We'd appreciate you allowing the use of cookies. They are anonymized while allowing us to see how the site is used.

Devotion.al

Tag: others

  • Heart of Food

    Psalm 141, Daniel 1:1-16, Mark 7:14-23

    With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, chocolate and sweets often come to mind. Food is often a significant part of gatherings whether they be gatherings of family, friends, or church. Barring royalty or the blessings of developed nations (mostly), food scarcity is a real thing. In the days of Scripture, people would spend either the majority of their time or wages to secure food. When food is such a significant part of your efforts, food can take on deeper cultural and religious meaning.

    The story of Daniel begins with a test of food. It is easy, but not certain, to believe that the king’s food did not meet Jewish dietary law. Or it could be that the food was first “sacrificed” to idols before being eaten. Or it could be that the four wanted to show that their sympathies were with their starving fellow Jews. Regardless, food was the center of a challenge. As the four were Jewish captives, this was viewed as a political move. The religious overtones within Scripture are there, as well. All of it revolves around food.

    In Jesus’ time, there were many rules regarding food. The Jewish religious rules were intended to fulfill the requirements of Israelite law. And the religious leaders imposed further rules, just to assure that the original rules weren’t even close to being infringed upon. Under Roman rule, however, Jewish dietary law also took on political overtones. Dietary laws were often used to socially separate Jews from Romans, creating a barrier between people. Food, one of the unifying themes of humanity, was now a separator, not an uniter.

    Jesus’ declaration regarding dietary laws was indeed not just about the food. It is definitely about relationships. Jesus takes the concept of food and turns it into the matter of the heart. When we look at how food was used to separate people, we can see Jesus’ point. Food was the outward symbol of an inward truth.

    1) Have you been the guest of a family whose taste of foods was distinctly different than yours? How did you react? Did it impact your ability to fellowship with them around the table?

    2) While Jesus was correcting the excesses of the Jewish religious leaders, he is correcting us. What outward symbol (food, attire, accent, stuff) have you ever used to categorize another person? Does that categorization help or hinder looking at others like Christ?

    FD) Why do we use food in our gatherings? Why is that good? Why is that bad?

  • Changing To Embody

    Psalm 37:1-12, Jeremiah 12:1–17, 2 Peter 1:2–10

    We can look around, and wonder what’s wrong with the world. Those who are corrupt or greedy seem to be doing so much better than good people. When we look around, we can either be discouraged or we can look up.

    This really is nothing new. The psalmist reminds himself and us that envying others is short-sighted. It is also unwise. When we trust God and do good we live securely. Living securely, however, does not necessarily mean comfortable as the world wants it. That’s why looking side-to-side becomes a distraction. When we are looking side-to-side we are not secure in ourselves.

    Isaiah is looking side-to-side. He takes the success of the “wicked” though and perceives it as a test of his heart. Isaiah defines it as God testing him to know his heart. God already knows Isaiah’s heart. This more about Isaiah understanding his own heart, his relationship to his fellow man, and his relationship to God. There is also another relationship that is important to understand, and that is the relationship with the land. The land itself mourns at the wicked who are present in it. While Isaiah’s heart might be right, the hearts of the people around him definitely are not. The affect him, others, God, and the land. All because their hearts are not right with God. And God is the key to a good and secure life.

    As Peter opens with the grace of God, we understand that it is by God’s grace that we are even able to approach the throne of God. It is through this grace that we begin the journey of transformation from the life of the “wicked” to the life of the righteous. Peter then provides us with a roadmap with waypoints of increasing Christ-likeness. As we become more Christ-like, the temptation to look side-to-side fades away. The glory of God shines more deeply in us, transforming us to more-and-more find our worth in God and not others.

    1) Do you see God shaping you to be more God-facing, rather than people-facing?

    2) Do you see the waypoints (2 Peter 1:5-8) in your life? Do you see any change in your life embodying each of these traits more and more?

