Archive: 2023

This week’s devotions are based on the Week 11″Explore God” – Meant for More! (WATCH HERE)

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Colossians 4:5 Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. 

How we interact with people makes a difference in our opportunities to have a conversation about Jesus.

When the Apostle Paul wrote these words to the Christians in Colosse, he was in prison.  He could have spent his time complaining about the conditions, moaning about how unfair his imprisonment was, and making life challenging for the other inmates or the guards.

But he was wise in the way he acted toward outsiders.  He knew that the way he conducted himself in the prison cell would make a difference in his relationship with the others in the prison.  He didn’t regret the situation, he made the most of the opportunity.

Admittedly, life can get challenging.  Even today you may know that on your agenda is facing a challenging issue whether in your home, at work, or at school.

How we show up in those situations makes a difference.  What impression does it make if our conversations with coworkers are full of complaints about the work, the other co-workers or the boss?  What impact does it make if we saunter into the classroom late and mumble under our breath how much we hate school?  What impression is left with a fellow golfer if every shot has a curse or swear word attached to it?

These examples are showing a lack of wisdom as we interact with outsiders and thus, I would guess, would leave a negative witness mark in others minds.

But what if you would reverse these scenarios starting with a prayer that the Lord would give you a perspective of joy and positivity (not fake) but an outlook that seeks the opportunity in every interaction.

Perhaps you show up at work with a mindset of working hard and wanting to make a difference and do what you can to improve the product, employee moral, or the reputation of the company.  What might happen when those around you notice?

What would happen if you showed up at school and noticed a classmate that seemed down or discouraged and sat next to them and asked “What’s bothering you today?”  What would happen if you offered to help a struggling classmate with a homework assignment?  Do you think those wise interactions might lead to a witness opportunity?

What might happen if during your round of golf or other social engagement you took time to really get to know a person you don’t know very well.  Use the round of golf as a way to connect relationally with people and show you care.  Do you think this wise interaction might lead to a witness opportunity?

I don’t know for sure, but the chances are much greater than the first set of examples.  God is going to give you opportunities today to both act wisely with outsiders and make the most of a witness opportunity.

Remember to start with prayer for God to open that door and give you the words he wants you to share…and then embark on the adventure today to act in wisdom with others so the Lord might present you with an opportunity to witness…and then make the most of it!

 

Apply: What situations/appointments today might be opportunities to act in wisdom toward outsiders or witness to your faith?  Pray about them now!

Prayer: Lord Jesus, forgive me for the times I have been a fool in my interactions with others.  Open the door of opportunity today that I might act in wisdom and witness with boldness.  AMEN.

This week’s devotions are based on the Week 11″Explore God” – Meant for More! (WATCH HERE)

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I believe every Christian earnestly desires to carry out the commission God has given them in Matthew 28.  We recognize both the profound impact of the Gospel and the importance of it for every human being on the planet.  Yet we struggle to share it.

You may have your own reasons, but they may include:

• Fear of what someone may say or not say?
• We don’t take time to listen and therefore answer questions people aren’t asking.
• We are afraid of saying the “wrong thing” and so we don’t say something at all.
• We feel intimidated by our lack of Bible knowledge and feel inadequate when speaking with others.

The list may go on…but are their practical steps we can be intentional about that can help us carry out this very important purpose of communicating Jesus to others?  Yes!

The Apostle Paul writes this in Colossians 4:2-6 which we will look at over the next few days.

2 Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. 3 And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. 4 Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should. 5 Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. 6 Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.

The first encouragement is to utilize the privilege of prayer.

How easy? Right?  Yet so often forgotten.

Prayer shifts the weight off our shoulders to the Lord.  Prayer expresses our dependance on the Lord to equip us and guide us in our efforts to share our faith.  It puts the focus on where it needs to be…the Lord.  Here’s what Paul encourages each of us:

• Be devoted to prayer!  Make prayer a regular and habitual action of your life.  Use prayer until it becomes your first reaction in every situation is to take it to the Lord in prayer.
• Be watchful in prayer!  Remember the disciples who fell asleep when Jesus asked them to watch and pray?  Pray when you are alert; engaged; and fully mindful of what you are praying.
• Be thankful in prayer!  It is easy to simply pray the “Gimme” prayers.  “Dear Lord, give me…”  Be thankful in prayer.  Take time to express your gratitude for what the Lord HAS done in your life that brings you joy and gratefulness. (A simple outline for prayer that helps balance it is “A.C.T.S.” – Adoration (praise God); Confession (Express your sin and need for forgiveness), Thanksgiving (Share gratitude), Supplication (Now you can ask for your needs or the needs of others).
• Pray for others.  Take the time to actually pray for people.  It’s easy to say, “I’ll pray for you.” It’s harder to actually do it.  Keep a prayer journal if that will help.  Think of others needs in your prayer life.  Especially in the great commission pray for God to guide and direct others in their conversations with people outside the faith.
• Pray for God to open doors of witness opportunity.  If God can open a door for Paul in prison to witness to his faith, God can open doors in your work place, your classroom, your family, your neighborhood, etc.
• Pray for clarity in proclaiming the message of Jesus.  Jesus promised his disciples that the Spirit would give them words to speak when pressed on their faith.  The Spirit will also answer this prayer to give you the words to speak when the opportunity arises.

