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READING: 1 CORINTHIANS 15:49
In what ways have you grown in being an image-bearer this week?
What did you learn about the nature and character of God this week?
What did you learn about yourself?
F260 READING: (A Scripture Reading Plan for Busy Believers)
Read: Job 1-2
Reflect: What did you H.E.A.R. from God today? HEAR Bible Study Method
Three simple yet life-changing truths:
We share these truths with children, filling them with wonder about the unseen God and how powerful He is, but as we age we’re tempted to lose the wonder. We’re tempted to forget God is there at all.
While these truths all reveal the majesty of God, there’s one more part of God’s creation story that ought not be forgotten. After every day in the Creation process (Genesis 1), God looks upon what He had created and said, “It is good.” God was glad with His creation. But something changed after God made humankind in His image on the sixth day. God looked upon all He had made and said, “It is very good!”
Nothing more was needed. God declared His creation complete. Just like the grand finale of a fireworks display, God declared that we are the Grand Finale of His creation. As you read today, consider this: How do you respond to reading that God looks upon you as the Grand Finale of His creation?
READING:
How do you respond to reading that God looks upon you as the Grand Finale of His creation?
What verse in Psalm 8 sticks out the most to you? Why do you think that is?
F260 READING: (A Scripture Reading Plan for Busy Believers)
Read: Genesis 8-9
Reflect: What did you H.E.A.R. from God today? HEAR Bible Study Method
PRAYER:
Heavenly Father, today I thank You for making me a part of the grand finale of Your creation! That in the same way that a fireworks display lights up the night sky, You have created me to reflect Your light, Your grace, and Your love to others. I ask today that You will continue to help me own the truths of who You say I am so that I may better help others know the truths of who You say they are. I pray these things in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Take a minute to quickly think about every movie or tv show you’ve seen this week. And every song you’ve heard. Every news article you’ve read. And every other book you may have read. That’s a lot of information you’ve taken in! Now, out of all of that information, how often did you see, hear, or read the word, ‘Glory?’
If you read your Bible, you may have seen it. But if you’re being honest, you probably didn’t see, hear, or read the word glory very much at all. It’s just not a common word within in our culture. But while we don’t use the term often, we do hear words such as honor, magnificence, and beauty. We also understand what it means to take delight in something or someone. These words are all definitions of ‘Glory’.
With this knowledge, we can now think about what it means to have been created for the GLORY of God. It means that all things – including you! – were created for the honor of God. You were created to display the magnificence of God. You were created to mirror the delight and pleasure of God. As you read today, consider this: How would your daily life be different if you took time every day to dwell on the truth that you were created for the GLORY of God?
READING:
How would your daily life be different if you took time every day to dwell on the truth that you were created for the GLORY of God?
Think about a time when you really believe you reflected the delight and the pleasure of God. What was that like?
In your own life, what barriers get in the way of reflecting the delight and pleasure of God regularly?
F260 READING: (A Scripture Reading Plan for Busy Believers)
Read: Genesis 6-7
Reflect: What did you H.E.A.R. from God today? HEAR Bible Study Method
PRAYER:
Heavenly Father, I confess that I don’t regularly take opportunities to dwell on the truth that I have been created for Your Glory. Today, I humbly ask that you reveal to me in subtle ways, little reminders that I was created for Your honor. That I was created to display the magnificence of who You are. That I was created to mirror the delight and pleasure of You to others. I pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.
To remember that we have been CREATED by God is a truth that can change how we live each day of our lives. The implications of this reality have the potential to impact how we see ourselves, how we see others, and how we see God.
But the Scriptures teach us that we weren’t just created by God. We were also created in the IMAGE of God.
Of everything else that God created, nothing other than humankind was created in His image. Light. Water. Land. Sun. Moon. Stars. Birds. Fish. Even the Duck-Billed Platypus. You’ve gotta admit, God made some really cool stuff.
Still, after creating everything else, “God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.” Psalm 100:3 says,
“Know that the Lord is God.
It is He who made us, and we are His;
we are His people, the sheep of his pasture.”
As you read today, consider this: What do you think it means to be an image-bearer?
Reading:
How would your daily life be different if you took time every day to dwell on the truth that you were created in the IMAGE of God?
What do you think it means to be an image-bearer?
Remember: Everybody else you see today (and everyday) was also created to be an image-bearer.
