Day 35
Sowing and reaping
Read Galatians 6:1-5.
Paul addresses the need for brothers and sisters to bear each others’ burdens. What does it mean to bear one anothers’ burdens? What stands in the way of bearing each others’ burdens in our lives? How are you at sharing your burdens? How about bearing others’ burdens?
Read Galatians 6:6-8.
So often our flesh gets in the way of accomplishing God’s purposes. We are too prideful or selfish or lazy to get down to the nitty gritty of sharing this journey together. We don’t open up or lend a hand to our brothers and sisters in need. Paul warns us to not be deceived, that God isn’t fooled by our actions even when we fool ourselves. What we sow, we reap.
Spend a few minutes examining your life through prayer. Ask God for clarity in discerning how you sow and reap. What kind of seeds are you sowing? What you are reaping will help you determine what you are sowing.
Read Galatians 6:9-10.
Paul encourages the Galatians to stay steady in doing good. Sometimes the harvest takes a lot of planting. We may sow seeds of the Spirit for a long time before we see them reaped. But we are to stay the course, to not grow weary. How are you feeling about the seeds you’re sowing? Are you investing in the lives of others? Are you doing good to and for those around you and planting seeds of everlasting life?
Pray. Ask the Lord to show you where you need to make adjustments to your sowing. Ask Him to guide you in bearing your brothers’ and sisters’ burdens. Thank Him for the blessing of relationships and His design for us to not walk alone. Commit to sowing seeds of the Spirit which will reap everlasting life.
What has God spoken to you about as you’ve read and prayed through these Scriptures?
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Day 34
Day 34
True Love
Consider the word love. What does “love” mean? Where do you see “love”? What does the world say “love” is? Spend a few minutes thinking about love. Jot down some of your thoughts.
Read 1 Corinthians 13:1-7.
How does Paul describe love to the Corinthians?
Read the passage again. How does the Bible’s description of love compare to how the world loves? How does it compare to how YOU love?
Read 1 Corinthians 13:8-13.
What is the most valuable thing in your life? We tend to use love as a measuring tool for defining significance and priority in our lives. But often times, we are quick to say we “love” things, posessions, ideas, etc. that are not really worthy of our love, yet we are skeptical or selfish when it comes to loving as we ought. If “the greatest of these is love,” how ought that affect how we live our lives?
Read through 1 Corinthians 13:1-8 again. As you read, evaluate your own life. Are you loving according to Scripture? Are you experiencing love according to Scripture?
Spend some time praying through verses 4-8. Ask the Lord to help you love like the Bible describes love. Ask Him to show you places where you can increase your love. Thank Him for His great love and the opportunity for us to know Him and love Him in return.
What has God spoken to you about as you’ve read and prayed through these Scriptures?
True Love
Consider the word love. What does “love” mean? Where do you see “love”? What does the world say “love” is? Spend a few minutes thinking about love. Jot down some of your thoughts.
Read 1 Corinthians 13:1-7.
How does Paul describe love to the Corinthians?
Read the passage again. How does the Bible’s description of love compare to how the world loves? How does it compare to how YOU love?
Read 1 Corinthians 13:8-13.
What is the most valuable thing in your life? We tend to use love as a measuring tool for defining significance and priority in our lives. But often times, we are quick to say we “love” things, posessions, ideas, etc. that are not really worthy of our love, yet we are skeptical or selfish when it comes to loving as we ought. If “the greatest of these is love,” how ought that affect how we live our lives?
Read through 1 Corinthians 13:1-8 again. As you read, evaluate your own life. Are you loving according to Scripture? Are you experiencing love according to Scripture?
Spend some time praying through verses 4-8. Ask the Lord to help you love like the Bible describes love. Ask Him to show you places where you can increase your love. Thank Him for His great love and the opportunity for us to know Him and love Him in return.
What has God spoken to you about as you’ve read and prayed through these Scriptures?
Day 33
Day 33
Dead to sin but alive in God
Before you read, take a moment and concentrate on the idea of grace. It is because of grace that we have life, hope, a future. It is because of God’s grace that we are redeemed and we are seen as worthy. Spend a few moments soaking in the knowledge and power of God’s grace. Thank Him for His unending and unrelenting grace. Ask Him to open your eyes now as you seek to discover how to live in accordance to His grace and mercy.
