Have you adopted a life verse, a verse that you’ve found speaks truth to you in many life situations? If you don’t yet have a life verse, I’d like to introduce you to a possibility. If you do have a life verse, you might want to consider a second one. You can have more than one life verse. The passage I’d like to introduce to you is Ephesians 5:1-2, a passage that speaks for itself. So, let’s let it do just that: “Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” (Eph. 5:1-2).
This verse is made up of five or six (depending on translation) power-packed phrases. Meditate on this passage for a while. Read it a couple more times. Find the different phrases. Then let the passage settle into your heart by thoughtfully responding to the questions below. You may want to type your responses into an e-doc or write them in a journal: Which phrase speaks to you the loudest? A couple phrases are instructions. Which instruction do you find most convicting? Which phrase gives you the most encouragement? A couple phrases talk about Jesus. Which of these phrases packs the most wow for you?
Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.
Now do this. Adopt a phrase a day for the next few days. Make each phrase your theme for the day and seek to apply it to as many situations as possible. Let’s do a phrase as an example: Walk in the way of love. That is a poetic and poignant instruction. How does it look to do what this instruction says? Below you’ll find a variety of situations you may bump into in the course of a day. How does it look to walk in the way of love in each of these situations? Write down one or two specific actions you can take to “walk in the way of love” in these scenarios.
- Honoring your parents.
- Sharing with your siblings.
- Helping a friend who is hurting.
- Guarding against temptation.
- Ministering to someone who is sick.
- Interacting with a teacher or coach (or other person in authority such as a play director or band conductor) who you think has treated you unfairly.
- Overcoming anger or frustration.
Every verse in the Bible is a potential life verse, a nugget of truth that helps us navigate all that life throws our way.
As you live Ephesians 5:1-2 phrase-by-phrase for a week, you may find yourself wanting to live the passage phrase-by-phrase for life. Of course, that’s how God’s Word works. Every verse in the Bible is a potential life verse, a nugget of truth that helps us navigate all that life throws our way.
Another New Year dawns in a way that seems almost endless. But as we all know, time quickly marches on. As I am reflecting the year that lies before us, I am reminded of one of my dad’s favorite writers Joseph Addison who summarized the absolute necessities of life. He writes, “The three grand essentials to happiness in this life are something to do, something to love, and something to hope for.”
I hope you already know what it is that you will do in 2018. I hope your “to do” list is overflowing already with little hope of completion, because having something to do is an essential dimension of the happy life. I hardly know how a Christian could lack for something to do! The imitation of our Lord fills our days to overflowing, always with something remaining for tomorrow. Want to be happy? Find something to do!
“The three grand essentials to happiness in this life are something to do, something to love, and something to hope for.”
Invest your life in something that is bigger than you are, will last longer than you, and does not seek only to satisfy your own needs. Improve your life by investing in something.
Secondly, I wish for you something to love. Contrary to Addison’s perfect parallelism, however, I wish for you also someone to love. May your 2018 be filled with meaningful and fulfilling relationships. I encourage you to invest your life in people.
I wish for you hope. Specifically, a hope for eternity found only in Jesus Christ.
Finally, I wish for you hope—something to hope for. This is perhaps the most powerful dimension of the three Addison mentions. Aging may take away from us the sources of happiness we often point to. But happiness is ultimately about hope. Where there is hope, the potential for happiness still exists. Thus, I wish for you hope. Specifically, a hope for eternity found only in Jesus Christ. My prayer is for each of you to have a new year filled with happiness and that it will be spiritually prosperous. Let us make one of our 2018 goals to become more like Jesus!
