Something for Nothing: Lent Series – Week 2

For these weeks leading up to Easter, we are studying how God works miracles out of nothing.

Reading for this week: Hebrews 11:8-11

“Is anything too hard for the Lord?” ~Genesis 18:14

Out of an unbelieving family, God called Abraham to be the father of all believers. Out of the old, barren womb of Abraham’s wife, Sarah, God promised a child. Out of nothing came generations, nations, kings, and blessings upon blessings.

Even though God promised to work a miracle through Abraham and Sarah, they laughed because they believed what God had promised was impossible. But their laughter was not from joy. It was from cynicism and doubt.

Abraham laughed and said, “Shall a child be born to a man who is a hundred years old?” Sarah also laughed and asked, “After I am worn out, and my lord is old, shall I have pleasure [in a child]?”

Retrieved from – http://dohlesdevos.blogspot.com/

But God replied to their laughter with his own laughter, “Is anything too hard for the Lord?”

God forgave their mistakes, he worked through their limited understanding, and he brought forth a son from the empty womb of Sarah.

As she looked in amazement at the baby boy in her arms, she said, “God has made laughter for me.”

Praise God that when he chooses to work his greatest miracles, he does not require our understanding. He can work through our cynicism and doubt. And in his mercy, he can bring joyful laughter into a life that otherwise had nothing.

Dear God, I am able to do nothing, yet you have chosen to work through me, even when I get in the way or stumble. Thank you for your forgiveness and steadfast love. Amen.

God called forth a nation out of an empty womb. From that nation would come a Savior for all nations. Let’s read about Abraham and Sarah’s story this week.

Day 2 – Genesis 12:1-4; Genesis 15:1-6

Day 3 – Genesis 16:1-3; 15-16

Day 4 – Genesis 17:15-21

Day 5 – Genesis 18:9-14; Genesis 21:1-7

 

 

 

 

 

 

Read Full Post »

Something for Nothing: Lent Series – Week 1

My Lenten devotional series for this year is called – Something for Nothing. It was inspired by Pastor Wheeler’s latest sermon entitled Nothing (3/5/17). For the next 6 weeks leading up to Easter, we are going to study how God works miracles out of nothing.

Reading for today: Hebrews 11:3

God spoke and his very words fashioned the entire universe. Out of dust and his own breath, God spun our human life into existence.

Our fundamental understanding of God’s character is that he is the Creator and he needs nothing to work his miracles.

So if you find yourself at the corner of Empty and Nothing, you are in a perfect spot. If you feel that you have nothing to offer, be ready. If your bank account is empty or you have nothing left to give or your heart is broken, you are standing on the very platform where God does his finest work.

Praise God that when he chooses to work his greatest miracles, he requires absolutely nothing. The exact thing that we are able to give.

Dear God, I am nothing yet you have made me everything. Help me to remember your great love for me so that I can share that great love with others. Amen.

God’s first miracle from nothing was creation. Let’s read through the details of creation this week.

Day 2 – Genesis 1:1-13

Day 3 – Genesis 1:14-25

Day 4 – Genesis 1:26-2:3

Day 5 – Psalm 33:6-12

 

 

 

 

 

Read Full Post »

Accountability and Me: Week 2

Reading for this week: Hebrews 10:19-25

Last week we spent some time answering the question: What are we accountable for?

According to our readings from last week, here is a summary of “The Whats of Christian Accountability”. Get ready, it’s a long list!

1. Care for others
2. Speak the truth in love
3. Grow in Christ
4. Equip yourself and others
5. Put off the desires of your old self
6. Be self-controlled
7. Be renewed
8. Build others up
9. Be kind
10. Be tenderhearted
11. Forgive
12. Walk by the Spirit
13. Love and stir up others in love
14. Be joyful
15. Be patient
16. Be gentle
17. Hold fast to your confession and your hope and be faithful
18. Stir up goodness
19. Regularly meet with fellow believers
20. Encourage each other as we wait for Christ’s second coming

Phew! You thought your New Year’s resolutions list was long? Somehow we just crammed 20 more items onto your 2017 resolutions list.

Before you get too overwhelmed, we need to take a big step backward. This Christian accountability list of “whats” is completely meaningless unless we first take a good, long look at our Christian accountability “whys”.

Why are we even accountable in the first place? Why should we care? Why should we love? Why should we be joyful? Why should we seek out and stir up goodness? Why should we be led by the Spirit? Why should we walk by the Spirit? Why should we meet regularly with other Christians? Why should we even be accountable for anything?

This week, as we dive into scripture, let’s try to answer this more important question: Why are we accountable?

Dear God, It is You first. Not me. As I think about how to prioritize my life, how to be accountable to you and to others, help me to always seek You first. Amen.