    3) What makes these traits contrary to the world? Why is it important to understand why they are contrary?

    FD) How can we help each other develop these Godly-grace traits?

  • For Glory!

    Psalm 115, Judges 5:1-11, 1 Corinthians 10:23-11:1

    Much of the modern world is obsessed with the self. Individualism (rugged or otherwise) is a key feature of (U.S.) American culture. It then becomes ironic when non-believers question why everything should be for God’s glory. They attribute to God a selfish conceit that has no consideration for others. This is one of the reasons why the doctrine of the Trinity is important to understanding God. God lives in community. There is a perpetual and integral consideration of another. We created beings are blessed because God considers us worthy of being related to. This is not a vain conceit of God. It is a reality of a holy and wholly other being who has created us.

    When it comes to God’s glory versus our glory it is important to not just say it’s God’s glory. God’s glory is eternal. Our glory is temporary. It is that perspective of an abiding glory that remains forever. When we are aware and take this into account, it should affect our decisions and responses.

    The psalmist compares the eternal living God to man-made idols that are destroyable. The psalmist then compares the makers and worshippers of idols to the very idols they make. They are the same in that trusting in them is trusting in nothing (or possibly alluding to death). In comparison to the living God whose people are living and plentiful. The legacy is of children, grandchildren, and so on. The legacy is of the living and who live in relationship with God. The legacy needs to be remembered.

    Deborah and Barak were the leaders of Israel, seeking to restore a lost legacy. Even in the midst of celebrating victory over their oppressors, Deborah and Barak gave God praise for the leaders who lead, and the volunteers who stepped up. While they (leaders and volunteers) did as they were called, it was still to God’s glory that they responded and succeeded. Their actions live on in the story of God that God laid out for us to receive. While in this case, it is something that was done that brought God glory, it can also be things not done that brings God glory.

    In his letter to the Corinthians, Paul is confronting the struggles of people trying to conform their lives to a new way of thinking. In their culture, sacrifices to idols are done. It is prevalent. The idols are dead, so why worry about the meat? For the follower of Christ—who knows the freedom in/of Christ—this is just a silly question. However, for those who are not followers of the Way (i.e., Christians) this is an important question, for their perspective is that the believers are worshipping idols when they eat the sacrifices! Thus, not eating it brings glory to God by showing that they do not worship the idols or feel they are worth paying attention to. It may seem silly to us, but to a culture for whom idol worship was cultural and religious, this was a huge thing.

    1) What things could the culture view us (i.e., Christians, Christ-Followers) as worshipping, just like the culture?

    2) How can you know when you are doing something for God’s glory rather than your own?

    3) Why do leaders leading and volunteers stepping up give God glory?

    FD) What can you not do and give God glory?

  • The Nudging

    Moses is in need of help. He can’t do it all. What’s odd is that it would seem that Moses didn’t maintain the lesson learned from his father-in-law (see Exodus 18). It’s not entirely the same. In Exodus 18, it was the “priestly” judges who were selected. This is more along the lines of a professional judiciary, such as we have from local, to district, to appellate, to supreme judiciaries. We have something different here. What has occurred is the selection of senior spiritual leaders. They are family leaders, too, but it is the application of the Holy Spirit that makes this important. There are a couple of story-lines occurring here, and that can lead to some confusion. It is often assumed (and has often been taught) that Eldad and Medad remained in camp because they were disgruntled, putting them with the grumbling people. The text does not make that clear. It is our assumption. We do know that Eldad and Medad were selected by Moses (so, much less likely to be among the disgruntled). What if they just hadn’t made it, yet? Or, what if they did not feel worthy or were scared? Both reasonable based upon experience God’s miracles. They had been chosen…and the Holy Spirit fell on them anyways.‌