The Gospel of Luke contains a significant amount of material not found in the other two Synoptic Gospels. Much of this material unique to Luke appears after the second prediction of Jesus’ death (Matt. 17:22; Mark 9:31; Luke 9:44) and before the third passion prediction (Matt. 20:17, Mark 10:33; Luke 18:31). A quick look at the passages just cited shows that three chapters of Matthew are condensed to one chapter in Mark, but fill 9 chapters in Luke. Many of the themes of Luke’s gospel (inclusion of Gentiles, prayer, joy, women, riches, sin and sinners, Holy Spirit) surface in special ways in this section (Luke 9-18). This article focuses on healing of the 10 lepers (Luke 17:11-19). Two concepts essential to understanding Luke 17 in context are Jesus’ confrontation with the Pharisees and his teaching concerning the nature of the kingdom. One might call these “what the kingdom is not” and “what the kingdom is.”
In Luke 14, Jesus eats in the home of a Pharisee. From that event comes confrontation with the Pharisees concerning Sabbath activities, and questions of pride and table-seating patterns. Jesus continues by teaching about who may be invited to participate in the kingdom, the cost of discipleship, and the “lost” parables of chapter 15 (spoken to encourage tax collectors and sinners, but a source of strife and muttering among the Pharisees). The “money” parables and teachings of chapter 16 also appear directed at the Pharisees, for they loved money (16:14). The kingdom is not what the Pharisees think. Kingdom does not result in power, prestige, prominence, possessions, and human accolades. The Kingdom is open to those the Pharisees would exclude. The Kingdom is defined by forgiveness, faith, and willing service as one does one’s duty (17:1-10). In Luke 17:20, Jesus answers the Pharisee’s question about when the kingdom would come. His answer is “it is among you” (v. 21). The kingdom is sudden and unexpected; it is characterized by just judgments, humble worship, childlikeness, and self-sacrifice which result in true treasures (chap. 17-18).
Kingdom does not result in power, prestige, prominence, possessions, and human accolades… The Kingdom is defined by forgiveness, faith, and willing service as one does one’s duty The kingdom is sudden and unexpected; it is characterized by just judgments, humble worship, childlikeness, and self-sacrifice which result in true treasures.
Between these two sections of “what the kingdom is not” and “what the kingdom is” lies our text. Jesus is on his way to Jerusalem, where he will demonstrate genuine kingdom service. On the outskirts of a village, he meets 10 lepers who were required to announce their uncleanness and maintain a distance. Leprosy made friends of enemies, for one of the ten was a Samaritan, one who would otherwise have been excluded from Jewish social groups. That they ask Jesus for pity does not require that they know who he is. They would have asked for pity (money) from any they met. Jesus tells them to present themselves to the priest. That they went (on) may or may not suggest that they were obeying him. The text simply says that as they went, they were cleansed. The Samaritan connected his healing with the contact with Jesus. He returned, praising God and thanking Jesus profusely. It is only at this point that the text reveals that this grateful man has been an outcast twice—as a leper, and as a Samaritan.
During this traditional month of thanksgiving, let us recognize that one characteristic of kingdom people is gratitude.
Jesus’ question focuses the point. Where are the others? Weren’t there ten? Is it really true that only this foreigner gives praise to God? Faith is not found only among “kingdom folks.” The kingdom is not always where we think it is. We may be mistaken as were the Pharisees. We may fail to see the kingdom when it is among us. During this traditional month of thanksgiving, let us recognize that one characteristic of kingdom people is gratitude. Will you praise God for his bounty? Will you be thankful to Him? Do we really know what the kingdom is like?
Most of us don’t set out to be liars; we don’t wake up and ask, “How am I going to lie today?” We are much more subtle and nuanced. Sometimes lying just sort of creeps into our decisions. Lying is certainly a big deal to God. Bearing false witness is number nine in the Ten Commandments and God gave instructions about lying and falsehood throughout Scripture. In fact, there is a special shout out—and consequence—to those who “love and practice falsehood” in the last chapter of the Bible.
“Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator” (Col. 3:9-10).
