Sunday, March 27, 2011
Student Devotion Week 30: A Unified Church: Letter to the Philipians
Key Verse: Philippians 2:3, "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or van conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves." It challenges me anytime I see a large group of people coming together for a common purpose. When this happens, it shows that something is more important than their differences-something that transcends personal ambitions. God is trying to build that same spirit of unity in us. One of the things Paul stressed in the prison epistles of Philippians and Ephesians is the unity of church. But how do such different people act in concert? By imitating Christ and following the example he set. What an incredible unified body we'd be if everyone in the church were to follow this example. One day this will be a reality, and we're all going to see it. But until then, God is busy building that unity among us. We're going to take a look at the unity of the church and discover that God truly desires for us to put aside our differences and come together as one universal Church. It's going to require some changes on all parts. But the result will be a sight that will do more than simply confound divisive politicians; it will change the whole world.
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Student Devotion Week 29: Singing in Jail: Paul & Silas in Prison
Key Verse: Acts 16:30-31, "He then brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.”
Have you ever hit your funny bone? You know what I'm talking about, although I'm sure this isn't the technical name for it. Often when I hit my elbow, first I feel a shooting pain, but right after I also have a desire to laugh. My arm hurts, but it makes me laugh, too. It's weird how pain and laughter can coexist. It doesn't make sense, but it happens.
This week we're looking at an equally improbable event. Paul and Silas were beaten and thrown into prison, but they they led a worship service from their jail cell. How can someone experience such pain yet still sing? Our reaction to bad situations is one way we show a lost world that Christ is real. When we're able to see Christ in the midst of our pain, we find strength where others find only emptiness and despair.
Like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, if we turn our troubles over to God, then we discover that God walks with us in the fire. And when we step out of the flames in one piece, everyone marvels at the fact that God provided help in our time on pain. God can help us become people who react like Paul and Silas did. The bad news is that is usually takes a lot of tough experiences to build that kind of character. But we have to start somewhere. And we don't have to do it alone.
Have you ever hit your funny bone? You know what I'm talking about, although I'm sure this isn't the technical name for it. Often when I hit my elbow, first I feel a shooting pain, but right after I also have a desire to laugh. My arm hurts, but it makes me laugh, too. It's weird how pain and laughter can coexist. It doesn't make sense, but it happens.
This week we're looking at an equally improbable event. Paul and Silas were beaten and thrown into prison, but they they led a worship service from their jail cell. How can someone experience such pain yet still sing? Our reaction to bad situations is one way we show a lost world that Christ is real. When we're able to see Christ in the midst of our pain, we find strength where others find only emptiness and despair.
Like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, if we turn our troubles over to God, then we discover that God walks with us in the fire. And when we step out of the flames in one piece, everyone marvels at the fact that God provided help in our time on pain. God can help us become people who react like Paul and Silas did. The bad news is that is usually takes a lot of tough experiences to build that kind of character. But we have to start somewhere. And we don't have to do it alone.
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Student Devotion Week 28: Going to Macedonia: Paul's Vision
Key Verse: Acts 16:9-10,"During the night Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and begging him, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” After Paul had seen the vision, we got ready at once to leave for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them."
Wouldn't it be great if we had road signs for life, such as College, Turn Here or Character Work Next Four Months? They might not make life easier, but we'd be a little more confident about which choices to make. These signs would be helpful in our spiritual lives as well. But, unfortunately, there are no such signs.
Some people believe following God is easy; it's usually anything but easy. One of the frustrating aspects of following God is that we often don't know where we're going. We may have one idea about how to serve God, only to discover God wants us to do something else. This can be frustrating and even discouraging if we're not careful.
So often we can see only the next step in our journey. And our limited perspective means we don't always know what's best for us. God, on the other hand, can see our entire journey. Therefore, when God asks us to make sacrifices or change our plans, it's always in our best interest to obey. The result honors God and brings us to the best possible place in our lives.
Don't think you're alone in this. Even the apostles had experiences like ours. Acts 16 records a story of how Paul went through some frustrations before he finally discovered God's will concerning the next phase of his ministry. This week we're going to look at how Paul dealt with this change of plans and see what resulted. So put on your traveling shoes; we're about to make a detour.
Wouldn't it be great if we had road signs for life, such as College, Turn Here or Character Work Next Four Months? They might not make life easier, but we'd be a little more confident about which choices to make. These signs would be helpful in our spiritual lives as well. But, unfortunately, there are no such signs.