    Joshua was offended on Moses’ behalf, but Moses noted that it is God’s spirit, not his. Many, many years later, Jesus has a similar experience with his disciples. Within in the context of arguing which disciple was greater than the other, and Jesus shutting that conversation down well, John ups the game reporting that a man who was not among the disciples are successfully driving out demons. John then states that they (in other words, “I wasn’t the only one, Jesus.”) tried to stop the man, but Jesus stopped even that. The disciples were “offended” by the man driving out demons, but were they upset on Jesus’ behalf or their own. Jesus’ response would indicate that this was about them, not him.‌

    Often we can become overly concerned with the “right” way of doing things. With the Holy Spirit, the right way can often not be our way. This is not to say the God is a god of chaos. God makes and creates order. However, our concept of order and “right” can be at odds with God at times. Joshua and John (yes, with some pride in there) assumed they were doing the right thing by saying “this is wrong.” Yet, God did it, so it wasn’t wrong. It just didn’t fit their idea. Philip may have learned a lesson by the point of this story in Acts. The gift of the Holy Spirit didn’t hurt either. Philip obeyed and went to the “desert” road for a divine appointment. Nudged further, he approached an important chariot. There is a lot in this story that is missing, but the essentials are there. Philip in obedience approached a chariot that would have been awkward for him normally to approach. Through obedience to the Holy Spirit, Philip then leads the Ethiopian to Christ. After the Ethiopian’s baptism something strange happens, the Holy Spirit “carries” (in Greek, it’s more of snatch) Philip away. The Ethiopian goes on his way rejoicing. The way the journey from Jerusalem to Gaza is written, it sounds immediate, but it was actually quite a journey by foot. We don’t get that from Luke’s words, we just have to know geography. This is important as the way Luke writes this gives us an idea that Philip teleported from Gaza to Azotus (a.k.a., Ashdod). While it is quite possible for God to do such, a better way to think of this is that Philip did what was needed and did not stay there rejoicing in the victory. He continued on the mission.‌

    Far too often we get comfortable with the success and want to “stay” there in the happy time. The Holy Spirit is always calling us on to the next thing. The next thing may not be immediate (and often isn’t). Sitting with our victories and successes, though, makes us stagnant. The same can be said of sticking to the old known formula. It worked for its time. The Holy Spirit may have stamped “expired” on it. We need to be ready for the Holy Spirit is doing.‌

    • 1) In the last week, how have you seen the Holy Spirit move in your life? How about the lives of others?‌
    • 2) What is the Holy Spirit nudging you to do? Who is the Holy Spirit nudging you to speak to?
    • 3) Often times we may think the Holy Spirit is nudging us to talk to someone so that they can be “fixed”. This isn’t always the case. When have you had a Holy Spirit encounter where you were the one that learned rather than being the one who taught?‌
    • FD) Have you ever said something to defend the efforts of others? Why did you do that?

  • Life Vessel

    Psalm 71, Isaiah 55:1-13, Acts 9:19b-25

    It is easy to get lost in despair. It is easy to let the troubles of this world get you down. When the world especially tries to drag you down with, “if there really was a God…” The psalmist feels overwhelmed and opposed. There is even some feeling of being abandoned by God. Yet, the psalmist does not lose hope, and trust God, even when questioning. It’s okay to question what’s going on. God’s big enough to handle the question. It’s not that we question. It can be how we question. Really, it is who we look at when we question. Are we looking at ourselves? Are we looking at others? Or, are we looking, really looking at God?

    Isaiah has questions. The people of Israel have questions. They have lots of questions, and heartache, and loss, and pain, and anger, and despair, and…a whole of issues. The words shared by Isaiah are really the question…who/what are you looking at? When we look at God, we can receive life-giving water and life. When we look elsewhere, it goes out of us. That can be good, as long as we keep looking to God to receive. However, the longer we are open to receiving, we end up leaving ourselves open to being changed. Some people take a touch. Others take tap. Others require a spiritual 2×4. It is what happens afterwards that is the difference: our response and how we look at God.

