Trust or Bust

ALL – Psalm 110:1-7
ALL – Proverbs 27:14
OT – Ezekiel 24:1-26:21
NT – Hebrews 11:1-16

Interesting passage for the day: Noah was another who trusted God. When he heard God’s warning about the future, Noah believed him even though there was then no sign of a flood, and wasting no time, he built the ark and saved his family. Noah’s belief in God was in direct contrast to the sin and disbelief of the rest of the world—which refused to obey—and because of his faith he became one of those whom God has accepted. – Hebrews 11:7, The Living Bible

Thought: Usually it’s the people who are preparing for some unconfirmed future disaster who are considered to be crazy. They build bunkers, store up years’ worth of food and, with eyes that dart suspiciously to and fro, they hiss dogmatic warnings of doom for all mankind. But Noah, the man who built the most epic floating bunker ever, storing up enough food for eight humans and for multiple specimens of the entire planet’s wildlife to survive for about a year, was not crazy. He had heard from and believed the one true and living God. And because Noah believed what God said about a coming flood, he took appropriate action (also with guidance from above).

And we thought we had nothing in common with Noah.

Noah heard God promise to destroy the earth with a flood. We’ve heard from God that, when Jesus comes back, the earth will be destroyed by fire.

Noah received instructions from God about escaping death. We’ve received instructions from God about escaping death (for example, “Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved—you and your household.” – Acts 16:31, NIV).

Noah responded wholeheartedly to God’s instructions. … How about us?

Question: What does it look like to respond wholeheartedly to God’s command to “believe in the Lord Jesus”? Is it enough to say, “I believe,” or should our lives be different somehow, too? Would you say that your life is being spent wholeheartedly responding to God’s warnings, promises and instructions? Why or why not?

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

Heading for Trouble

ALL – Psalm 149:1-9
ALL – Proverbs 18:8
OT – 2 Kings 18:13-19:37
NT – Acts 21:1-17

Interesting passage for the day: When it was clear that he wouldn’t be dissuaded, we gave up and said, “The will of the Lord be done.” – Acts 21:14, The Living Bible

Thought: Sometimes God leads believers into challenging and dangerous situations. No one could have been more certain than Paul that danger lay ahead for him. He had been warned repeatedly that the path to Jerusalem would put him in harm’s way (Acts 21:4, 10-12). His brother and sister disciples were begging him not to go. And yet he pressed on. Was he sinning to continue on despite their warnings? Despite the Holy Spirit’s warning? No, he wasn’t. He was still walking with Christ and His Holy Spirit. And so the believers couldn’t confront him. They couldn’t rebuke him or say anything against Paul’s plans. When it became clear that neither their warnings nor their pleas would change Paul’s mind, they did the only thing left for them to do: they put their trust and hope in God and His will. They could trust God’s plan.

Question: Have you ever watched a fellow believer follow plans that led toward some kind of certain trouble? Did you get angry at them? Or were you able to seek their best and leave them in God’s hands and will?

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

Weekly Sermons in Swanton: Love One Another More and More

The message, preached on April 4th, 2010, covered 1 John 4:7-21, and it can be heard via streaming audio at http://www.swantonalliance.org. John teaches believers again about what it means to love. We are to love redemptively, like Christ; we are to love by revealing the Father; and we respond to God in love by loving one another. Note: Past sermons can be accessed through the resources page.