Devotion.al

Tag: love

  • Church Love

    1 Thessalonians 4:9–11

    Imagine being told that we don’t need encouragement or training or discipling to show brotherly . That would be wonderful. tells the Thessalonians that their love is displayed far outside of their home (es) to the greater region. In other words, their fellow believers in the region know that these Thessalonians love them.

    Does the around Generations Community Church know it?

    The hardest thing to think about is the following question. If your church (Generations Community Church) closed today, would anyone notice tomorrow, or even care? We all would care, of course! Would the community care?

    Fellow churches would care. However, they are part of the extended . All churches (should) care when another church—inside or outside their denomination—closes.

    When the church says, “come in,” it may be welcoming and warm, but the church is still saying (effectively), “our turf.” The community recognizes that. The church says, “We love you,” but doesn’t live with them.

    It’s not to say that you or aren’t out in the community as individuals. It’s whether the community knows that the church loves them.

    1) What are ways the church can show love outside of the four walls?

  • Repentant Worship

    Jeremiah 44:15–23, Hosea 14:1–7

    The “tale” told in Jeremiah is a sad one. The people of Israel knowingly and willing worshiped gods that were not theirs. As we read their tale, they saw wealth, prosperity, and security as the of their gods, when it was God who protected them. Now that God is calling them to face the consequences of not being the People of God, they blame God for their circumstances. They were warned that their continued of other gods would be punished, but that there was another way. They were stubborn. They knew what was “right”. That old God didn’t mean anything to them.

    If there had been one or two worshiping other gods, things might not have turned out the way they did. We can draw from the verses, however, that a large proportion of the population was worshiping these other gods, and most of the remainder were complicit in allowing it. In other words, it wasn’t just the worshipers of other gods that were in the wrong, it was the worshipers of God who did nothing who were wrong, too.

    The consequences could have been avoided. Hosea’s words show that God is always open to repentant hearts. The requirement for repentance is often too hard for many…pride. There is another portion for whom repentance is hard not because of pride, but because they see themselves in such a poor , that repentance is pointless, for God would never accept them.

    1) Do you know someone that thinks too little of themselves? What can you do to show and explain the depth of God’s , , and ?

    2) In a multi- like the States, we are not called as a nation for the purity of worship that the Israelites were called to. However, as a body, we are. What are some tensions you have experienced, whether now or earlier, where purity of worship has been an issue? What is purity of worship?

  • Burden Bearing / Burden Sharing

    Psalm 119:169–176, Psalm 121, 1 Peter 5:1–11

    No matter how strong your , there has been (or will be) a time when you desire nothing more than to be relieved from your burdens. It may be a job, finances, family, health, . Often we just want to escape.

    Psalm 119 is full of many emotions and longings. Verses 169–176 are a plea that God will hear and rescue. It isn’t quite the bargaining phrasing, but there is a strong tone of, “I’ve been good, so please help.” It’s not bargaining with God, per se, but it does show a very human expectation of reciprocation.

    Psalm 121 has more the tone of expectations and resolute in God’s deliverance of believers. It sounds great. However, it doesn’t always work out that way. The danger of Psalm 121 is its context. Is it true 100% of the time for all believers? No. It is the ideal. Many Christians and Jews have suffered and died over the years. If they were to hold onto Psalm 121 at the exclusion of all else, then their faith could well be broken in times of trial. Psalm 121 is often used to people, yet its very comfort could be what finally pushes a person from the faith.

    This is why Peter’s words are so important. In these verses, Peter’s larger goal is . How we interact with people, especially when it comes to the of God, is important. We are to look at ourselves as caretakers and guides. Only clothed in humility can we honestly help one another. The other side of humility is being able to look at God and say, “your will be done,” and mean it.

    Peter seems to also toss in a phrase, “…he may exalt you at the proper time…” Humility and waiting on God’s timing. This is why as we suffer, suffer with those who suffer, and try to console others, we need to be careful in our words and the use of the Scriptures. We have to be humble as we and care, for we are not there and we are not those in need of . We also need to understand timing, and that we don’t always get what we want, and if we do, not when we want it.

    1) Is there someone you know suffering that needs to hear of God’s love for them?

    2) How could pride get in the way of our perception of God’s deliverance?

    3) Help, Humility, and Timing. How do you see those working in your in regards to your faith journey, and in regards to your behavior toward others?

  • Enemies and Adversaries

    Rom 2:25–29, Revelation 3:7–13

    The struggle between Jew and has long been the case. Initially, there was a mix of those with good motives (e.g., preserving the “true” , protection from apostasy) and bad motives (e.g., pride, influence). Then there were those who regularly challenged the theology for various reasons.