Some people believe following God is easy; it's usually anything but easy. One of the frustrating aspects of following God is that we often don't know where we're going. We may have one idea about how to serve God, only to discover God wants us to do something else. This can be frustrating and even discouraging if we're not careful.
So often we can see only the next step in our journey. And our limited perspective means we don't always know what's best for us. God, on the other hand, can see our entire journey. Therefore, when God asks us to make sacrifices or change our plans, it's always in our best interest to obey. The result honors God and brings us to the best possible place in our lives.
Don't think you're alone in this. Even the apostles had experiences like ours. Acts 16 records a story of how Paul went through some frustrations before he finally discovered God's will concerning the next phase of his ministry. This week we're going to look at how Paul dealt with this change of plans and see what resulted. So put on your traveling shoes; we're about to make a detour.
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Student Devotion Week 27: Preaching & Teaching: Second Letter to Timothy (Part 2 of 2)
Key Verse: 1 Timothy 4:12, "Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity."
When you say the word preaching, images of ministers spitting out messages about hellfire and brimstone may come to mind. If it doesn't, then realize that for a lot of people in our culture, that's the only image of preaching they know. Examples of bad preaching are numerous: Televangelizing crooks, sandwich-board-wearing prophets, and finger-pointing bigots. But the heart of the Church lies the gospel-the message of grace and new life through a relationship with Jesus.
God chose to reveal this message of hope to the world through you and me, followers of Christ. There's no Plan B. We're it! So the preaching and teaching of the Church is a top priority-not just for preachers, but for all of us. Paul knew this, and he wrote to young disciples, like Timothy, to make sure they understood the importance of the teaching of the Church. Paul wouldn't be around forever, so he made sure to pass on that message to others who could faithfully preach it to a new generation.
We need to make sure we're receiving good teaching and passing it on to others. Without the teaching of the Church, our beliefs would be reduced to the opinions of the latest charismatic leader.
The true message of the Church stands the test of time and isn't changed by the ideas of our culture. This week we'll look at why this is important and how we fit into the task of preaching and teaching today.
When you say the word preaching, images of ministers spitting out messages about hellfire and brimstone may come to mind. If it doesn't, then realize that for a lot of people in our culture, that's the only image of preaching they know. Examples of bad preaching are numerous: Televangelizing crooks, sandwich-board-wearing prophets, and finger-pointing bigots. But the heart of the Church lies the gospel-the message of grace and new life through a relationship with Jesus.
God chose to reveal this message of hope to the world through you and me, followers of Christ. There's no Plan B. We're it! So the preaching and teaching of the Church is a top priority-not just for preachers, but for all of us. Paul knew this, and he wrote to young disciples, like Timothy, to make sure they understood the importance of the teaching of the Church. Paul wouldn't be around forever, so he made sure to pass on that message to others who could faithfully preach it to a new generation.
We need to make sure we're receiving good teaching and passing it on to others. Without the teaching of the Church, our beliefs would be reduced to the opinions of the latest charismatic leader.
The true message of the Church stands the test of time and isn't changed by the ideas of our culture. This week we'll look at why this is important and how we fit into the task of preaching and teaching today.
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Student Devotion Week 26: The Bible: Second Letter to Timothy (Part 1 of 2)
Key Verse: 2 Timothy 3:16-17, "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work."
Authority is one of those words we don't particularly like. Who wants to obey people in authority? But think about what life in our country would be like without it. With no laws, people would do whatever they wanted. Imagine driving without traffic lights or stop signs. It would be chaos.
We also need a foundation-something solid to stand on, something that won't break in the midst of our problems. Our culture asks Christians, "What makes you right and everyone else wrong?" It's an honest question. The answer is we don't base our lives on our opinions or our desires. We base our lives on the Word of God. As Paul trained leaders for his churches, he spelled out why Scripture is so important for Christians. The Bible is God's unchanging foundation that shows us what truth is. It's authority of our lives.
When God tells us through Scripture that something is right, it's right. We know this because God inspired his Word and made sure it was passed down to us accurately and unchanging for thousands of years. The foundation of the Church is also the foundation of our lives. This week we're going to look at the place Scripture has in our daily lives.
