Listening to the Word

Romans 1-4   “They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, slanderers…You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things…Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness leads you to repentance?” Romans 1:29; 2:1, 4 Paul’s point is that we all are depraved and desperately in need of God’s grace and kindness before we repent. On the redemptive side of repentance, we can look back on others with critical hearts full of judgment, forgetting that we too have the capacity to sin in the same ways. Rather than judgment, we must appeal to those same riches of God’s kindness, tolerance, and patience as we share the gospel of salvation. It is kindness and mercy that leads us to repe

  1 Timothy 4-5; 2 Thessalonians 1-3 “…God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life. Therefore, he who rejects this instruction does not reject men but God, who gives you his Holy Spirit. May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it.   1 Thessalonians 4:7, 8; 5:23, 24 “…God chose you to be saved through the sanctifying work of the Spirit and through belief in the truth.” 2 Thessalonians 2:13 One of the evidences of the Holy Spirit’s presence in our lives is ongoing sanctification. We know we belong to God because we are becoming more and more like him. Holiness is replacing human effort and self-centered living. The Holy Spirit’s desire and ongoing work in our lives is to sanctify us “through and through,” so that every area of our lives is surrendered to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. Believing in the tru

Matthew 28; 1 Thessalonians 1-3   “…go and make disciples of all nations…” Matthew 28:19 “For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you, because our gospel came to you not simply with words, but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and with deep conviction. You know how we lived among you for your sake. You became imitators of us and of the Lord…” 1 Thessalonians 1:4-6 To make disciples of all nations as apprentices who follow Jesus, we must first experience the gospel and not just hear it. Words are not enough to transform hearts and lives. The gospel of Jesus Christ must come with power - power to deliver from addictions, habits, and the self-life. The gospel must come with the Holy Spirit who convicts us of sin, righteousness, and judgment. The Holy Spirit becomes our teacher, our comforter, and our guide in discipleship. The gospel was and is a life lived, not just a formula for sin management. We need examples of gospel-centered lives to follow, just as we invite oth

Psalms 125; Matthew 26-27   “…a woman came to him with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, which she poured on his head as he was reclining at the table…‘Why are you bothering this woman? She has done a beautiful thing to me.’” Matthew 26:7, 10 What beautiful, extravagant, generous thing have we done for Jesus lately that reflects our heart-filled worship and love? Jesus declared this anointing with perfume was a preparation for his burial; the aroma on his clothes probably accompanied him to the cross.   As we consider Christ’s body, the Church, are there ways we are being invited to pour out our love on this Body? The sacrifice of worship by this woman attracted criticism. Not all agreed with her stewardship of resources. We can expect the same mixed response from those around us.   Despite the potential for criticism, where is our love for Christ being expressed in open demonstrations of extravagant love and devotion?   We have an audience of One. “Lord Jesus, you are my fir

  Matthew 23-25   “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the kingdom of heaven in men’s faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying to. You travel over land and sea to sin a single convert, and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as you are.” Matthew 23:13-15 How can conservative, Bible-believing, zealous, and very evangelistic leaders get ‘it’ so wrong? We like to point fingers at these people, but in reality, we might sometimes be pointing in the mirror. Jesus hates religious pride, hypocrisy, and a rules-based system that ignores God’s mercy and grace. We think that zeal in mission is not enough, and that we must be alert to converting people to our system and culture, rather than pointing them to Jesus who alone can save and transform lives. Jesus pointed to the primacy of loving God with all that we are and loving our neighbor as ourselves. This is the heart and essence of the law. Our

Matthew 20-22   “‘About the eleventh hour he went out and found still others standing around. He asked them, ‘Why have you been standing here all day long doing nothing?’…when those came who were hired first, they expected to receive more…‘you have made them equal to us’…’are you envious because I am generous?’” Matthew 20:6, 10, 12, 15 The story of the “eleventh hour workers” as it has come to be known, is a story about God’s generosity, his desire to bless, his capacity to find meaningful work for all in his kingdom, and his intolerance of selfish thinking and behavior. The enemy’s attitude of blessing includes entitlement, equity, and envy. There is no reason to “stand around” in God’s kingdom. He has meaningful work for every gift and personality, as well as every stage of maturity. God’s heart is to bless everyone in his kingdom, and he invites us to celebrate with him, and with the eleventh hour workers who are entering his kingdom from the least reached regions of the marketplac

