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The weekend approaches, which means it’s an excellent time to reflect on the week.
Take some time today to journal and reflect on the following questions:
What are you willing to surrender to God in order to grow in your relationship with Christ?
What are you unwilling to surrender? How may God be inviting you to surrender this area of your life over to Him?
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How did the family you grew up in define success? For some, success is getting into the right schools. For others, success is making lots of money. Depending on the family, some may define success as getting married and having children. Whatever it may have been, the understanding of success you received from your family of origin likely impacted your life decisions in a significant way.
Sadly, many definitions of success are not in alignment with the Scriptures. Our cultural definitions are more about prestige, power, wealth, and one’s personal (or family) name then they are about the prestige, power, and strength of God. Even those who grew up in a good, godly family are consistently tempted to achieve their own understanding of success rather seek out a purely Scriptural understanding.
In the Gospel of John, the author summarizes what success looks like for followers of Jesus: He [God] must become greater; I must become less (John 3:30). Without a doubt, this is an upside down view of success. But it’s the invitation God provides all His people. Don’t be successful by your standards. Be successful by Mine.
READING & PRAYERS:
JOHN 3:22-36 (also read the commentary notes in your Study Bible of choice.)
QUESTION: Consider at least one area in your life in which God may be inviting you to surrender your understanding of success over to Him.
DIGGING DEEPER: Write out a list of what you think it means to be successful in God’s eyes. If possible, include scripture references for each item on your list.
Take a Step: Practice listening to God by utilizing the One Minute Pause app at least twice a day.
PRAYER: Heavenly Father, today’s reading has helped me recognize that while my family of origin didn’t specifically talk about what it means to be successful, there were expectations and attitudes which conveyed what was successful and what wasn’t. Help me to remember that to be successful is to be surrendered fully to You. Reveal to me the areas in my life which need to decrease, so that You may increase. I pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.
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Genesis 12:7 …So he built an altar there to the LORD.
The book of Genesis is one of the most studied books of the Bible. Often, it portrays the benefits of living a life dedicated to God, and the consequences of living apart from God. This is seen in two different stories back to back – the Tower of Babel in Chapter 11 and God’s calling of Abram in Chapter 12.
In Chapter 11, all of humankind sets out to “make a name for ourselves.” Making bricks and building a large tower to the heavens isn’t an issue. But when all people say, “Let’s make a name for ourselves,” God scatters them.
Then in Chapter 12, God speaks to a man named Abram and makes him a promise. How does Abram respond? “He built an altar there to the LORD, who had appeared to him.” One group of people builds a tower to make a name for themselves, while Abram constructs and altar to make great the name of God.
Today, followers of Jesus are regularly in need of making the same choice. Are you currently living to make your own name great, or are you living in such a way to make great the name of God?
READING & PRAYERS:
PSALM 115, ISAIAH 42:5-9 (also read the commentary notes in your Study Bible of choice.)
QUESTION: Does your current life identify more with the people in Genesis 11 (e.g., “Let’s make a name for ourselves”) or Abram in Genesis 12 (e.g., “I want to make great the name of God”)?
DIGGING DEEPER: What changes might you need to make in your daily rhythms in order to more intentionally make great the name of God?
Take a Step: Practice listening to God by utilizing the One Minute Pause app at least twice a day.
PRAYER: Heavenly Father, I recognize that even though I don’t want to think I live in such a way to make my own name great, there are parts of my life in which I do want the recognition and the attaboys for some of my accomplishments. Continue to help me remember that the words I most need to hear don’t come from others, but are instead Your words — “Well done, good and faithful servant.” May I be a good and faithful servant to You today and everyday. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
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Matthew 26:39 “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.”
When reading through the Gospels, it’s important to remember that Jesus was both 100% human and 100% God. Followers of Jesus who recognize the divinity of Jesus may miss out on aspects of Jesus’ life which put his humanity on full display.
One such moment came just hours before Jesus’ arrest. He knew what was about to occur, yet he went to God in prayer and repeatedly prayed, “Your will be done.”
Consider, for a moment, your own prayers. Close your eyes for a moment and try to recall some of your most recent prayers to God. What did you pray for? (Pause)
Now, consider this: Were you praying for God to accomplish your will, or were you praying that God’s will be done, no matter what? Were you praying to God as if He’s a personal assistant who is available and ready to do whatever you ask, or you praying to the Creator of the universe who holds all power and authority? Today, take some time to reflect on just how great God really is, and surrender to His will in all things.