God, however, is not concerned with us simply telling lies. He desires that we live authentic, genuine lives. The short passages below give us a clue about the truthful nature we are to embody. As you read the passages, notice what they say about falsehood, truth and lying. “Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor, for we are all members of one body” (Eph. 4:25). “Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator” (Col. 3:9-10).
“Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor, for we are all members of one body” (Eph. 4:25).
Both of these passages are part of letters that were written to believers—followers of Christ. Ephesians opens with a greeting of: “To God’s holy people in Ephesus, the faithful in Christ Jesus.” Colossians opens with: “To God’s holy people in Colossae, the faithful brothers and sisters in Christ.” These first readers were holy. They were faithful in Christ. Yet, they still were instructed to speak truthfully and not lie. It’s not the overt lying that we have to worry about. It’s the subtle falsehoods that creep in, frequently out of selfishness and fear. These might show up in our lives as: harboring secret habits; wearing masks (projecting to be something we are not); hiding our hurts; withholding truth; thinking one thing and doing another.
The English word pseudo comes from the Greek word (the language of the New Testament) that we translate falsehood. You probably recognize pseudo as meaning “fake” or “pretend.” When the first readers of Colossians and Ephesians heard this word, they would have understood it to describe “something that is not what it seems to be.”
So here is the hard question: Are you what you seem to be? This leads to a follow-up question: What needs to change in you so that you are what you seem to be? To help with any changes or adjustments, close this devo time with a stop and a start.
“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.” – Proverbs 1:7
The new academic year has just begun. Schools are often at the heart of the community—and so it’s great to take this opportunity to make them the focus of our prayers. Here are five things to pray, all drawn from Proverbs 1:1-7. You might also find them helpful to pray for your own children as they head into a new term.
- Thank God for learning — Thank God that he has provided everything we need “for gaining wisdom and instruction; for understanding words of insight” in his word (v 1-2). While human minds enjoy unraveling the puzzle of how the world around us works, God has not left us guessing on the question of why—he’s told us clearly through Scripture. That’s a big reason for thanksgiving! Then pray that God would make this school a place where students and teachers…
- Get future-proofed — Pray that students would learn “prudent behavior” (v 3). Thank God for the way he uses education as an instrument of his common grace in restraining the effects of sin on society. Pray that this school would teach children “prudent behavior”, and equip them to make choices that do good, not harm, to others as they grow up.
- Love fairness — Pray that students would learn to do “what is right and just and fair” in God’s eyes (v 3). Sometimes it seems that our culture’s definition of right and wrong is drifting further and further from the Bible’s definition. But pray that children in this school would be taught that what God thinks is right is indeed right; that what God says is just is indeed just; and that what God says is fair is indeed fair.
- Learn discretion — Ask God to teach “discretion to the young” (v 4). Kids can be very cruel with their words. So pray that these children would learn to control their tongues and speak words that are kind and patient, not offensive or mean.
- Fear God — “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge” (v 7). Pray that students and teachers would come to fear God—and realize that this is far more important than all the knowledge the world offers. Pray for Christian teachers you know, and anyone else who has an opportunity to witness to the gospel—ask that they too would fear God, not humans, and so speak faithfully and courageously of Jesus.
Everyone loves good friendships. We all appreciate the fun and enjoyment that comes with having friends. No doubt, friendship is a wonderful thing. Over the next few lessons, we will gain a deeper appreciation for those people we call friends and think over how we can become better friends ourselves. God gives us a lot of advice on having friends, including the fact that we must take our friendships seriously.
What does the Bible say?
- Prov. 12:26 – It’s good to be cautious when choosing friends.
- I Cor. 5:9-11 – Do not hang out with people involved in sin.
- I Cor. 15:33 – Beware, bad company will corrupt good habits.
- Prov. 19:6-7 – Watch out for people who want to use you.
- Prov. 13:20 – Having wise friends will make a person wise.
God gives us a lot of advice on having friends, including the fact that we must take our friendships seriously.
What should I do?