Matthew 17-19   “…‘I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore whoever humbles themselves like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven…See to it that you do not look down on one of these little ones’…Then little children were brought to Jesus…But the disciples rebuked those who brought them. Jesus said, ‘Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.’” Matthew 18:3, 4, 10; 19:13, 14 Despite Jesus’ warning not to look down on children and undervalue both their worth and contributions in Christ’s kingdom, the disciples still rebuked those who brought children. The disciples still felt that blessing and praying for children was a waste of time. Jesus had to rebuke his disciples for their stubborn refusal to understand that these children were citizens in his kingdom too. How we treat children is an indication of whether we understand

  Matthew 14-16   “…Who do people say the Son of Man is?...Who do you say I am?...And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church…If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.” Matthew 16:13, 15, 18, 24 This text is the heart of what it means to become a disciple, or apprentice of Jesus. Disciples must be able to both declare and know who the Messiah is. They must know Jesus, the Son of God and the resurrected Savior of the world. Disciples also must know who they are, and their new names, or callings, in Christ’s kingdom. This new identity in Christ’s kingdom must precede ministry leadership; otherwise, we will make names in ministry for ourselves and use people in the process. Finally, becoming a disciple of Christ includes death to self and the self life, as well as daily submission to the will and way of Jesus. We take up our cross and follow Jesus because he is now our life. This is how we become apprentices, or

Matthew 11-13   “The one who sowed the good seed is the Son of Man. The field is the world, and the good seed stands for the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one, and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels…The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil…Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father…” Matthew 13:37-39, 41, 43 God allows the devil to plant sons of the evil one into the midst of his kingdom where they grow up next to the righteous. That is a sobering thought. What would the devil want them to do in God’s kingdom? He would probably want them to divide and split churches, to undermine the leadership of churches, or even lead churches away from preaching the true gospel of the cross and new life in Christ. Satan would be interested in blocking prayer as the power source of God’s people

Matthew 8-10 “The centurion replied, ‘Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed…’ When Jesus heard this, he was astonished…‘…I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith.’…he got into the boat and his disciples followed him. Without warning, a furious storm came up on the lake…But Jesus was sleeping…‘You of little faith, why are you so afraid?’…” Matthew 8:8, 10; 23, 24, 26 Our levels of faith are not all the same. The centurion, a commander in the occupying Roman army and an ‘unclean Gentile’, had great faith. Jesus’ disciples, personal witnesses to numerous miracles and anointed teaching by Jesus, were rebuked for having little faith in the midst of a storm. It is the health challenges, financial storms, and calamities of life, that test the level of our faith. Do we respond with paralyzing fear, frustration, blame, and anger, or do we call out to Jesus in humility and faith, asking for his presence, his wor

Matthew 5-7   “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it…Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.” Matthew 7:13, 14, 21 What makes entrance to the kingdom of heaven so challenging to find? There seem to be people in every corner of society, including our media, who are offering a plan of salvation and a way to find life. The will of the Father is often opposite to our self-willed independent thinking. When Jesus invites us to deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow him, he is inviting us through the narrow gate. This gate is Jesus; he is the way, the truth, and the life. Only as we die to ourselves and the self-indulgent life of sin and receive Jesus are we saved. Just because salvation has been defined as the fulfil

  Matthew 1-4   “‘Come, follow me,’ Jesus said, ‘and I will make you fishers of men.’ At once they left their nets and followed him.” Matthew 4:19, 20 Jesus is still calling people to follow him, teaching them to be “fishers of men”. In this case, Peter and Andrew had to leave their fishing nets behind so they could be apprenticed in the new skill of fishing for people. How is Jesus teaching us the skills of reaching people with the gospel today? To learn this skill, or any other skill from Jesus, we need to watch how he does it. We need to listen to his Spirit’s promptings and direction. We need to pray for perseverance and patience when the fish aren’t “biting”. Go where the fish are, use the right bait, and be patient. Jesus is still fishing for people who will follow him and join his mission team. He uses us to do our part in that effort.   Have we said “yes” to Jesus’ invitation to follow him and learn to fish? “Lord Jesus, thank you for your invitation to fish for people, and for