    Paul got the 2×4 (or something bigger). He had an experience that was so powerful that he changed. He went from a man successfully penalizing the church (including being an accomplice to murder), to being an obvious and outspoken support of Jesus Christ and his church. So much so, that it is not an unreasonable question to ponder, if he was so quickly able to successfully defend Jesus as the Messiah, why couldn’t have figured it out earlier? What if…a powerful question, that has no real answer.‌

    • ‌1) Being a vessel of God’s living water (spirit) can change us deeply. Why can that be scary to people?‌
    • 2) What do you think of the Christian life in the light of Isaiah’s words? Should your Christian life be changed?
    • 3) We often think of Paul being alone. Yet, he was never alone. What does that tell us about Paul, ourselves, and how we view important people?
    • FD) Sometimes we don’t understand God. Is that okay? Is it okay to not understand, and still love and trust God?

  • Decisions and Struggles

    Jeremiah 11:15–16, Isaiah 52:1–12, Galatians 4:12–20

    We cannot avoid the reality that the world as it stands opposes the Good News, while at the same time yearning for it. People try to avoid the reality that the gospel is opposed, and try to “be at peace” with the world. On the other hand, there are those who are so obsessed with “the opposition” that they either spend the majority of their efforts and energy opposing, or huddle behind the “four walls” of their church, family, and/or larger “tribe”. Part of what makes the Christian walk so difficult and why it requires constant reorientation, is that we are to walk between these two extremes.

    The two verses in Jeremiah recall that the people of Israel have wandered far away from their God, and have turn rituals of life into empty actions. They were set apart and planted to be a symbol. They became spiritually diseased, and the only thing that could cleanse the disease was fire…a cleansing fire. Yet, instead of changing their ways they kept to the old.

    Isaiah’s call to Zion/Jerusalem is for it to “wake up” out of the despair and disgrace that it has found itself in. It is time to throw off the old clothes and the contaminated ways. It is time to put on new clothes and new ways. Purify yourselves.

    The old bad non-life-giving ways have a way of coming back. Jeremiah and Isaiah opposed them. Generations later, Paul had to fight them again. Now it was not just the old Jewish ways that he had to confront (like Jeremiah and Isaiah), it was also the ways of the Gentiles that had to be opposed.

    Paul is makes two very important points. The first is there are people that are trying to put themselves above others (mostly Paul, but they would have also been putting themselves above the elders) to control and try to change what is Truth. They also appear to be doing it for personal gain of money or pride. Not good reasons to change who one respects.

    The other important point is that Paul speaks of them being his children, that he is again going through the childbearing pains, trying to restore them to where they were in their beliefs. Christ has to be formed in them (again). This would be what we would call backsliding. Paul was now separated by distance, and was doubly pained that he couldn’t be there in person.

    Christian formation should always move forward, but sometimes, due to culture, family, habits, we go backwards. It sometime seems we have to start all over again. If it has been a really hard fight, we could succumb to despair.

    • 1) American individualism, especially prevalent in the Western parts of the United States, almost convinces people to find their own way in a vacuum. What happens when we make decisions in isolation?
    • 2) Spiritual decisions made in isolation along with cultural influences can endanger our spiritual lives. What do you do to help immunize yourself in that area?
    • 3) Most often, our biggest spiritual battles will be in areas that we have always struggled with. What are you doing to strengthen yourself in those areas, and finding accountability?
    • FD) Do you have, or ever had, a favorite article of clothing, a shirt, or accessory? Have you ever not wanted to wash it, because it might get hurt? What happens when it gets really yucky? Then what? Your spirit sometimes needs some cleaning, too? What do you do to clean it?

  • Be Being Prepared

    Psalm 54, Acts 20:16–32

    Be gracious. How many times did you hear someone say, “If I were God…,” or have you said that yourself? Most of the time, those four words do not result in a gracious response. In fact, they are usually the introduction to something vengeful or self-righteous.

