August 20: Waiting…

Posted by: Jeremiah Hann

Scripture:

Be still in the presence of the Lord, and wait patiently for Him to act.  Don’t worry about evil people who prosper or fret about their wicked schemes. Psalm 37:7

Observation:

David keeps going back and forth reminding us that we need to trust God, and not worry about other people.

Application:

I don’t like waiting. I always try to find the fastest line at the grocery store. I look for the fastest lane in traffic.  However, some things God wants us to wait for.  It doesn’t get any easier when we think we are doing everything the way God wants, and still waiting, while someone who isn’t doing things the way God wants is prospering. We need to trust God and be willing to do His will, in His timing, not our own, because doing the right thing at the right time equals the right result.

Waiting on God is tough, but God’s timing is always best for us and for others.

Prayer:

Hey God, Thanks so much for working everything out the way You want it.  Please help me to always remember that Your timing is perfect.  Help me to not worry about other people prospering, but continue to focus on You, knowing that You will take care of me.  In Jesus Name, Amen.

August 19th: Do we have a healthy body?

By: Brent Hodges

Scripture

“A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other.”  1 Corinthians 12:7

Observation

Paul is addressing spiritual gifts with the church in Corinth.  Paul uses the human body as an example of how the church should function: many different parts, one body.  God has placed each part just where he wants it.

Application

Reading this passage has some serious implications…the second part of verse 18, “God has put each part just where he wants it.”  If we’re a believer and a part of a local church, we need to be serving the other believers there.  Why?  Because God has given us a spiritual gift…and we have a part to play in the body!  It’s easy at a large church to think, “why do they need me, there’s plenty of people to help out”…but if we look back at verse 7…God has given each of us a spiritual gift to help each other.  If we’re not helping, we’re hurting the body.

Prayer

Lord, thank you for the opportunity I have to serve you with the gifts you have given me.  May I honor you today as I serve others.

August 18: Wise Advice

posted by: Darius Sanders

Scripture
Esther 1:13
He immediately consulted with his wise advisers, who knew all the Persian laws and customs, for he always asked their advice.

Observation
The King of Persia always consulted with his wise advisers before making a big decision.  In this situation, it says, he consulted them immediately.  He wanted their input before making a decision because he realized that left to his own knowledge, he might make a poor decision.

Application
Seeing that the king had advisers that he consulted before making big decisions, I need to make sure that I continue to consult wise people in my life before making big decisions.  More importantly, I need to consult wise people in my life that are growing in their relationship with Christ.  People that are reading God’s Word daily and hearing from Him are more likely to give me sound biblical advice when I ask them about certain situations that I face in life.  Now, it’s not necessary to put a panel of 15 people together to ask them whether you should order your $5 foot-long on white or wheat, but you should analyze your life and think about the huge decisions that you need to make and proceed to talk to wise people before making those decisions.  

Prayer
God, I pray that after consulting You, I would continue to talk to spiritually growing wise people before making huge decisions.  You’ve placed wise people in my life as a resource and I pray that I would use their knowledge to guide me in the right direction.  Also, please help my Spicy Italian sub on Italian herb and cheese taste great.  Amen.

August 17th: A Cubic Zirconia

By Dennis Johnston

Scripture:

Be imitators of me, just as I also am of Christ.  1 Corinthians 11:1

Observation:

We learn again (1 Corinthians 4:16) the desire God has for us to be like Him.  We are made in His image and should reflect Him more and more each day.  Paul consistently directs us to Jesus. 

Application:

I love to look at diamond rings.  There are so many different styles and they all say something “to” the person that wears them.  They are special.  Over the years, I have noticed the diamonds getting a lot bigger as a result of the cubic zirconia.  These so closely resemble the real deal that few can differentiate the difference.  A well trained eye can do just that.

It’s the same being a Christ follower.  On the outside I can look the part and appear genuine just like a cubic zirconia.  The reality is that God knows my heart and He knows my motives - He knows if I’m genuine. Christ has called me to be His hands and feet.  That means I walk in love just as He walked in love.  I will be genuine as I read the Bible daily and look for practical ways to apply it to my life.  It’s in the application of doing God’s word that I change and become more like Him. 

Prayer:

Lord, I desire to be an imitator of you just like Paul was.  He was authentic in his love for you in how he lived his life.  Transform my life today as I read your word and apply it by acting in love towards others.

August 11: I’m Not Cheap…

Posted by: Jeremiah Hann

Scripture:

God paid a high price for you, so don’t be enslaved by the world.  1 Corinthians 7: 23

Observations:

In the midst of all the things that Paul is telling the Corinthian church, he reminds them that they were bought at a price, and that they should, live according to God’s plan.

Application:

As I go though my day, I need to make sure that I am putting God first.  He paid a huge price for me, by sending Jesus to die for me, and I should not let anything get in the way of that.  Today, I want to make sure that I thank God for sending Jesus to pay the price for my sins, and live in a way that God is first in my life.

Prayer:

Hey God, Thanks so much for loving me so much that you sent Jesus down here to die for me.  I can’t even imagine the price that he had to pay, but I am so thankful for that sacrifice.  I am thankful that I am worth 1 Jesus to you.  Help me to always put you first, and not be enslaved by the world.  You deserve to be the main focus of my life.  Please continue to remind me to put You first.  In Jesus name, Amen.

August 10th: Shift the focus…

By: Brent Hodges

Scripture

“You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price.”  1 Corinthians 6:19b-20a

Observation

Paul is tackling a pervasive sin in the culture then and now: sexual sin.  Paul explains that sexual immorality is a sin against your own body…one that was bought with a high price…Christ’s sacrifice.