Psalms 124; 2 Corinthians 11-13   “We have escaped like a bird our of the fowler’s snare; the snare has been broken, and we have escaped. Our help is in the name of the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.” Psalm 124:7, 8 Fowlers, or bird catchers, would lay a net on the ground and attract birds with corn or other enticing food. The trap would spring once the birds landed on it. Satan is described as fowler of our souls, trying to lure us into bondage to addictions and sins like pornography, gambling, alcohol, and other potential vices which can destroy our lives. Jealousy because of the favor and godly honor given to another Christian can also cause some to slander and lay snares for their fellow Christians. We then become pawns working, whether we realize it or not, for the great fowler of souls. Our deliverance and help are in the name of the Lord. Humbling ourselves through repentance and applying the victory of the cross to our snare can set us free. Our freedom and the joy of our

  2 Corinthians 7-10 “Remember this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously…God is able to make all grace abound to you…” 2 Corinthians 9:6, 8 This amazing principle touches so many areas of our lives. If we sow love generously in our families and friendships, we will reap generously. If we invest generously in the work of the Lord, we will reap generously. It’s not reasonable to live for ourselves and expect others to generously love us in return. God’s grace, unmerited favor, enablement, and loving kindness are generously poured out on those who give of themselves and their resources. There is no end to God’s storehouse of grace. Let us choose today to be generous with our time, our love, our praise, our resources, and our prayer. God promises we will reap far more than we have sown. “Lord Jesus, thank you for giving me your life. Your generosity and sacrifice are examples for me to follow today as I serve others, in you

2 Corinthians 3-6   “Therefore, since we have such a hope, we are very bold…It is written: ‘I believed; therefore I have spoken.’ With that same spirit of faith we also believe and therefore speak…For Christ’s love compels us…” 2 Corinthians 3:12; 4:13; 5:14 Paul’s life was deeply transformed by the power of hope, faith, and love. He repeatedly returns to these three themes in his letters to the churches. Faith, hope, and love give us boldness to speak, to counsel, to pray, to witness, to worship, and to serve. Boldness is the quality of courage that overcomes fear with a greater power. Very bold servants of God have spent time in his presence gazing toward the face of God and meditating on his Word. Their boldness comes from an identity rooted in God’s love for them, an eternal hope that no one can take away, and a faith in God’s Word and his promises. Give us very bold servants of the Living God, we pray. “Lord Jesus, fill me with your faith, hope, and love so that I will boldly be a

  Job 41-42; 2 Corinthians 1-2 “But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him…Unlike so many, we do not peddle the word of God for a profit. On the contrary, in Christ we speak before God with sincerity, like men sent from God.” 2 Corinthians 2:14, 17 The call to know and serve God is a high calling. In Christ, we stand as ambassadors of the King of kings, representing his throne and sharing his life-transforming gospel. When honorariums, book sales, or offerings become our focus, we cheapen both the calling we’ve received, and the message we are sharing. We let money and personal gain rob us of our authority in Christ’s triumphal procession, and instead we call our own procession where we are on display. When we forget whose we are and who sent us, we become self-serving in our ministries. Our calling and potential impact in the world are too important to cheapen in this way. “Lord Je

Psalms 149; 1 Corinthians 15-16   “…just as we have borne the likeness of the earthly man, so shall we bear the likeness of the man from heaven…flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God…Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.” 1 Corinthians 15:49, 50, 58 The power of the resurrection, not only raised Christ from the dead, but will raise us to new life at the return of Christ. That some resurrection power is available to us now through the Holy Spirit as we serve and labor in Christ’s kingdom. This resurrection life and power indwells us, even though we live in an earthly body. This spiritual power was the key to Paul’s resilience in the face of stoning, battles with wild beasts in Ephesus, and every other form of adversity and persecution that he and other servants of Christ through the ages have endured. The resurrection power of Christ thro

  Job 39-40; 1 Corinthians 13-14   “…now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. Follow the way of love and eagerly desire spiritual gifts, especially the gift of prophecy.” 1 Corinthians 13:13; 14:1 The DNA of Christ’s kingdom is faith, hope, and love. This fruit of the Holy Spirit’s transforming work and presence in our lives will remain. The growth of this kingdom DNA is not automatic, but requires choices every day to walk on God’s path of love. There are other paths we can choose, and other qualities we can cultivate that will not remain. Spiritual gifts also involve choice. We are called to eagerly desire spiritual gifts because some choose to avoid spiritual gifts because of their misuse. The answer to misuse is not non-use, but right use. The gift of prophecy is most often expressed as forth-telling, knowing what God is saying in the moment or situation. We then must choose whether we will listen and obey. Both fruit and gifts require choice