    Sometimes we do hear a gracious response after those four words, but then how often is our response to that grace…grace-filled. It’s sad, but often grace is not the initial human response.

    Despite our own orientation to grace-less-ness, we still look to God for grace-full-ness. Why is it that we expect more out God’s response than we deliver on our own?

    Deep down, beyond our conscious thoughts, we have an understanding that grace should be the way of things. As we all know, and as the psalmist states, we are among people whose “…teeth are spears and arrows, whose tongues are sharp swords…” Sadly, we are often those same people to others.

    Even sadder, sometimes we are that way to those we hold closest in our hearts. The psalmist takes a breath…and then…PRAISE GOD! God is faithful! Trusting that God is faithful often allows us to be grace-filled, even when highly distraught or distressed, as Paul was on his way to Jerusalem.

    As Paul gives his farewell address to those he loves personally and deeply, he summarizes his time in Ephesus. There are some things we should be taking from Paul’s address. First, he sought to be humble. We know that Paul was smart.

    Often smart people act as though they are better than others, just because of their intelligence. Paul made the case that wasn’t this way with him. He did not shy away from telling what needed to be told (profitable). It also tells us that others said many things that were not “profitable” to the Ephesians. This was one of Paul’s deep concerns.

    He warned the Ephesian elders to be aware of those that would tear the innocent apart and lead them astray. He is telling them to grow up. They will no longer be able to rely on Paul to be the leader, but they are now responsible. Paul reminded them of the tears he shed as he spoke the Truth, not just of God’s grace and kingdom, but that people will come (who might even be friends) that will try to destroy the faith of the Ephesians.

    He is doing those last minute reminders. He believes that this journey to Jerusalem will be the end of his journey, and wants them to be prepared both for grief and to wear the mantle of leadership.

    • 1) In his address to the Ephesians, Paul mentions the “…the gospel of God’s grace…” Why is that especially important for Paul as he looks to the end of his journey?
    • 2) When we look at the psalmist’s words about the “speech” of humanity, how can the gospel of God’s grace respond?
    • 3) Paul’s history with Ephesians, and his effectiveness with them was built over years. What does that tell about the legacy of faith?
    • FD) Why does Paul use the imagery of sheep for the people of the church and wolves for the people outside of the faith (not necessarily outside of the church)?

  • Freely Walking

    1 Samuel 2:1–10, John 8:31–36

    Hannah’s joy-filled prayer of praise for her son Samuel is the wonderful response of a woman who had been denied the (cultural) gift children…and then was gifted Samuel. In her case, it was the rival wife (Peninnah) who continually taunted her. Hannah’s (and Peninnah’s) husband, Elkanah, loved her despite her childlessness, and during the special festivals, gave her a double portion, giving her honor above Peninnah. Elkanah did his best to make Hannah feel worthy and loved, but her heart wasn’t on the same page. She went to the Lord in prayer, and the Lord answered her.

    Samuel was born, and Hannah’s shame was done away with. This prayer is amazing. There is joy, praise, thanksgiving…and bittersweetness.

    In faith and faithfulness, Hannah gave her son to the Lord. There is an echo here of the firstborn belonging to God. Hannah did not perform an animal sacrifice. She gave her son. While her heart was full of finally being a mother, her heart was hurting.

    However, just as she was faithful to God, God was gracious to her. She had more children and was now the mother she longed to be. She had been freed to be who she wanted to be.

    One of the greatest promises of Jesus is to be free of the chains that bind us. We can be like Hannah, bound by both societal/cultural chains, by the chains we set upon ourselves, or by the chains that our mistakes become.

    The Jews, for example, had chains of blood. They believed their salvation was tied to their bloodline. By that understanding, they had chained themselves to rigors that God had not intended. Instead of being children of God, they had become “slaves” of the rules in the house of God.

    Jesus wanted to break them free of their chains. The sad truth is that we often become so comfortable in our chains that we do not want them to go away. The weight, while still weighing us down, is comfortable.