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Student Devotion Week 25: Qualified Leaders: First Letter to Timothy Part 2
Key Verse: 1 Timothy 3:16, "16 Beyond all question, the mystery from which true godliness springs is great: He appeared in the flesh, was vindicated by the Spirit, was seen by angels, was preached among the nations, was believed on in the world, was taken up in glory."
Most televangelists bug me. Have you ever actually listened to these guys? Some are great people of God, to be sure, but others are charlatans with a lot of charisma and very little depth. And many are masters at bending Scripture to suit their needs. It seems few of these preachers are interested in truly teaching people the Word of God; most of them seem more interested in receiving people's money.
Unfortunately, from time to time leaders who mirror the lack of character displayed by some televangelists will creep into the Church. And it's a problem that was around long before television was invented. Paul understood the danger. In his last letters, he left clear commands about how to evaluate people who want to be church leaders.
False leaders have always been a threat to the Church. But God is faithful to send us qualified leaders who can truly teach the Bible and instruct us how to be better followers of Christ.
This week we're going to look at the qualifications for being a leader in the church. We need to know this information so we can weed out the false teachers from those who can really help us. We also need to know this because God may call us to be leaders one day.
Most televangelists bug me. Have you ever actually listened to these guys? Some are great people of God, to be sure, but others are charlatans with a lot of charisma and very little depth. And many are masters at bending Scripture to suit their needs. It seems few of these preachers are interested in truly teaching people the Word of God; most of them seem more interested in receiving people's money.
Unfortunately, from time to time leaders who mirror the lack of character displayed by some televangelists will creep into the Church. And it's a problem that was around long before television was invented. Paul understood the danger. In his last letters, he left clear commands about how to evaluate people who want to be church leaders.
False leaders have always been a threat to the Church. But God is faithful to send us qualified leaders who can truly teach the Bible and instruct us how to be better followers of Christ.
This week we're going to look at the qualifications for being a leader in the church. We need to know this information so we can weed out the false teachers from those who can really help us. We also need to know this because God may call us to be leaders one day.
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Student Devotion Week 24: Prayer: First Letter to Timothy Part 1
Key Verse: 1 Timothy 2:1-2, " I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone—for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness."
Have you ever read about elections that were decided by only a handful of votes? It happens all the time-even in elections for the President of the United States. And with such small margins of victory, few would deny that every vote is important. Therefore, no one can honestly say it doesn't matter if he votes or not. Voting is a right and a privilege of American citizens. No matter who you are, once you turn 18, you get that right and the power that comes with it.
As believers in Jesus Christ, we have something even more powerful (and you don't have to wait until you're 18 to use it). God tells us our prayers are incredibly powerful-a stronger force than you've ever dreamed of having. Combined with the prayers of other Christians, our prayers are an amazing force in the world.
Paul knew the importance of prayer. Paul wrote his first letter to Timothy while Paul was imprisoned in Rome, anticipating the end of his life. Looking back on his ministry, Paul knew unmistakably that the prayers of the churches were the foundation of his spiritual successes. He wanted Timothy and all of his churches to never forget how tremendously powerful the prayers of the saints are.
This week we're going to look at both the prayers of the Church and our personal prayer lives. Maybe you've never really thought about your prayer life; maybe it's just something you do. But with a force this powerful, we should expect that supernatural.
Have you ever read about elections that were decided by only a handful of votes? It happens all the time-even in elections for the President of the United States. And with such small margins of victory, few would deny that every vote is important. Therefore, no one can honestly say it doesn't matter if he votes or not. Voting is a right and a privilege of American citizens. No matter who you are, once you turn 18, you get that right and the power that comes with it.
As believers in Jesus Christ, we have something even more powerful (and you don't have to wait until you're 18 to use it). God tells us our prayers are incredibly powerful-a stronger force than you've ever dreamed of having. Combined with the prayers of other Christians, our prayers are an amazing force in the world.
Paul knew the importance of prayer. Paul wrote his first letter to Timothy while Paul was imprisoned in Rome, anticipating the end of his life. Looking back on his ministry, Paul knew unmistakably that the prayers of the churches were the foundation of his spiritual successes. He wanted Timothy and all of his churches to never forget how tremendously powerful the prayers of the saints are.
This week we're going to look at both the prayers of the Church and our personal prayer lives. Maybe you've never really thought about your prayer life; maybe it's just something you do. But with a force this powerful, we should expect that supernatural.
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