Job 37-38; 1 Corinthians 12   “Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good…All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each one, just as he determines…But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be.” 1 Corinthians 12:7, 11, 18 It is God who places us in his Body, gifts us with his Spirit, and works through us for the common good of that Body and his glory. Our focus must be on God for his Spirit’s infilling each day as we surrender our will for his will, and our plan for our lives for his mission purposes. It is intimacy and cooperation with God through the Holy Spirit that will position us most effectively in his Body, rather than self-promotion and competition for a better place. As we focus on deepening our life message through walking with God, he will expand the scope and effectiveness of our lives for the common good of his Church. Spiritual gifts are sourced in God a

Psalms 122; 1 Corinthians 9-11   “Though I am free and belong to no man, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible…I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.” 1 Corinthians 9:19, 22, 23 This is the heart of a servant leader in Christ’s kingdom. It’s not about us, nor about me. It’s about the gospel, the great news that Jesus saves people. Paul lived with great freedom, in that he was available for God’s assignments and the Spirit’s leading in his life; however, he understood the principle of submission to authority and the heart of the gospel, which is love. If we can’t live the gospel, even as we share the message of the gospel with words, we rob the gospel of its power. Think of all the possible means and ways God wants to use his love and humility flowing through our lives to “save some”. The blessings of the gospel are in seeing transformed live

Job 34; 1 Corinthians 4-6   “…The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. By his power God raised the Lord from the dead, and he will raise us also. Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ himself?...he who unites himself with the Lord is one with him in spirit.” 1 Corinthians 6:13-15, 17 When the Lord Jesus comes at our salvation, and indwells our lives by his Spirit, our bodies become temples that are filled with the Holy Spirit. The purpose of our bodies is to worship God and contain his glory. There is no room for sexual immorality in our bodies because we belong to God himself. It is the absence of this reality in our lives that causes us to use our bodies for sexual sin. The living presence of God will not co-habit with unclean, sexual practices and powers. Let us re-dedicate our temples this day. “Lord Jesus, fill my life with your Spirit and glory. I renounce lesser gods and choose you.”

Job 34; 1 Corinthians 4-6   “…For Christ, our Passover lamb has been sacrificed. Therefore let us keep the Festival, not with the old yeast, the yeast of malice and wickedness, but with bread without yeast, the bread of sincerity and truth.” 1 Corinthians 5:7, 8 Just as the Israelites were required to remove all yeast from their homes each year at the Passover feast, so we are called in the New Covenant in Christ to remove sin from our lives so that it won’t spread and taint the lives of those around us. Paul pointed out malice and wickedness expressed in divisions within the Church and sexual sins as examples of yeast that must be removed from the Corinthian church. What yeast must be removed from our lives? Will we re-commit to eating the bread of sincerity and truth? “Lord Jesus, thank you that you are our Passover lamb, killed for the forgiveness of my sins and of the sins of the world. Thank you for grace and truth. Expose any sin that blocks your glory in my life, that I might sh

  Job 33; 1 Corinthians 1-3   “My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with the demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith might not rest on men’s wisdom, but on God’s power. We do, however, speak a message of wisdom among the mature…we speak of God’s secret wisdom…The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God.” 1 Corinthians 2:4-6, 10 Paul’s ministry included both systematic teaching of the truths and principles of the kingdom of God as well as prayer ministry for people’s healing and deliverance. He was able to use whatever gifts of the Spirit were helpful in each context. Spiritual maturity is among other things, the ability to distinguish good from evil. (Hebrews 5:14) In the absence of spiritual maturity, a foundation of faith in God must be laid in the lives of new believers or spiritual seekers.   Do we still believe that a demonstration of the Spirit’s power is a valid way to lay a spiritual foundation of faith? What d

Job 31-32; Galatians 5-6   “That kind of persuasion does not come from the one who calls you. ‘A little yeast works through the whole batch of dough.’ Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world had been crucified to me, and I to the world.” Galatians 5:8, 9, 24; 6:14 In the Scriptures, yeast is a consistent symbol for sin. In Paul’s letter to the Galatians, yeast represents the teaching about circumcision as an essential element of righteousness.   The Mosaic Law and its regulations formed a culture that Jews lived within. To accept Jesus’ shameful death on the cross for their sin required a breaking free from the culture of the Law and a new dependence on grace and faith. What “yeast” is opposing the message and work of the cross in our lives today? The cross and death to the sinful nature are opposite to the message our culture sends us: to ind