F260 READING: (A Scripture Reading Plan for Busy Believers)
Read: Genesis 3-4
Reflect: What did you H.E.A.R. from God today? HEAR Bible Study Method
PRAYER:
Heavenly Father, today I thank You for the wonderful reminder that not only was I created by You, but that You also created me in Your image. It’s easy for me to think, “I am nothing. I’m not significant. I don’t have any real purpose,” but you reveal to me in Your Word that I was created in Your image, and that I have a unique purpose. I have been invited to reflect the glory of You in everything I say and do. I worship You today for providing me this amazing opportunity to be an image-bearer of who You are. I pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Picture an elderly Sunday school teacher walking around a small room with eight to ten children. With glue caked to their fingertips and glitter in their hair, the gray-haired lady smiles at each of the young children. Before dismissing them for the day she says, “You’ve heard me say many things today. But the one thing I want you to never forget is that GOD – MADE – YOU.” As she says this, she points to one of the children, ensuring they make eye contact and take in the wonder of what she just said. Then she points to the next child, and the next one, and the next. On and on until she has reassured each child that God, who made all the stars, the earth, the forests and the animals, also made each of them.
As the parents thank her for spending every Sunday morning teaching their little ones, she takes the opportunity to share the same message. With the same level of awe and wonder, she smiles at each parent and says, “Don’t ever forget. GOD – MADE – YOU.” But the majority of the parents don’t seem to absorb the significance of what she says in the way their children did. They smile politely and nod, and then quickly take their children by the hand and leave. As you read today, consider this: Why do you think we as adults aren’t completely captivated and awed by the power of this statement, “GOD – MADE – YOU”?
READING: Genesis 1:26-27
Why do you think we as adults aren’t completely captivated and awed by the power of this statement “GOD – MADE – YOU”?
How would your daily life be different if you woke up each morning reminding yourself that you were created by God?
F260 READING: (A Scripture Reading Plan for Busy Believers)
Read: Genesis 1-2
Reflect: What did you H.E.A.R. from God today? HEAR Bible Study Method
PRAYER:
Heavenly Father, today I thank You for the wonderful reminder that I was created by You. With all of the busyness in my life, it’s easy to get caught up in what I need to do. Because I focus so much on what I need to do, I sometimes give in to the temptation to be defined by my work. But You don’t define me by what I do, but by what You have done. May I rejoice in that truth today! I pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.
A daily Devotional & Scripture Reading will be made available each weekday over the next 8 Weeks for SRC’s new message series, The Story of You. Printed copies of the Devotional will be available at each location (Fairmont / Bridgeport). However, if you would like to receive an automatic email every weekday morning throughout the series, feel free to follow the blog (enter your email address on the right side of this page to follow).
A Brief Introduction to the Devotional:
Let me share a confession: I’m not as much of a reader as I sometimes make myself out to be. While I read the Scriptures regularly, I need to be pretty intentional with my time if I am to read on a regular basis. But every once in a while, I hit a season in which I can’t read enough. Fiction. Non-fiction. Memoirs. Anything. I’ll devour a book in a week and then move onto the next.
This summer happened to be one of those seasons. I found myself reading through a series of books with the typical plot line: Good vs. Evil. There were good characters, and there were evil characters. Crazy, huh? But despite the typical storyline, I fell in love with the characters and consumed the entire series not once, but twice.
At one point, one of the main characters needed to share with his friends and family everything he had been through. In other words, he needed to share his story. The problem was, he didn’t want to talk about it. He had some really challenging and painful experiences, many of which were a result of his own poor decision-making. But in order for the others to fully understand and offer him the help he needed, he had to share his story.
As he told his story, the author Andrew Peterson writes, “…telling the story hurt and helped all at once. Already he could see ways the story had changed him and would go on changing him.”
The quote has tremendous truth. We all have a story. We all have made decisions that have led to challenging and painful experiences. We all need to know our story. We can all benefit from sharing that same story.
This 8-Week message series has been designed with two things in mind:
First, what is it that God says about who we are? What story has He written to us, for us, and within us?
Second, What does it look like for us to live out that story?
Those who are connected to a Community Group will have the opportunity to process through and share your story with others in your Group. My encouragement to you is to take advantage of an additional booklet we have available titled Knowing and Sharing Your Story. Walking through this process will take time, but like the character in the quote I referenced above, you will likely discover how much your story has changed you and will go on changing you.
For those not connected to a Community Group, my encouragement to you would be to focus on this Devotional & Scripture Reading Guide. And if you’d like, you may also take advantage of the additional booklet we have available at SRC titled Knowing and Sharing Your Story, then take intentional opportunities to share your story with others.
~Pastor Justin
The Summer in the Psalms series at SRC has come to a close. Beginning Monday, September 10, 2018, a new Devotional & Reading Guide for our next message series, The Story of You, will be available right here on the South Ridge Blog. The readings will be posted Monday – Friday each week throughout the series. Stay tuned!
Who is God?
Click here if you would like to read additional information for this Summer Reading Devotional.
Who is God?
Click here if you would like to read additional information for this Summer Reading Devotional.
Who is God?
Click here if you would like to read additional information for this Summer Reading Devotional.
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