READING & PRAYERS:
EPHESIANS 5:15-20, PSALM 25:1-11, JOHN 6:38-40 (also read the commentary notes in your Study Bible of choice.)
QUESTION: What is one thing in life in which you’ve been praying for your will to be done instead of praying for God’s will to be done? What would it look like to surrender this area of your life over to Him?
Take a Step: Practice listening to God by utilizing the One Minute Pause app at least twice a day.
PRAYER: Heavenly Father, today I’m simply grateful for the example Jesus Himself modeled. When facing a horrendous death, He say prayed that “Your will be done.” May I follow His example, and more consistently pray that Your will be done and not my own. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
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Every day, your brain is receiving thousands of messages from the world around you. Each of those messages has some kind of hidden narrative attached to it. These include messages such as, “Your life will be better if you buy this product.” Or, “You will be happy if you (fill in the blank).”
In the end, each of these messages has an impact on your life. Sure, one commercial for a specific brand of cat food may not impact you much, especially if you don’t even own a cat. But over time, all of these messages shape the way you see yourself, the way you see others, and even the views you have on God. These messages are shaping and forming your beliefs about…everything.
The question, therefore, is this: Are you aware of these messages and the impact they’re having on you? Are you aware of just how much these messages are forming you?
In his newest book titled Practicing the Way, John Mark Comer writes, “For those of us who desire to follow Jesus, here is the reality we must turn and face: If we’re not being intentionally formed by Jesus himself, then it’s highly likely we are being unintentionally formed by someone or something else.”
READING & PRAYERS:
MATTHEW 16:24-26, COLOSSIANS 2:8 (also read the commentary notes in your Study Bible of choice.)
QUESTION: Read John Mark Comer’s quote from Practicing the Way at the end of today’s reading again, slowly. What thoughts come to mind as you read through it?
DIGGING DEEPER: Today, pay close attention to how many messages you see or hear that are trying to shape the way you view yourself, others, and/or God. If possible, keep a list of as many as you can for a full week. Then consider what steps you may need to take to begin limiting these messages from your everyday life.
Take a Step: Practice listening to God by utilizing the One Minute Pause app at least twice a day.
PRAYER: Heavenly Father, I recognize that I am to live in the world and not of the world, yet I’m not sure I recognize just how much the messages I see and hear every day are impacting me. Help me as I make radical decisions to live life differently; a way of life that is being more intentionally formed by Jesus Himself. In His name. Amen.
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Take some time today to journal and reflect on the following questions:
What are you willing to surrender to God in order to grow in your relationship with Christ?
What are you unwilling to surrender? How may God be inviting you to surrender this area of your life over to Him?
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There’s only one person who was able to live a completely perfect life. As such, no matter how hard you may try, there will be times when you fall short. We are all broken and fractured people living in a broken and fractured world.
Despite the fact that we will all fall short, we are all still invited to live out our Christian faith well. This means that all Christians have been invited to do two things. These include:
Consider the implications of this in your life. If you were to write out a list of just 3-5 things that matter most to you, what would you write? For those committed to following Jesus, what aspects of the life, teachings, death, and resurrection of Jesus are part of your list? How do you phrase these things in your own words?
Secondly, are you living and speaking with others in such a way that the things that matter most to you are evident to everyone you interact with on a regular basis?
READING & PRAYERS:
ACTS 7:1-60 (also read the commentary notes in your Study Bible of choice.)
QUESTION: The above passage reveals how a man named Stephen lived and commented what mattered most to him. From your reading of the passage, what were some of the things that mattered most to him?
If you were to write out a list of just 3-5 things that matter most to you, what would you write?
Take a Step: Practice listening to God by utilizing the One Minute Pause app at least twice a day.
PRAYER: Heavenly Father, while I think I know what matters most in my life, when I pay close attention to how I spend my time, energy, and money, it seems clear that what I want to matter most may not be what actually matters most. Change my heart from deep within me. Break my heart for the things that break Yours. May I come to more fully understand the things that matter most to You, and accept Your invitation to have those things also matter most to me. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
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Acts 14:21-22 After preaching the Good News in Derbe and making many disciples, Paul and Barnabas returned to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch of Pisidia, where they strengthened the believers.
Interestingly, the word “Christianity” is rarely used in the New Testament. There’s a brief mention of people being referred to as Christians, but in the majority of cases those who adhered to Jesus’ teachings were simply known as His disciples or followers. When His disciples did share the message of Jesus with others, they often referred to it as “Good News.”