  Job 30; Psalms 120; Galatians 3-4   “…God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons…Therefore, brothers, we are not children of the slave woman, but of the free woman.” Galatians 4:4-5, 31 Jesus came to set us free from the righteousness that comes from the law, a righteousness that is by works and human effort. The slavery of these man made religious systems means our thoughts and motives of the heart are not transformed. We are still slaves to pride, lust, fear and power. Jesus came to set us free from every religious system based on human effort. He did for us what no one else could do. He paid the price for our sin before God and sent His Spirit to bring us into full relationship with our Creator God. The full rights of sons includes our inheritance of righteousness (right standing with God), peace and joy, faith, hope and love and so much more. Life begins with knowing God and living for His glory - al

Job 28-29; Galatians 1-2   “Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort?...Does God give you his Spirit and work miracles among you because you observe the law, or because you believe what you heard?” Galatians 3:3, 5 There are choices throughout our spiritual journey to either pursue faith and dependence on the Spirit, or rely on human effort and our own strength. Salvation only occurs by faith; our spiritual journey depends on faith. The temptation to rely on self-righteousness based on human effort and achievement never leaves us; however, self-effort will not birth miracles. If we are to see the “greater things” in our walk with God, we will need to grow in faith through yielding to the work of the Spirit in our lives. While self-effort looks foolish to God, we rationalize that it was our most prudent option in life. Will we choose to look foolish in relying on the Spirit and living by faith? “Lord Jesus, I repent for

  Job 26-27; Mark 15-16   “…Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well….the Lord worked with them and confirmed his word by the signs that accompanied it. Mark 16:15-18, 20 The signs which should mark the life of a normal disciple of Jesus appear more dramatic than the list of attributes for Jesus’ followers today. Regardless of the relevance of any one characteristic, when taken as a whole, they describe someone who is living on mission like Jesus. This description of a disciple of Christ embodies Luke 4:18, 19 and Christ’s mission of bringing good news to the poor, freedom for th

  Job 25: Mark 13-14   “No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Be on guard! Be alert!...He leaves his house and puts his servants in charge, each with his assigned task, and tells the one at the door to keep watch. Therefore, keep watch…What I say to you, I say to everyone: Watch!” Mark 13:32-35, 37 Why is living with spiritual alertness so difficult? Jesus’ repeated calls to his disciples to watch, be on guard, and to stay alert, all went unheeded in his hour of greatest need as Jesus prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane. Despite waking them several times, they still enjoyed sleep more than being spiritually alert. Our temptation is still to attend to our personal needs rather than fellowship with our Savior. Jesus calls us to watch and pray so that we can cooperate with him in his end-time purposes. When our spirits are willing but our bodies are weak, we must watch and pray. Who are we watching? Let us fix our eyes on Jesu

  Job 23-24; Mark 11-12   “…‘Of all the commandments, which is the most important?’ ‘The most important one,’ answered Jesus, ‘Is this: Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind, and with all your strength. The second is this: Love your neighbor as yourself…’” Mark 12:28-31 Just as there are essential barriers that must be addressed and surrendered in order to enter the kingdom of God, so there are essential priorities for those in the kingdom. Loving the one true God with all that we are and all that we have is the litmus test for a disciple of Christ. We love God because he first loved us. It is our experience of God’s grace-filled, pursuing love that fills us with wonder and awe. Our loving response to God’s pursuing love for us is to love God with all that we are and have. If this is not characterizing our lives, we must ask whether we ourselves have experienced God’s love.   Are we his discipl

Psalms 121; Mark 9-10   “…‘Good Teacher,’ he asked, ‘what must I do to inherit eternal life?’…Jesus looked at him and loved him. ‘One thing you lack,’ he said, ‘Go, sell everything you have and give it to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.’” Mark 10:17, 21 It’s not possible to follow Jesus and still live for selfish, self-interest. Our will is a powerful thing, the surrender of which is central to becoming a disciple of Christ. The rich young ruler had wealth and power, but he lacked salvation. In Jesus he saw the truth about God and his ways. He wanted an inheritance that was eternal, beyond his family’s wealth and good name. Jesus loved him. This was not a special case of making salvation difficult for the “rich guy”. Jesus loves each one of us, and each one of us lacks at least “one thing” - for us to become disciples of Christ. What is our “one thing”? For some it’s the very ministry in the name of Christ that gives fulfillment and a sense of pers