    Paul regularly had to oppose them to protect the fledgling churches. Oddly, we ought to be grateful, for without opposition we might not have even had the letters that we have. One could argue that it is because of the opposition that the church grew as it did (and many do argue that to this day). Without question, opposition forced the church to figure out what it did believe, wrestling with it over generations.

    Paul struggled to the Jewish Laws and customs from the new Christian , and due to the Jewish basis of Christianity it continued to be an issue. Yet, what was an issue of understanding became something much darker.

    In Revelation 3:9, John wrote “…synagogue of Satan, who claim to be Jews…” This phrasing, which was intended to illustrate the same struggle that Paul had, became a verse of hatred. It’s easy to see why. Seemingly tying the Jews to Satan is pretty inflammatory. Christians for generations vilified and demonized Jews based on verses like this and an erroneously singular focus on who was the root cause of ‘ crucifixion (the Jews, rather than all of us). Some interpreters are quick to point out that what is translated as Satan is satanas, a Greek take on the Aramaic/Hebrew for adversary. The question for some becomes is this a proper (the Adversary) or a descriptive name (an adversary). The reality is that there is an adversarial toward the church, trying to skew its theology.

    The reason this odd historical piece is important is that the church, still, often resorts to adversarial/enemy language when discussing or interacting with those whose theology is different. We cannot behave that way, for while we were sinners (enemies of God), even before we were born, Jesus died for us. Imagine if Jesus treated us as if we were his enemy.

    1) Is there someone you have treated as an enemy, that God is calling you to ?

    2) Is there language that you have been using the frames as the enemy or adversary? (This is beyond just not agreeing with them on something)

  • Evaluating Value

    John 8:2–12, 2 Corinthians 5:10–15

    Before we go any further, this story in John is an odd one. It does not show up in the earliest manuscripts that we currently have, however, the story does show up soon (time-wise) after the earliest manuscript. What is also unusual (in comparison to stories) is that it doesn’t show up in exactly the same places. The very early attested to the accuracy of the story, as do most scholars. However, because of its appearance later, there is probably a note in your bible about it. Again, this does not put the story in dispute.

    The story is interesting, as many people have put their own spin on what Jesus was writing in the dirt. Could it have been a line? Was it a list of sins the men committed? Maybe it was as simple as, “ God; love others.” Many creative sermons have been delivered over what was in the dirt, but not written in the Scriptures. The real question is judgment. Based on the context (setting Jesus up) and the lack of a male participant (who should have been stoned, too), there was no following the Law in Truth or . Even literally the law wasn’t followed (again, the lack of the man).

    The Law, or the law (as in US jurisprudence) can be judged insofar as being evaluated and found regarding the preponderance of evidence as guilty or innocent of the charge. That is not the judgment in this instance. It is a judgment of value. This woman was judged to be less valued for she was a woman and an adulteress. The man involved was skipped over. Why was one granted mercy and (presumptive), while another was not?

    reminds us that we all will stand before the throne. Yes, if we’ve accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior we will be spared the judgment. However, what if we stood before the throne and experienced the entirety of the emotional, spiritual, and physical of our sins (including what we have caused others). This would not be out of a desire to inflict pain, but for us to Truly understand the grace and mercy given to us.

    1) Have you ever judged and/or condemned a person, then found out you were wrong? What was that like? Did you make amends? If not, why not?

    2) We may be quick to judge the sins of others. What should we from the lesson of Jesus?

    3) Paul speaks of the “ of God”. How should that affect our views of judging others?

  • The Truth of Lies

    Proverbs 29:22–25, Philippians 2:5–11, Galatians 6:1–5

    Tell the . That is a maxim for . However, often we succumb to the to lie. We can be surprised when it pops out, or we could plan for it. There are times where lying is appropriate (as many Germans, for example, lied to the Nazis to protect Jews). Most lying, however, is not such.

    Lying can come from anger. It can come from pride. It can come from fear. An angry person may lie to inflict pain upon the person they feel is hurting them. A person of pride may make their story bigger to make themselves feel superior. They might also lie to preserve their way of life or . Fearing mankind, however, is probably the biggest root cause of lying. The wisdom of Proverbs is that fear men before fearing God is not a good prioritization of things.

    Paul’s train of thought regarding submitting himself to all (really, by he did), Jesus provides the example of selflessness. We are often taught a selflessness that is mindless and without self. Yet, that is not Jesus’ example. Did Jesus at any point forget who he was? Did Jesus stop being who he was? Of course not!

    The humble and aware obedience that Jesus displayed is the example. Jesus was angry at times (think the ). He did not lie or seek to hurt . He sought to correct others in a way that some (not all) would understand. Jesus could have made himself out to be the King of Kings.