    Transformation of our relationship with God is the fulfillment of the Christian life. When we follow our understanding of God’s desires for us, it is not about rules. It is about a loving response to God the Father who loved us before we knew him.

    When we cannot step beyond the rules to relationship, we do not get the true power of living free in Jesus Christ. When we don’t invest in our relationship with God, we are just statues in the house of God that cannot sing the praise and glory of God.

    • 1) What thoughts and habits are still keeping your walk with Christ empty or shallow?
    • 2) Can you relate to Hannah’s freedom? How is it different than we often think of freedom?
    • 3) We often tie our self-worth to others’ perceptions and values of us. How does looking at the freedom that Jesus offers challenge that?
    • FD) How do rules create and limit relationships?

  • It Makes A Difference

    Psalm 54, Isaiah 50:1–11, Mark 6:47–56

    There is an old military quip that went something like, “There are no atheists in foxholes.” How much truth in that statement is up to question, yet there is a strong human tendency to ask for help or deliverance from something greater than themselves. The current culture of press media, social media, politicians, and celebrities is encouraged by this tendency. Somehow, someone else will make it better for us, or at least make us feel better.

    The Psalmist knows who he is asking for deliverance. The psalmist believes that God is indeed faithful and powerful, and can deliver him from all his troubles. Now, to be clear, this deliverance is based upon trust/faith in God, the implied following of God’s will, and that deliverance is within God’s plan. The psalmist does seem to be quite clear that God has delivered him before, which causes him to believe that God will deliver him again. The psalmist’s trust is based upon God’s character, not his own, or someone else’s.

    In the Psalm, it is looking to the past and is for future assurance. On the other hand, in Isaiah we come to the lack of deliverance of Israel. They are not in a place of deliverance. They have been looking to other gods, other peoples…anyone other than God. Now, at their wits end, God becomes a source of hope. It would seem that the divorce certificate and being sold to creditors is the result of their behavior. Not so fast!

    The point being made is that God did not divorce Israel. There is no certificate of divorce, meaning that Israel’s willful separation from God is not permanent! Creditors? That just means a debt has to be paid! Israel may be in a bad place. They are not stuck there! God then assures them that he can deliver them!

    It is strange and sad, that often God has to remind them that he is God, and that he has the power of Creation and salvation. Yet, that is what God is doing here, reminding them (again) that their God can save and restore them! This is God also telling them they are not too far gone. They can be saved.

    The second section of the Isaiah passage is the response of the faithful servant. There are multiple layers in this “servant” passage. This could be considered the words of Isaiah himself, as the faithful prophet trying to get God’s people to recover themselves. This passage (along with the other “servant” passages in Isaiah) are often connected to Jesus. Another layer is a general faithful servant.

    As a generality, it can be seen as the idealized Israel trying to draw-in prodigal Jacob, which is odd on the face, since they are the same person. Yet, Israel is the one chosen and named by God, and Jacob is the one not quite there. We ourselves often walk that line between faithful and faithless. Sometimes we hold tight to God, other times we wander away. Sometimes we are just lukewarm toward God.

    The disciples had their own struggles with this, and they were physically with Jesus! Jesus just fed thousands. The disciples were sent off in a boat. After Jesus had some personal prayer time, he walked on the water to the boat. The disciples then freak out thinking that Jesus is a ghost (or some sort of spirit). Only after he speaks with assurance that they accept that it really is Jesus.

    Mark ends this story with an interesting phrase, “…their hearts were hardened.” Mark uses this passage later on as Jesus is still working on the disciples so they get it. The hardened heart echoes the Pharoah in Exodus, along with the Israelites in the wilderness, immediately prior to and during exile. This is not something to skip over. In the midst of regular undeniable miracles, the hearts of the disciples still did not get it.