When it comes to making friends, Scripture does not imply that we should hang out with whoever will hang out with us. Rather, we are told to carefully choose individuals who demonstrate godliness. Some good questions to ask may be:
- Will this person bring me closer to the Lord or pull me away from Him?
- Is this person living the kind of life that God would want me to live?
In order to enjoy good friendships, we must first have good friends. Only then will we be able to enjoy the benefits God offers through those relationships. Next, we will look at those benefits and the purposes God has for our friendships.
Taking Church for Audit
Have you ever audited a class? There are two basic ways to audit a course. The first way to audit a course is not demanding—you go to class, you sit and listen, but you don’t have to do anything during the class or during the week between classes. You have the advantage of sitting in class, along with a more relaxed attendance policy, no tests, no compulsion to do homework, and you still get an AU on your transcript. The problem is that when you audit a course that way, you don’t learn much and you can’t do much when you finish. There is a second way to audit a course. You attend every class; you do all of the homework and the teacher grades it. You take the non-mandatory tests to measure your progress. You put pressure on yourself. You benefit, you learn, you grow, you are changed, you act.
Going to church is a good thing, but it is not the ultimate goal.
A lot of folks are auditing church using the first method. They sit in church sixty minutes every week, unless something else comes up. They believe they are fulfilling the requirements of their religious duty. They are almost always present, but they are content to let someone else study for them. A week or two after attending a class, they cannot take and pass a test over the class content (preaching). They do not bring their textbook to class, they do not do any homework between classes; they are not diligent students of God’s Word. They are content to let someone else pray for them—they leave with the same prayer life they came with. They are content to let others prepare, study, pray and do the work after class.
How can you tell the difference between the academic auditor and the serious student? How can you tell the difference between the church auditor and the serious Christian? The difference is in the results. Going to church is a good thing, but it is not the ultimate goal. Our commitment to the goal is reflected in how seriously we pursue the course—studying, participating in the discussion group, sharing, practicing, and reviewing. And ultimately, the goal is reflected in how we live, what we do, and how much our lives look like Jesus as a result of our encounter with the Master Teacher.
In my earliest experiences in the church, I remember frequently hearing about “personal work” or “personal evangelism.” Both phrases reflect the truth that sharing the gospel is best done through personal connections. In addition, effective evangelism requires proximity, presence, Christian practice, passion, proclamation, persuasion, and prayer. I want to suggest another dimension. The gospel is personal; the gospel must also be personalized.
The personalized gospel connects with your life. It connects with your past, your present, and your future. It connects with the regrets, doubts, and poor decisions of the past. The personalized gospel connects with needs and desires, interests, and hopes that exist in the heart of every person. In each person, those are different. The gospel talks to you where you are about your own life.
The way to lasting life-change is by changing your heart—
your passions, desires, hopes, and dreams.
The personalized gospel will have an impact on your heart, mind, and life choices. The personalized gospel touches the heart. Too often, the gospel message that is proclaimed is focused on the mind. To capture a person’s mind without capturing their heart is not life- changing! The personalized gospel addresses the heart so that the mind is open and receptive. The way to lasting life-change is by changing your heart—your passions, desires, hopes, and dreams.
The personalized gospel proclaims that Jesus died “for you.” Romans 5 is filled with the preposition “for.” God in Jesus was loving you, caring for you, providing for you, reconciling you. The personalized gospel declares that your name is written throughout the pages of God’s Good News. I have two goals. I want you to hear the “personalized gospel” to find renewed power and strength in your own life. I want you to understand that when you share the gospel, the message you share must always be “personalized” so that another person has the opportunity to hear the message and make a valid decision. The decision is not only mental. To commit to Jesus is a heart decision that is encouraged when we share the “personalized gospel.”