Read Romans 6:1-4.
In spite of the fact that we are made free by grace, we do not receive the license to continue living in sin. In fact, to live in sin is not really to live at all, but it is to take on death. Do you ever take advantage of grace? How? Paul makes the point that since we as believers have been buried with Christ through His death, we are also raised to walk in new life with Him. What does it mean for you to be buried with Christ? What does it look like to walk in new life with Him?
Read Romans 6:5-11.
Paul goes on to say that not only are we dead to sin, but when we did die with Christ, we died to sin once and for all. We don’t have to live in sin. But it’s our choice. Do you live in sin or do you walk in righteousness with Christ?
Spend a few moments in prayer. Ask the Lord to examine your life and reveal to you how you’re living your life. Ask Him to show you areas of your life that you have not chosen to live in Christ. Thank Him for His grace in dying for you and in offering you the gift of living in Him.
In verse 11, Paul commands the Romans to “reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Will you reckon yourself dead to sin today? Maybe you have sin in your life that you need to confess. Spend time in prayer, confessing your sin before the Lord and asking His forgiveness.
Read Romans 6:12-20.
If you have confessed Jesus as your Lord and Savior, you are no longer a slave to sin. Commit yourself today to living and walking in righteousness with the Lord.
What has God spoken to you about as you’ve read and prayed through these Scriptures?
Dead to sin but alive in God
Before you read, take a moment and concentrate on the idea of grace. It is because of grace that we have life, hope, a future. It is because of God’s grace that we are redeemed and we are seen as worthy. Spend a few moments soaking in the knowledge and power of God’s grace. Thank Him for His unending and unrelenting grace. Ask Him to open your eyes now as you seek to discover how to live in accordance to His grace and mercy.
Read Romans 6:1-4.
In spite of the fact that we are made free by grace, we do not receive the license to continue living in sin. In fact, to live in sin is not really to live at all, but it is to take on death. Do you ever take advantage of grace? How? Paul makes the point that since we as believers have been buried with Christ through His death, we are also raised to walk in new life with Him. What does it mean for you to be buried with Christ? What does it look like to walk in new life with Him?
Read Romans 6:5-11.
Paul goes on to say that not only are we dead to sin, but when we did die with Christ, we died to sin once and for all. We don’t have to live in sin. But it’s our choice. Do you live in sin or do you walk in righteousness with Christ?
Spend a few moments in prayer. Ask the Lord to examine your life and reveal to you how you’re living your life. Ask Him to show you areas of your life that you have not chosen to live in Christ. Thank Him for His grace in dying for you and in offering you the gift of living in Him.
In verse 11, Paul commands the Romans to “reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Will you reckon yourself dead to sin today? Maybe you have sin in your life that you need to confess. Spend time in prayer, confessing your sin before the Lord and asking His forgiveness.
Read Romans 6:12-20.
If you have confessed Jesus as your Lord and Savior, you are no longer a slave to sin. Commit yourself today to living and walking in righteousness with the Lord.
What has God spoken to you about as you’ve read and prayed through these Scriptures?
Day 32
Day 32
The Early Church
Read Acts 4:32-37.
Acts gives us a picture of the early church and how it functioned. What strikes you most about how the believers interacted with one another? How does this model compare to believers today? What are similarities and differences between how you see the church operating today versus the church as described in Acts 4?
Read Acts 4:32-37 again, slowly.
Spend some time in prayer for the body today. Lift up your brothers and sisters in Christ. Ask God to show us how to operate as one body. Ask Him for His guidance for the church, that we would function as He intended.
Write down what the Lord says to you as you spend time pouring over the church.
What things do you see people lacking today both inside and outside of the church? How can you affect those situations?
Ask God to orchestrate and organize His body of believers to operate in ways the most glorify Him and show His love to others.
What has God spoken to you about as you’ve read and prayed through these Scriptures?
The Early Church
Read Acts 4:32-37.