    • 1) How were the disciples different than the Israelites? How were they similar?
    • 2) What is the one think you think ultimately made the difference for the disciples to “get it”?
    • 3) How can we follow the psalmist’s example and strengthen our resolve to trust God? How can you strengthen others today in their resolve to trust God?
    • FD) When the arteries/pipes of physical heart become hard, our heart does not work as well. How is that like our spiritual heart?

  • Salvation of Becoming

    Psalm 2; Isaiah 2:1-4; Isaiah 56:1-8; Luke 2:41-52

    Many people have taught and believed that once a person prays the Sinner’s Prayer that they are safe from Hell. The most famous one was used by Billy Graham to lead people to Christ. It is:

    Dear Lord Jesus, I know that I am a sinner, and I ask for Your forgiveness. I believe You died for my sins and rose from the dead. I turn from my sins and invite You to come into my heart and life. I want to trust and follow You as my Lord and Savior. In Your Name.

    Campus Crusade for Christ (now Cru) has a slightly different version, which is:

    Lord Jesus, I need You. Thank You for dying on the cross for my sins. I open the door of my life and receive You as my Savior and Lord. Thank You for forgiving my sins and giving me eternal life. Take control of the throne of my life. Make me the kind of person You want me to be.

    And there are plenty more. While Billy Graham led people to Christ through this prayer, something is missing. The Cru version both simplifies and expands on the famous Billy Graham version. Do you see the biggest difference? Look to the end. The Billy Graham version goes, “…I want to…” The Cru version says, “…Take control…Make me…” Billy Graham firmly believed that relationship with Jesus was not, “say the prayer, and you are done.” Yet, many Christians, using Billy Graham’s prayer, believed exactly that. Many responded (related) to Jesus and lived (or live) a life of daily transformation. Others, sadly, said the prayer, did not change (nor submit to being changed), went on the way they already lived, but assumed they were saved.

    The Cru version is better in that there is an identification that God will be doing the work, and the person will be doing the submission/inviting/surrendering. The Cru version gets closer to the heart of the matter. Salvation isn’t just a series of words, it is a relationship with Jesus Christ.

    In Psalm 2 we read, “You are my son; today I have become your Father.” This a relational transformation. This is the next step of salvation. Both passages of Isaiah consist of relational transformation, you were this, you are now this. Relational transformation is not new to Christ. Through the prophets, God was saying it constantly. It is not the rules, it is the living.

    This past Sunday, we heard about Jesus having difficulties of being a 12-year old boy, and doing things as a 12-year old boy would do. Part of the teaching was how after the event of being lost (okay, left behind) and found (at the Temple), Jesus was obedient, and increased in wisdom and stature. This too is relational transformation. There is a tidbit that wasn’t discussed, as it would have distracted from the message: the question of Jesus’ response.

    There are 2 common translations of Jesus’ words, “…being about my Father’s business…,” and “…be in my Father’s house…” There is a continuity in Jesus’ words, and that is the relationship to God the Father. While we might take it for granted (especially, since it’s Jesus), in the context of the day, Jesus was connecting his identity (and his inheritance) to God the Father, not Joseph his father. Culturally, this is similar to saying, “you’re dead to me,” to Joseph. While this, of course, wasn’t Jesus’ intent, we can take a lesson from it.

    When we pray the sinner’s prayer, make the commitment to allow ourselves to be transformed, and choose to be in relationship with God (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit), we are telling the death, the powers of darkness, the world, and our sin, “you are dead to me.” We then take on the mantle of a child of God.

    1. If Jesus is the Savior, the Lord, why is the temptation so strong to just “get it done” with a prayer? How should the knowledge of that temptation inform your life with Jesus?
    2. Regarding your spiritual life (church, life groups, devotional reading, bible reading, prayer), are you tempted to just, “get it done,” so that you can check it off the list?
    3. Why does “get it done” work against a relationship?
    4. [FD] Why do you want a relationship with Jesus? What is a relationship?