people all around the world will have faith in Christ and obey him. – Romans 16:25b-26, The Living Bible
Thought: Salvation is God’s idea. When a natural disaster strikes and tons of lives perish, and thousands of people are left homeless and without access to clean water or food, those people can’t really save themselves. It takes someone who is already safe and who has the resources to save others – this person has to initiate a Search and Rescue Mission.
That’s what God has done. All of us have been struck by the natural disaster of our own sins and their consequences. But God had the idea to save us. He’s implemented His plan, called the gospel—the Good News. And it is God’s command that those who have the Good News make sure it keeps spreading to others, so that they can be saved, too.
Question: Some people are really gifted at spreading the good news. But while some will spread the Good News more successfully than others, we all have some way to obey God’s command. Even if it seems small, what can you do to spread God’s Good News?
To review the Bible reading plan options, please visit http://tinyurl.com/yj2o7jz.
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Weekly Sermons in Swanton: Love One Another
The message, preached on March 21st, 2010, covered 1 John 3:11-24, and it can be heard via streaming audio at http://www.swantonalliance.org. We’re commanded to love God and love our neighbors. But love only comes from God; we need the Holy Spirit to live in us and work love in and through us. Love essentially means to help people live. And despite the apparent burden of God’s command to love (because of our natural, sinful inability), love actually gives Christians great confidence before God. Note: Past sermons can be accessed through the resources page.
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