Acts gives us a picture of the early church and how it functioned. What strikes you most about how the believers interacted with one another? How does this model compare to believers today? What are similarities and differences between how you see the church operating today versus the church as described in Acts 4?
Read Acts 4:32-37 again, slowly.
Spend some time in prayer for the body today. Lift up your brothers and sisters in Christ. Ask God to show us how to operate as one body. Ask Him for His guidance for the church, that we would function as He intended.
Write down what the Lord says to you as you spend time pouring over the church.
What things do you see people lacking today both inside and outside of the church? How can you affect those situations?
Ask God to orchestrate and organize His body of believers to operate in ways the most glorify Him and show His love to others.
What has God spoken to you about as you’ve read and prayed through these Scriptures?
Day 31
Day 31
Jesus’ Resurrectction & Ascension
Read John 19:38-42.
After Jesus’ death, His friends prepared His body and laid His body to rest. How would you feel to know Christ as friend and Savior, and have to prepare His body for burial? As humans in the physical world, they had to feel rather hopeless, knowing that their Lord had been crucified. Have you ever lost hope? What was your experience like?
Read John 20:1-10.
Mary Magdalene was the last to leave when Jesus dies and the first to visit His grave…but what does she find? What would your reaction be if you found the grave of your Lord empty? Mary did what most of us would do: she told someone. Peter arrived at the tomb, then John, to find nothing but Christ’s grave cloths. Unlike Mary’s reaction, Peter and John assess the situation and they believed. What did Peter and John believe? How do you react in unexpected situations; do you panic or do you believe?
Read John 20:11-13.
Take a look at Mary’s further reaction. She wept. The disciples have headed back home and she’s left alone and she breaks down. She didn’t get it yet. But what happened next changed everything…
Read John 20:14-16.
Hope was restored! Jesus appeared to Mary and called her by name, and everything changed for Mary. In the times that you have lost hope, what changes your perspective? To what do you cling?
Read Luke 24:36-53.
Jesus appeared to His disciples and their reaction was of disbelief. What did it take for them to believe that He was the living, breathing Son of God resurrected? After His visit with the disciples, Jesus led them to Bethany, where He blessed them and then ascended into Heaven. What was the disciples’ reaction to Christ’s ascension? How would you react?
Spend some time in prayer. Thank the Lord for renewing hope, for causing all things to work according to His plan. Praise Him for His death and resurrection that makes your life possible.
What has God spoken to you about as you’ve read and prayed through these Scriptures?
Jesus’ Resurrectction & Ascension
Read John 19:38-42.
After Jesus’ death, His friends prepared His body and laid His body to rest. How would you feel to know Christ as friend and Savior, and have to prepare His body for burial? As humans in the physical world, they had to feel rather hopeless, knowing that their Lord had been crucified. Have you ever lost hope? What was your experience like?
Read John 20:1-10.
Mary Magdalene was the last to leave when Jesus dies and the first to visit His grave…but what does she find? What would your reaction be if you found the grave of your Lord empty? Mary did what most of us would do: she told someone. Peter arrived at the tomb, then John, to find nothing but Christ’s grave cloths. Unlike Mary’s reaction, Peter and John assess the situation and they believed. What did Peter and John believe? How do you react in unexpected situations; do you panic or do you believe?
Read John 20:11-13.
Take a look at Mary’s further reaction. She wept. The disciples have headed back home and she’s left alone and she breaks down. She didn’t get it yet. But what happened next changed everything…
Read John 20:14-16.
Hope was restored! Jesus appeared to Mary and called her by name, and everything changed for Mary. In the times that you have lost hope, what changes your perspective? To what do you cling?
Read Luke 24:36-53.
Jesus appeared to His disciples and their reaction was of disbelief. What did it take for them to believe that He was the living, breathing Son of God resurrected? After His visit with the disciples, Jesus led them to Bethany, where He blessed them and then ascended into Heaven. What was the disciples’ reaction to Christ’s ascension? How would you react?
Spend some time in prayer. Thank the Lord for renewing hope, for causing all things to work according to His plan. Praise Him for His death and resurrection that makes your life possible.
What has God spoken to you about as you’ve read and prayed through these Scriptures?
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