Wow!  The Spirit has just expanded my awareness of things for which I can pray and the attitude by which I pray.  With God’s help, let’s commit to grow in our prayer life and see if God will also not expand our witness life!

 

Apply: Which of the aspects of prayer above will you work at first?

Prayer: Lord, thank you for the wonderful message of the Gospel and the peace it brings.  Continue, by your grace, to mold me into the witness you would want me to be, opening doors of opportunity today to speak the words you give to another soul. AMEN.

This week’s devotions are based on the Week 11″Explore God” – Meant for More! (WATCH HERE)

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Matthew 28:18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” 

For most Christians, these words of Jesus are very familiar.  Known as the “Great Commission” these words give “marching orders” to the followers of Jesus before he ascends back into heaven.

However, I often think about the audience and setting of this conversation.

The timing of the conversation is one that is very close, if not the day of Jesus’ departure. If you knew you had just a short time with a group of people, you would make sure to convey the most important thing or things that you want that person to remember.  These words make sense as Jesus wants to make sure his followers know he has all power, he is calling them to make more followers and they have his presence throughout.

More than likely, this is what we most commonly think of in these verses.

But I think of the audience…

Would I have confidence these words would be trusted, followed, and shared? Hmm…?

Just preceding Jesus words in verse 18, Matthew records this:

17 When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted.

The group of followers had doubters.

In the group was Thomas…who had doubts.

Peter…who denied him.

James and John…who wanted power and authority

Matthew…who was a tax collector and perhaps a cheater.

Philip…a bit skeptical at times.

And the list goes on.

Would this be the group you would trust with the next generation of spreading the Gospel?  Perhaps if you were the HR Manager for Jesus, Inc., you would be a bit hesitant to trust the company to this group.

But Jesus did.

And still does.

The fact that Jesus would entrust his work to the group originally there is amazing to consider along with humbling.

He still chooses to use us today…doubters, deniers, skeptics, arrogant, sinful individuals.

He has no plan “B.”

We are his plan “A.”

The amazing nature of Jesus is that his grace extends to his call to communicate grace to others.  On our own we would never be worthy nor equipped, but his grace both makes us worthy (forgiven) and equipped to speak.

Through these lenses I hear his words again…

All authority is Jesus.  That means it’s not my opinion that matters…Jesus’ is the only one that matters.  If he calls me…that’s all the authority I need.

Go and make disciples…Disciples aren’t perfect, they are one’s convinced that Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life.  I don’t have to be perfect, I just need the message of grace firmly in my heart.

I am with you always…I’m going to need it!  But that’s why Jesus promised it.

So leave these words of Jesus allowing them to ring clearly in your ears and stirring deeply in your heart.  Jesus is commissioning you with his power and presence to be part of his eternal work…bring the message of grace to people!

 

Apply: What changes when you realize Jesus is commissioning you because he wants you to be part of the plan to share the Gospel vs. thinking you have to interview and qualify?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you for the amazing nature of your grace which I get to live and share!  Be with me and equip me to be better at being your representative to others! AMEN.

A Thanksgiving Lord’s Prayer

 

Our Father in heaven

Lord thank you for being our Father and making us your children through faith in Jesus.  Thank you for your invitation to call on you with our prayers, our worries, and our thanksgiving.  Thank you for your ear that listens and hears us every time we pray to you.

Hallowed be your name.

Lord, thank you for the power and glory of your name.  As you revealed yourself to me through your Spirit, you have led me to call on you as my Savior and Lord.  Thank you for your Word which proclaims your name and the opportunity to live my life to glorify your name.  Thank you for your truth which exposes all lies and preserves your holy name among us.

Your kingdom come.

Lord, thank you for the power of your Spirit to work the Gospel message in my heart and make me part of your eternal kingdom of grace.  Thank you for your grace which covers all my sin and empowers me to reflect you in my words, actions, and thoughts.  Thank you for using me to expand your kingdom as I share you with my friends, neighbors and coworkers.