    Instead, he would escape the crown of an Earthly kingdom. Jesus consistently shared the Truth in the face of people who not only didn’t want the Truth, they also wanted him dead.

    The biggest temptation when it comes to lying is catching the other person in it. We feel so much better about ourselves. “…if someone is overtaken in any wrongdoing…restore…with a gentle .” The gentle spirit is why Christ’s is so essential. We’ve all been there.

    What makes that lie we told better than theirs? Nothing. We need to submit ourselves to our fellow Christians, not just because we are called to, but because when humbly submit ourselves, we are able to correct in love.

    We don’t like this submit, humbleness, nor truth. It makes us uncomfortable when we make it a way of life. We don’t mind doing it when it costs us nothing. If it costs nothing, of what value is it?

  • People Needed

    Isaiah 30:8–17, 1 Thessalonians 2:2–12

    “To make Christlike disciples in the nations.”—Church of the Nazarene Mission Statement

    “Iron sharpens iron and one person sharpens another.”—Proverbs 27:17

    Discipleship is not a program, nor is it a class. It is a lifestyle. If we are not careful, Sunday School, Life Groups, Youth Group, Children’s Church, even Sunday Service become mere flattery of our wants and desires, rather than discipleship.

    If you aren’t being challenged by God’s and Spirit during or as a result of these (even as the ), then it is all empty. Will the challenge always occur? No. If it rarely or never occurs, that is the “best” indicator.

    The problem is that we often just want easy, even at Church. Church, sadly, isn’t meant to be easy. Church, as framily, is meant to be transforming. Transformation can often be painful or uncomfortable.

    In Isaiah, we read the consequences of flattery and (pointless/false) positive words, and it isn’t pretty. Paul challenged the Thessalonians to listen for the , rather than be flattered by the speakers trying to turn them away from the Gospel and probably against Paul himself.

    We are to be challenged, not because our views are true or false, but through the maturing of our as it faces the real world is how we show the world the of Christ, and become the of the world.

    The hard part for our egos is that we often want people to be nice when we need them to be kind. What’s the difference? Think of someone standing on the railing of a tall skyscraper with a strong wind. Nice: “be careful.” Kind: pull them back, even if it hurts them. One is passive (doormat). One is life. In a true discipleship , we need kind people, and we need to be authentic. That is scary.

    1) What discipleship and patterns do you have?

    2) It’s easy to say , bible reading, and attending church are your patterns. However, plenty of people do those, too, and we don’t call them Christians. What is the difference?

    3) With the new Life Groups in the Fall, what new path will you take? Will you join (or lead) a Life Group? Or will you start a small band with the covenant to sharpen one another? Or will you stagnate?

  • God’s Broken People

    2 Samuel 13:11–39, Ephesians 4:13–19

    Parenting is hard. Parents struggle with their own failures personally and with their children. For the deeply afflicted parent (and child), parenting is not just brutal, but it is unending . For a normal parent, having children is a and one of the hardest jobs ever (there is a harder one, but that is for another time).

    David—the so-called man after God’s own —was actually a pretty bad father at times, maybe even a lot of the times. This story is actually heartbreaking. Quite heartbreaking. Disgusting, nauseating, and so on. It is also another example that the don’t hide the brutal failure of humanity to live up to its potential.

    What was David thinking to just things remain? Why did he do nothing? Doing nothing may have been David’s greatest fault. Maybe. That his children, less Solomon, had gotten to the states they were in says much about the guidance he provided to the next generation. If there had been one “bad apple”, perhaps there wouldn’t such a disastrous tale. On the other hand, we cannot pin the sins of the sons on the father. They chose their path.

    It is hard as a parent to not blame oneself for the resulting lives of one’s children. Parents may try to harden their hearts as their children make -altering decisions, but the hardened heart is only on the outside as their hearts ache on the inside. It’s not that David’s heart didn’t ache. As we look at his story, how would we have behaved?

    Would Paul’s “speaking the in love” made a difference here? How about building each other up? ? Promoting the growth for building up in love? These are all questions that the church—you—needs to wrestle with. The reality is that the world is full of broken people. Lots of them. In fact, there are probably a few such broken people in our . There might be some in your family. You might be broken. It’s not whether you know, meet, interact with people who are broken…it’s how many.

    1) Brokenness equals hurt. We are all hurting. Thinking about Paul, what can we do help our fellow broken human beings?

    2) We evaluate people and their stories by our story. How can that help us help them? How can it keep us from helping them?

    3) Paul’s words about building up are especially true when talking about our hurts and the hurts of . What do Paul’s words teach about walking with others in the midst of their (and our) brokenness?