Today, some modern translations of the Bible translate the Greek word used for Good News as “Gospel.” Yet it’s clear in the text that every time this term is used, the person sharing the Gospel with somebody is sharing it in such a way that it is Good News.
Christians today may miss out on opportunities to share our beliefs with others when we share the Gospel in such a way that it is not received as Good News. The message of Jesus is indeed good, and we it ought to shared as such.
READING & PRAYERS:
ACTS 8:4-13, 14:21-22 (also read the commentary notes in your Study Bible of choice.)
QUESTION: What is it about the Gospel that first drew you to come closer to Jesus and ultimately place your faith in Him? In what ways did you hear and understand the Gospel as “Good News?”
DIGGING DEEPER: When you share the Gospel with others, how consistently do you share it as “Good News?”
Take a Step: Practice listening to God by utilizing the One Minute Pause app at least twice a day.
PRAYER: Heavenly Father, I confess there are times when I haven’t shared the Gospel as “Good News.” Continue to help me grow into somebody who experiences Your love and grace so deeply that when I share of it with others, they will see, hear, and know that the Gospel really is “Good News.” I pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.
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Throughout human history, there have been many events which have forever shaped the world. Empires such as the Babylonian, Persian, Roman, and more, heavily shaped cultures, languages, and politics for hundreds of years. World War I and II had a significant impact on modern day culture. While these nations and events were significant in our history, their overall influence on the entire world pales in comparison to Jesus’ resurrection.
In his book titled Making Sense of God, author and pastor Timothy Keller writes the following: “Sometimes people approach me and say, ‘I really struggle with this aspect of Christian teaching. I like this part of Christian belief, but I don’t think I can accept that part.’ I usually respond: ‘If Jesus rose from the dead, then you have to accept all he said; if he didn’t rise from the dead, then why worry about any of what he said? The issue on which everything hangs is not whether or not you like his teaching but whether or not he rose from the dead.’”
Human history was forever changed when Jesus did rise from the dead and his followers accepted everything he had taught
READING & PRAYERS:
JOHN 20:1-29 (also read the commentary notes in your Study Bible of choice.)
QUESTION: What do you think of Timothy Keller’s argument, that if Jesus really did rise from the dead, then you have to accept everything He said?
DIGGING DEEPER: Are there any teachings from Jesus you struggle to accept?
Take a Step: Practice listening to God by utilizing the One Minute Pause app at least twice a day.
PRAYER: Heavenly Father, I recognize that Keller’s argument is a good one — that if Jesus really did rise from the dead then I need to accept everything He said. As I read through the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, I ask that You will remind me of this important truth. I pray that as I read, when Jesus says or does something I may not like or agree with, that You would remind me to not only accept it, but to see the wisdom within it. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
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1 Corinthians 15:3-6 I passed on to you what was most important and what had also been passed on to me. Christ died for our sins, just as the Scriptures said. He was buried, and he was raised from the dead on the third day, just as the Scriptures said. He was seen by Peter and then by the Twelve. After that, he was seen by more than 500 of his followers at one time, most of whom are still alive…
If there is just one question which modern day historians struggle to answer with clarity it is this: How did Christianity begin? When researching the ancient world, it seems clear that the rise of Christianity would not just be improbable, but impossible. With the power and might of the Roman Empire, it wouldn’t make any sense that a small group of lesser educated fisherman, tax collectors, and women could concoct a story about Jesus rising from death to life. Similarly, it wouldn’t make sense that people believed this story without any shred of evidence. As such, modern-day historians who have researched the beginnings of Christianity have come to one overwhelming conclusion: After Jesus’ death, something significant happened. And with eye-witness accounts from hundreds of people, that something is Jesus’ resurrection.
READING & PRAYERS:
1 CORINTHIANS 15:1-58 (also read the commentary notes in your Study Bible of choice.)
QUESTION: What might be some questions you have about the beginnings of Christianity? Where could you go to find answers to those questions?
DIGGING DEEPER: If you had family, friends, neighbors, or colleagues who had questions about the beginnings of Christianity, would you be read to help answer them?
Take a Step: Practice listening to God by utilizing the One Minute Pause app at least twice a day.
PRAYER: Heavenly Father, I recognize there is a lot about the beginnings of Christianity and a lot about my own faith which remains a mystery. While I know I can never understand everything fully, I do desire to be somebody who can lead others to know you more. This week, continue to draw me closer to You so that I may know You more, and share what I learn of You with others. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
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