Daily Devotion, October 31, 2023

 

Devotion:

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Read Psalm 23.

This Psalm is the most well-known and beloved Psalm. The Lord is pictured as our Shepherd, and we are his sheep. Take some time to learn about the true nature of sheep, and you will understand more about yourself.

Sheep are helpless without their shepherd. They continually get themselves in trouble. Did you know that if a sheep falls and ends up on his back with his feet in the air he cannot turn himself over? He will die that way unless someone comes and turns him over.

Our Shepherd, the Lord Jesus, cares for us like no earthly shepherd ever could. When we are sick or in trouble, He comforts us. When we go astray, He gently turns and directs us until we are again on the right path, and when we enter the valley of the shadow of death, He guides and directs our way. We never need to fear for He will guide us all of the days of our lives upon this earth and will then lead us safely into His courts to live with Him forever!

Christ is our faithful Shepherd who knows who His true sheep are and never neglects or abandons them. With the Psalmist we may say in confidence, surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

What an amazing God we serve.

Personal Worship Option:

Pray that today you will walk in peace and joy because your Shepherd is faithfully there to lead and guide you in the way you should go.

Daily Devotion, October 30, 2023

 

Devotion:

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Read Matthew 14:22-23.

This passage comes between, right smack in the middle of, two huge events in Jesus’ ministry. Earlier in the day, he had fed the 5,000; and later in the evening he would walk on the water of the Sea of Galilee – no small things! I find it interesting that Matthew tells us about this private break that Jesus took between those events. There is a huge lesson in this for us. Jesus needed the power and strength made available to him by his Heavenly Father in replenishing times of private prayer. And if Jesus needed that, how much more do we need our own times of prayer!

Being a good (so to speak) Methodist, I have a routine for my morning time of daily devotion. I usually head to my study with a cup of coffee in hand, read a passage of Scripture from my devotional guide, open my prayer list, and spend quiet time in prayer. But sometimes, the events of the day ahead press in upon me, and I jump right into my work. Inevitably when I do that, things just do not click. So, I back up and spend my time in prayer. Prayer time is a bit like taking time to sharpen our saw.

Personal Worship Option:

You may have many things to do and are eager to get on with them. I encourage you to push those things aside for now and open your heart in quiet prayer. Ask God for what you need, pray for others, and then really listen to what God has to say to you. Then go!!

Daily Devotion, October 29, 2023

 

Devotion:

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Read 1 Corinthians 12:12-20, 27.

When I was a freshman in high school, I broke my ankle playing football. It was in a cast for six weeks and I had to use crutches to get around. I thought about that when I read this Scripture this time. With assistance, I could still function and get where I needed to go, but nowhere near like I could before. That small ankle bone may not look as important as other parts of the body but is just as needed as every other part. When it was broken, my whole body was affected.

The Apostle Paul used a great image here to communicate the importance of every member of the church. We all have been given various gifts, talents, interests and ways of serving and contributing to the function of the whole church. When some are missing or unable to make their contribution, we figure out ways to compensate and keep on functioning, but it does affect us as a whole.

Be assured that you have something to offer in the life of the Church. Be assured that you make a difference. Be assured that you are needed. Please help us help each other know that.

Personal Worship Option:

Offer this prayer or one like it in your own words: Gracious God, thank you for all the gifts you have given me. Help me do my part in the overall functioning of your Church. And guide me to regularly affirm others in your Body as well. Through Christ, Amen.

Daily Devotion, October 28, 2023

 

Devotion:

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Read Luke 15:1-10.

In this chapter, Luke packages together three stories of that which was lost being found. It is sometimes called the “Lost and Found” chapter of the Bible. Be sure and take note of the first two verses, where he gives us the reason why Jesus told these stories.

As was always the case, Jesus uses scenes and images from everyday life that would connect with his listeners to describe some aspect of the kingdom of God. Everybody in that culture and time knew about sheep and coins. As those who seek to share his message with others, this is a reminder to prayerfully and thoughtfully search for what those images are in our culture and time.

The focus at the end of each story is on the value of just one person to God and all the inhabitants of heaven. When even one person who has lost their way is found and restored, they celebrate in heaven! I invite you to see at least points of emphasis here. First, be assured that you are valued. God loves you and there is nothing you can do to change that. Second, as representatives of this God, we are to value each person we meet. God loves and values them too and invites us to learn to do so as well.

Personal Worship Option:

Offer this prayer or one like it in your own words: Shepherd God, thank you for loving and valuing me as one of your own. Help me also be one of your assistant shepherds. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Daily Devotion, October 27, 2023

 

Devotion:

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Read Luke 18:15-17.

The other day I was with my nephew and his children. He stepped out of the room for a few minutes. When he returned his little boy’s eyes lit up and went running to him excitedly saying, “Daddy, Daddy!” It was a good reminder to me to cultivate that same heart toward my Abba, Father - God.

Children are valuable in the kingdom of God. Jesus says they have a lot to teach us about what it takes to be part of it. He wants us to come as little children. What does it mean to become a little child? Carefree. Joy-filled. Playful. Trusting. Curious. Excited. Forget greatness; see littleness. Trust more: strut less. Make lots of requests and accept all good gifts. Come to God the way a child comes to Daddy. YOU are His child, and YOU are important to God. His arms are open to you, and He longs to bless and love you.

Personal Worship Option:

Reflect on your heart’s position in coming to God. Are you running toward Him? Running away from Him? Excited to experience His presence? What is your Abba Father saying to you?