Day 2 – 2 Corinthians 5:17-6:1

Day 3 – 1 Peter 2:9-10

Day 4 – Matthew 5:13-16

Day 5 – Matthew 6:25-33

Read Full Post »

Faith: This is not as good as it gets.

We’re back in business! After the summer off, I am ready to study the Word with you again! But before I start posting, I wanted to showcase a bit of Toby’s thoughts. The following devotional is an excerpt taken from his sermon, preached yesterday (August 7, 2016). If you would like to hear his full sermon, it will be posted this Tuesday at http://www.crossview.net/sermons/

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. Hebrews 11:1

Faith is difficult for so many reasons. Belief in Jesus Christ? How many of you here have ever seen this Jesus guy? And you believe he is the very Son of God come in the flesh? That he did all those miracles mentioned in the Bible? That his getting crucified somehow covers all the sins of the whole world?  That he then rose from the dead on the third day? Tell me, when was the last time you saw someone rise from the dead? And you believe this?

You see, this whole faith thing should be impossible. Yet you believe. You’re staking your life, and your life after death, on this Jesus guy you’ve never met. Your ability to believe all this has to be a miracle. Or else you’re crazy, we’re all crazy. All the millions and millions of us Christians who have believed the gospel and held the faith, in spite of all the things we haven’t seen. It’s crazy.

But just like God created and still sustains the universe, He created us in the faith, and sustains us in the faith. And all the problems that we have in this life are there to remind us that in spite of what the world might say, THIS ISN’T OUR HOME.

It’s not our home because Jesus told us we have a new home. Right before he was arrested he made a point to tell his believers, “Don’t let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe in me, too ² My Father’s house has many rooms; if it wasn’t so, I wouldn’t have told you that I’m going there to prepare a place for you? ³ And if I go and prepare a place for you, I’m gonna come back and take you to be with me so you’ll be where I am. ⁴You know the way to the place where I am going. Before long, the world won’t see me anymore, but you’ll see me. An because I live, you also will live.” (John 14)

That’s the promise that all this faith stuff is based on. It’s what we all rely on. It’s what gives us hope in the middle of everything that goes wrong, every day. It’s the firm substance that we believe gives our life meaning. We believe that one day, Christ will come again and that he’ll bring us to the home he’s preparing for us. And that we are going to live like we’ve never lived before!

Dear God, Give me faith! Amen.

Readings for this week:

Day 1 – Hebrews 11:1-16

Day 2 – Hebrews 11:17-12:3

Day 3 – 2 Corinthians 1:21-22

Day 4 – John 14:1-14

Day 5 – John 14:15-30

 

Read Full Post »

Runner’s Guide

Reading for today: Hebrews 12:1-11

The longest race I’ve ever run is a 25K, that’s about 15 ½ miles. When you are running a race that long, it is never called the “Fun Run” or the “Turkey Trot”, because it is not fun and you are not trotting. On the contrary, running a race that long, even for the seasoned runner, is very difficult and requires months of training.

But for most people who have accomplished a race of that magnitude, they know that the pain and preparation were worth it. Not only do they feel the immediate “runner’s high” (the flood of endorphins into the brain, causing feelings of euphoria*), but they also enjoy a long-lasting sense of pride in their accomplishment.

The author of Hebrews describes the Christian life as a long-distance race.

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a crowd of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who or the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.” ~Hebrews 12:1-2

by Runner’s World

That very long-distance sentence is packed with training tips for life.

1. Be encouraged because we are not alone in this race. We are surrounded by witnesses and fellow runners.
2. Sin and distractions slows us down. Get rid of them.
3. We are to run the race marked out for us. Not any other route.
4. Jesus is the rabbit, the pacesetter, and the one we follow. He is the one we look to for guidance because he is the one who calls us to run this race. He knows the route and he will lead us the whole way.
5. Jesus knows the joy or the euphoria waiting at the end because he has already run the race perfectly.

Racing is about convincing your body to do something that will hurt. Why? Because you know that in the end, it will be amazing. Likewise, walking with faith through this life requires discipline and sometimes pain, but it is ultimately for good, preparing us for eternal life.

Dear Jesus, Help us to run the race you have set before us. Lead us. Help us not to get lost, not to get sidetracked. Lead us to the finish line, which sometimes seems so far away. Amen.

Readings for this week:

Day 2 – 1 Corinthians 9:24-27

Day 3 – Philippians 3:8-14; 4:13

Day 4 – Proverbs 4:11-18

Day 5 – 2 Timothy 4:6-8

 

 

*Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/27/health/nutrition/27best.html?_r=0 on April 10, 2016

Read Full Post »