Wednesday, May 30, 2012 - Proverbs 13-15; Romans 11 - BEYOND RECOVERY


S - Romans 11:11 Again I ask: Did they stumble so as to fall beyond recovery? Not at all! Rather, because of their transgression, salvation has come to the Gentiles to make Israel envious.


O- Paul is speaking of God's chosen people who have rejected Him.


A - The Israelites are not beyond recovery.  And so then, neither am I.  I am not hopeless.  I see the freedom that lies in total devotion to God and I want it.  I want it enough to leave my old ways behind and to attain it for myself.


P - Lord Jesus, thank You that true freedom comes from You.  Teach me to walk in this freedom of recovery and provoke others to envy what You have given me so much that they want it for themselves.

Saturday, May 26, 2012 Prov. 1-3; Rom 7 S=Scripture; O=Observation; A=Application; P=Prayer “The Law Cannot Save” S – Romans 7:6 “But now we have been delivered from the law, having died to what we were held by, so that we should serve in the newness of the Spirit and not in the oldness of the letter. O- Paul addresses the difference between the law and grace, the flesh and the spirit, and how the law cannot save us from death. A – We hear it all the time, “ I’m a good person, I don’t do this and I don’t do that.,” or “ I have a knowledge of what is written in the Ten Commandments and I pretty much follow them. “ and “I was raised up in Sunday School and know right from wrong.” These are all good things and we need to practice what we have learned from them every day, but the written word of the law although holy and good is not what saves us from the sins of the flesh. Its purpose is to reveal and make us consciously aware of the sin that is in our lives. It does not produce righteousness within us apart from the saving grace of Christ Jesus. By the law we walk in death, by grace we walk in newness of life. So, which will it be life with Christ or death without Him? I choose life! P – Father thank you for delivering us from the letter of the law through and by the saving grace of your Son who gave us newness of life to those who believe. Amen.

Friday June 25, 2012
1 King, 10-11;2 Chronicles 9
Romans 6

IT’S FREE
S-o 6:23  :For the wages of sin pays in death, but this bountiful free gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ.”

O-Paul is explaining that even though we are free from sin…that it no way gives us the permission to sin..

A- I love the word FREE…when I see a free sign on things I must check it out!  Well when I gave my life to Jesus He offered me the FREE gift of eternal life…how awesome is that?  This  does not give me permission to do my own thing…but should inspire me to do all I can for the Kingdom.

P-Thank  you God for the free gift of salvation, abundant life and eternal life.

RIGHTEOUSNESS

Wednesday, May 23, 2012 – 2 Chronicles 6,7; Psalm 135; Romans 4 

S – Romans 4:4-5 (The Message) If you're a hard worker and do a good job, you deserve your pay; we don't call your wages a gift. But if you see that the job is too big for you, that it's something only God can do, and you trust him to do it—you could never do it for yourself no matter how hard and long you worked—well, that trusting-him-to-do-it is what gets you set right with God, by God. Sheer gift.

O – Have faith that only God can make us holy. This is righteousness.

A – I know that apart from God I am nothing.  I can’t climb a mountain called “Holy” and reach this summit called “Kingdom of God.”  It is not by my efforts that I am saved from eternity in hell.  It is only because of God and who He is.  He loves me and He just wants to scoop me up in His big hand and transport me to His kingdom.  No climbing required.  Just faith that His hand is there.

P – Lord, I love You.  Thank You for Your gift.  I want to know You more.  Reveal more of Yourself to me, in Jesus’ name I pray.

Encouragement 101

Sunday May 20, 2012 – 1 Kings 6; 2 Chronicles 3; Psalms 97; Romans 1

S:  Romans 1:12 (Amp):  That is, that we may be mutually strengthened and encouraged and comforted by each other’s faith, both yours and mine.

O:  As believers when we share our faith and struggles with one another we are both encouraged and comforted.

A:  I love how that works.  Whether you are the one imparting encouragement or the one receiving it – when two believers get real and share their victories and struggles with one another both are encouraged and both of them are blessed with renewed faith.  We were created to be relational beings.  It was never God’s intent for us to live solitary lives but to live real and out loud – to share our hurts and disappointments; to share our struggles and our victories.  Not pretending allows other people around us to pray for and encourage us.  We ALL need to be encouraged.  Take a risk.  Get real.  Share with someone else what you are going through.  Seek out someone today who you think may need encouragement and be an encourager.   Take a risk.

P:  Father God I love that you made me to need other people.  I surrender myself completely to you.  I lay down anything like pride that tries to prevent me from letting anyone see my insides.  Lord let me be me today.  The real me.  No pretending.  Let me encourage those who come to me with their needs and Lord let me be open to receive the encouragement of others who you place in my path.    Amen.

ACKNOWLEDGE

Wednesday, May 16, 2012 - 1 Kings 1; 1 Chronicles 28; Psalm 91; 1 Thessalonians 5

S - 1 Thessalonians 5:12 Now we ask of you, brothers and sisters, to acknowledge those who work hard among you, who care for you in the Lord and who admonish you.

O - This is how we Christians should treat each other.

A - Acknowledge people for what they do.  Criticism flies so easily.  If I find it easy to find wrong and hard to find right in a person or thing or happening, then God tells me to check MY attitude.  I'm so grateful God doesn't do that with me.  He looks at me and sees the gold.  I need to do likewise.

P - Father God, I thank You for Your son, Jesus.  You dwell within me.  Help me to look around and see all things good that You created.

MY WORST ENEMY

S-Psalm. 55:3 “…I am distracted at the noise of the enemy…”

O-The Psalmist is crying out to God as he fears his enemies.

A-The Amplified Bible says I am distracted.  When things are not going well we can easily become distracted. We feel the enemy is out to get us.  In fact, many times we are our own worst enemy.  We take our eyes off of God and become distracted by our perceptions of the situation and allow them to become fact.  I feel like I waste so much time and energy when I do this.  The good I could’ve done is trumped by acting on my perception of the situation…ugh.

P-O Lord, please be my filter…help me to see clearly and not be brought down or distracted. Psalm 55:23b says “…But I will trust in, lean on, and confidently rely on You.