Application

Shift the focus from, “what makes me feel good”…to the realization that our body is not our own.  Our body is to be used to bring glory to our Father…not immediate gratification of any urge, whether sexual or not.  Shift the focus from Me…to Jesus Christ’s sacrifice.

Prayer

Lord, may Your sacrifice mean more to me than my selfish desires.  May I honor You in my speech and my actions.

August 9: Judgment

posted by: Darius Sanders

Scripture
I Corinthians 5:13
God will judge those outside the church; but as the Scriptures say. “You must remove the evil person from among you.”

Observation
People who are not followers of Christ that are not a part of His church will be judged by Him one day.  It is not our responsibility to pass judgment on them. 

Application
This reminds me of when I told one of my neighbors that I was a follower of Christ that went to Palm Valley Church.  From then on, whenever I went to their house and there was alcohol everywhere they would say, “Don’t judge us, we only drink on the weekends and when we’re stressed out.”  It always made me laugh because I never passed judgment on their family in the first place but they always felt guilty about their actions when “the pastor” came over.

I need to make sure I never pass judgment on people that don’t know Christ.  They are basically held to a different standard than people who do know Christ here on this earth.  People who don’t know Christ that are living in sin are doing so because they don’t know any better.  People that know Christ that are living in sin should be confronted however.  These people shouldn’t be confronted in a self-righteous way, but rather in a loving way to bring them back to Christ.  If these people have been confronted and they continue to walk in their sinful ways, then they need to be removed from positions of leadership at the church for a time so that their actions won’t cause anyone else to sin.  This is one of those touchy issues that isn’t usually talked about at church, but it is important that followers of Christ don’t continue to live in sin to the point that it drags others followers of Christ away from Him as well.

Prayer
God, please help me to remember that you are the judge of the non-Christians here on this earth.  I want to be obedient to You in that I never pass judgment on people outside the church.  Please help me to be wise about confronting people in the church living in sin in a loving way to bring them back to You.

August 8th: A Sense of Urgency

By Dennis Johnston

Scripture:

“So I urge you to imitate me.”   1 Corinthians 4:16

Observation:

Wow!  Paul tells others to imitate him!   A bold statement, however, Paul was a leader with an important character trait - credibility.  Paul had demonstrated by his actions how we as Christ-followers should live our lives.  Additionally, he sends Timothy in his place knowing that he would represent him and the Good News with confidence.

Application:

A great truth about being connected and growing in relationship with others is that I have them to help me live up to godly standards.  Today’s reading illustrates how Timothy was used to live as an example of a Christ-follower for others in his community.  His actions matched his beliefs - he had credibility just a Paul did.  He was able to live out what he was taught and what he believed. 

I love journeying through the Bible with each of you and experiencing life change together as we set an example for each other and those in our community.  Our actions lend so much credibility to our words (see 1 John 3:18).  It’s great to know that I’ve got others who are looking out for me, modeling good Christian conduct, and growing alongside me.  Ultimately, our lives can be lived in such a way that others will see Christ in us and He will be praised and acknowledged (see Matthew 5:16).

Prayer:

Father, it’s great to have other Christ-followers encouraging me and leading a life that is pleasing to you.  Lead me today as I live my life in with a sense of urgency and in such a way that others can see You by my actions.  In Jesus’ name.

August 7th: Work Together!

by Paul Lewis

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 3:5b-8a

Each of us did the work the Lord gave us. I planted the seed in your hearts, Apollos watered it, but it was God who made it grow. It’s not important who does the planting, or who does the watering. What’s important is that God makes the seed grow. The one who plants and the one who waters work together with the same purpose.

Observation:

Everyone plays a part in the salvation and growth of others. Ultimately, it is God who causes the growth, but he gives every one of us a job to do that contributes to the process. It doesn’t matter if you are a greeter or a preacher, or some role in between because we all have the same purpose.

Application:

God could certainly do it all himself, but he chooses to use us in the process. He wants us to work with him to accomplish his purposes. No matter where God has called you to serve, count it a privilege, knowing that you are a partner with God in the salvation and growth of others. How cool is that!

Prayer:

God, thank you for letting me be part of the process of life change. Help me to remember the responsibility of that, and also enjoy the fruit of that labor. Help me to see the importance of the role that others play in the process and help them to rejoice in the fruit that comes as we serve you together.

August 2nd: First Place

Posted by: Jeremiah Hann

Scripture:

Manasseh even took a carved idol he had made and set it up in God’s Temple, the very place where God had told David and his son Solomon: “My name will be honored forever in this Temple and in Jerusalem–the city I have chosen from among all the tribes of Israel.  2 Chronicles 33:7

Observation:

Manasseh sets up this idol that he made and puts it in the place God was honored… That’s a Bold Move.

Application:

As much as I think, “wow, I can’t believe Manasseh could even do something like that,” I do the same thing.  Anytime I don’t give God first place in my life, I put an idol in the place where He is to be honored.  Now, I don’t build build a handmade idol, but do I always put God above everything?  Do I put my money before God, or do I give generously?  Do I give God my best time each day, or do I try to squeeze him in, if at all?  I need to not be like Manasseh at this point in his life, but follow his steps later when he turns to God.  I need to never put anything in front of God.  Nothing is more important than my relationship with him.

Prayer:

Hey God, Thanks so much for your Word.  I love being able to read it whenever I want.  Help me to always put you first.  I never want to put anything in your place.  You want, and deserve, to be first in my life.  Help me to always remember that.  In Jesus name, Amen.