Your will be done on earth as in heaven.

Lord, thank you for a heart that desires my salvation and that of all people.  Thank you for breaking and hindering every evil plan of the devil, the world, and my sinful nature and in the end allowing the power of your Gospel to prevail.  Thank you, as I interact with evil, for the strength and promises of your word to be faithful to you each and every day.

Give us today our daily bread.

Lord, thank you for everything that you give to me that supports the need of my body and life: food, drink, clothing, shoes, house, home, land, animals, money, goods, a devout husband or wife, devout children, devout workers, devout and faithful rulers, good government, good weather, peace, health, self-control, good reputation, good friends, faithful neighbors, and the like.

Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us.

Lord, perhaps this is the biggest thank you we can offer: Thank you for forgiving all my sins and covering me with your love and grace.  The gratitude is deep because we know we are not worthy of all the blessings you give, nor have we deserved them.  Yet in your mercy you choose to give them to us…even forgiveness.  Help us, in gratitude for the forgiveness you have freely given, empower us to forgive and gladly do good to those who sin against us.

Lead us not into temptation

Lord, the devil the world and our sinful nature work very hard to deceive us or lead us into false belief, despair and great sin.  Thank you for your Spirit to guard and keep us from temptation and empowering us to say “No” to Satan and “Yes” to you.  Thank you for the assurance that in Christ we will ultimately have the victory!

But deliver us from evil

Lord, we have no idea how much evil you protect us from each and every day.  We thank you for your angels you command to watch over us and the behind the scenes work you do to push evil aside and allow harm to miss us.  Thank you for your promise that even if evil should come to us, you will give us a “evil-free” eternity in heaven with you!

For the kingdom, the power and the glory are yours, now and forever, AMEN!

Lord, thank you for being our God.  Thank you for connecting us to you so that we know that all your power is at work in and for us, all your glory is draped over us and reflected by us, and all your ruling power is at work to orchestrate all for our blessing.  Lord thank you for ruling over all, in all and through all for our temporal and eternal good.

Amen

Thank you that we can finish this prayer of thanks with certainty that you will hear and answer all our prayers for the sake of Jesus’ name and our eternal good. Amen!

This week’s devotions are based on the Week 10 “Explore God” – A Life Worth Inquiring About! (WATCH HERE)

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People notice when we love our enemies.

1 Peter 3:9 Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing.

At face value, one can read this passage and say, “I agree.”  In practical application, it is very hard because our sinful nature loves to react to getting wronged by wronging the person back.

What makes these words even more challenging, especially to the first readers of them, is that people were persecuting them because of their faith in Jesus.  So their response to the evil or insult would be a direct reflection on their Christian faith.

Perhaps we believe we can get away with a little “mean” because no one knows we are a Christian.  In a sporting event, if we feel someone wronged us, it is easy to push a little harder than needed the next time.  As we drive down the road and someone cuts us off, it is tempting to speed around them and brake in front of them.  If someone says something mean about us in a meeting at work, it’s tempting to make sure gossip is spread in the breakroom about them in the days that follow.

It’s much easier to repay evil with evil and insult with insult.

But anyone can do that.  It is “normal” and doesn’t stand out.  In fact, we often hear, “They had it coming” or “They deserved it” as if repaying evil with evil and insult with insult is expected and “just.”

But what if we repaid evil with a blessing or an insult with a compliment?

That would stand out…because it runs against the normal response.

When someone does evil to you…”I forgive you” or “I will pray for you.”

When someone insults you…”I wish you the best” or “I pray for God to bless you.”

Weird, right?

It doesn’t come natural and to be honest even in writing the thought went through my mind, “What does that look like?”

We all have to work on it.

As always, we have Jesus’ encouragement and example:

His encouragement:

Matthew 5:43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor[i] and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.

His example:

Luke 23:33 When they came to the place called the Skull, they crucified him there, along with the criminals—one on his right, the other on his left. 34 Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”

The blessing from Jesus is his perfect love of enemies is the substitute we need when we imperfectly love our enemies.  The blessing from Jesus for us, is he loves and forgives us, even though because of sin, we were his enemies.

When we love and forgive our enemies, do you think people may notice? And when people notice, people ask and when people ask, we get the chance to share the reason for the hope we have.  And when we share, the Spirit of God has the chance to work on another heart.

 

Apply: What makes loving your enemies hard for you to do?  What is one thing you may do to show love to someone today when they insult or do evil to you?

Prayer: Father, forgive us when we fail to love our enemies.  Empower us with your Spirit to return insult and evil with a blessing.  AMEN.