I have two goals. I want you to hear the “personalized gospel” to find renewed power and strength in your own life. I want you to understand that when you share the gospel, the message you share must always be “personalized” so that another person has the opportunity to hear the message and make a valid decision. The decision is not only mental. To commit to Jesus is a heart decision that is encouraged when we share the “personalized gospel.”
I have been thinking a lot about perspective. When you are flying the clouds look different from above than they do from beneath. When you take your car in for service, it looks different from the bottom than it does from the top. Parents and children have different perspectives on lots of things, like taking medicine, eating healthy foods, and sleep schedules. An animal being penned up at the Veterinarian for treatment, may not appreciate the good intentions of its owner and rebel. I wonder if that is how it is with us and God when it comes to holiness. What if we see holiness as a fence that prohibits our full freedom while God sees holiness as protection and helping us fulfill His will in our lives? What if we feel imprisoned when God intends us to feel fully free-free to do what we were put on earth to do? What if we feel that life is limiting but God sees that we are empowered to do what really brings us fulfillment?
In 1 Peter, he describes God’s work in our lives. He describes our rebirth which gives us an eternal inheritance that reserves our place in Heaven and shields us from God judgment. He also talks about how God is protecting us, in good times and the bad, so that our faith might reach its ultimate goal. God then puts us in a place where we can learn what it means to live a life of righteousness and refuse evil desires. The work of God in our lives to set us apart provides protection from the temptations and difficulties that would distract us. Sadly, we human beings do not always appreciate the help. We want to run free; we want to make our own choices with no protective barriers. We think the abundant life is about full exposure to all life has to offer.
One of the most beautiful pictures of holiness in all of Scripture is Psalm 23. Read it again from a “holiness” perspective. This psalm is about the provision and protection of God, the Good Shepherd. From His perspective, holiness is a wonderful blessing He graciously blesses His people with.
– by Graham Clifford
Arrested. Released. Arrested. Released. That’s pretty much the pattern Jesus’ followers experienced as they shared the message of Christ with the world around them during the first few months of Christianity’s existence. The early believers had amazing boldness and courage—sharing the message of Christ without regard for personal consequences such as jail. We can take a cue from them as we seek to share the message of Christ with the people around us, and with the school year coming to a close, now is not the time to leave things unsaid or to be hesitant in sharing what the gospel has done for you.
You can count on God to increase your confidence and wisdom.
Some of the most noted gospel boldness takes place in the Book of Acts. In fact, Acts 4:23-31 records a prayer party that broke out just after Peter and John were released from jail. This party brought immediate results (and probably disturbed the neighbors), so let’s see what the people did. As you read this passage from your Bible or favorite Bible app, write down what you find in response to the questions below.
• How did the people praise God?
• What requests did they make?
• What results did they experience?
You might think of Bible people as naturally bold and courageous, but courage didn’t come as easily for them as you might think. As you just saw, they prayed for it! Take a moment to write a prayer requesting boldness and fearlessness in talking about Christ with your friends. Follow the pattern of the prayer in Acts 4: Start with praising God, then move to bold requests. You also may want to incorporate the encouragement from the verses below regarding boldness with the gospel.
Mark 8:34-38 — Romans 1:15-16 — 2 Timothy 1:8-12
Requests for courage and boldness in sharing the gospel always will be answered yes by God. You can count on God to increase your confidence and wisdom. Close your time by thinking of specific situations in which you can encourage friends with the message of the gospel. Your encouragement might simply be in the form of the promise: I will pray for you. Then follow through with praying. In fact, make it Acts 4 type praying.
Below are some potential situations people around you might be experiencing. Write down any names that come to mind with each situation, and then look for opportunities in the next few days to share and pray boldly. Stay available and open for how God might want to use you in each situation. The believers in Acts 4 felt the earth move. God might have something similar in store for you.
• Friends who are hurting from loss or heartache.
• Friends who are sick.
• Friends who are stressed.
• Friends who are depressed.
• Friends who are lonely.
• Friends who are experiencing challenges in their family.