Daily Devotion, October 26, 2023

 

Devotion:

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Read 1 Thessalonians 5:12-15.

These final instructions that Paul gives out in this scripture passage are hard to live out. He is asking us to praise others who work hard and to be grateful when they reprimand us for wrongdoing. Paul says we are to live in peace. That seems impossible these days. We are to strive to do what is good for each other even if we do not know them. How often do we want to treat someone poorly because they have treated us badly? Paul instructs us to not pay back wrong with wrong.

Part of our Christian behavior is to encourage others and be patient. Are we thinking of this when we blast our horn when a car is slow to go through a green traffic light? Do we hurriedly run with our grocery cart to get in the checkout line ahead of someone? We are supposed to be Christlike. Take meals to someone who is sick. Feeding the homeless, mentoring someone who is in jail, teaching a Bible study, and working toward justice are all ways that we can live out the instructions in this passage. We are to live and serve together. It is challenging and hard to live the Jesus way. It is also rewarding to live this way and be thankful for the sacrificial love and grace that we have been shown.

Personal Worship Option:

God, Make us channels of your peace and help us to show love and grace to those around us. Amen.

Daily Devotion, October 25, 2023

 

Devotion:

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Read Matthew 6:25-26.

At her birth, I saw her in the palm of her obstetrician’s hand as he carried her to the newborn’s intensive care unit. At her three months’ baptism, her parents gave out tiny wooden crosses, with today’s reference: Matthew 6:25-26. This would be a reminder of God’s abiding care. At her baptism, the congregation and her family rejoiced, gave thanks and praised God!

I was greeted around the same time, with a confession and question by one who was one hundred and five. “I was unkind to my caregiver today; do you think God can forgive me?”

“Yes, God can forgive you!” I responded.

“I will be kinder tomorrow.” She promised.

Human beings and God’s gift of life are precious and valuable at every stage of life. Today we read of God’s incredible care for the flowers and the birds. Here, Jesus is telling his listeners then and now “How much more valuable are the human beings God has created and how much more care God will give!”

Today’s verses are part of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. Many who are listening then and now need to know how valuable they are to God and that God will take care of them. Matthew weaves continually throughout his gospel, this thread of, the “how much more” is God’s love for God’s own creation. In Matthew 7: 9-11, Jesus reminds us that if we as earthly parents love and care for our children, how much more will the heavenly Father love and care for his children. And in Matthew 10:29-31, Jesus says, “do not be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.”

Personal Worship Option:

Lord, thank you for taking care of us, your creation. Help us to see the ways you value others and be kind to them, in the ways you would want us to. Amen.

Daily Devotion, October 24, 2023

 

Devotion:

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Read Psalm 8.

Thirty centuries after David wrote these words, we feel the same awe when we consider the starry heavens. Astronauts have been physically able to walk on the same moon that David could observe only from a distance, yet all the knowledge that has been gained about the universe in which we live only serves to deepen our impression of the tremendous wisdom and power of God. How vast is the universe in which we live! How tremendous is the power that sustains it all and keeps it operating as one harmonious unit!

Then he faces the inevitable question that comes to those who contemplate God's greatness. 'What is man, he asks, in the sight of a God who could make a universe like this? You will recognize that this is the question that cries for an answer in our day. What are humans? Where did they come from? What is their purpose here? Why do they exist on this small planet in this vast universe?

The psalmist goes on to answer his own question: You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor (Psalm 8:5). Man has a unique relationship to God. He was made to be a little less than God. Man was to be the instrument by which God would do His work in the world and the expression of the character and being of God. He is the creature nearest to God. There is none other nearer, for God Himself was to live in man.

Personal Worship Option:

God created human beings to be fully alive in union with Him. Are we allowing God to restore that union with the risen Christ to be fully alive in and through us?

Daily Devotion, October 23, 2023

 

Devotion:

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Read Colossians 4:7-17.

As Paul comes to the end of this letter, he names several brave people who have come to be near him in prison. One of them, Aristarchus, is a fellow prisoner. Some of them, like Mark and Luke, are familiar to us. Mark is believed to have written one of the gospels, and the Gentile physician Luke wrote both a gospel and Acts. Others whom Paul names here are known only by this one reference, but their work was important; and Paul wanted the Christians in Colossae and Laodicea to know that. This serves as a good reminder to us that some of the most important work in the faith is done by people who are in the background, get no press, and are content to serve in this way.

Reverend Paul Smith, our first Minister of Evangelism, preached a sermon once called, “Be a Piccolo Player.” In it, he emphasized how the piccolo is a really small instrument. Rarely is the piccolo featured in a solo part, and the instrumentalist sits quietly waiting for his or her part. But when it is played, its sound is the perfect complement to the violins and other instruments. That was a great analogy, illustrating our call to be among those who serve in valuable and important ways without notice or fanfare.

Personal Worship Option:

Make a point this week to see those who serve in our church in quiet but valuable ways. There are lots of them! Call or send them a text to say you have noticed and express your appreciation. Then resolve to be one of them.

Daily Devotion, October 22, 2023

 

Devotion:

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Read Romans 15:14-16.

Paul writes of his own calling to tell the good news of Jesus to outsiders. He was convinced that this was the primary mission Jesus Christ himself had given him and he devoted his remaining life to fulfilling that mission. Having been raised to believe that God was primarily focused on the Jewish people, he now knew that God was just as interested in everyone else. Paul was willing to face all kind of threats from his own people in order to share that message with as many people as he could.

Though we all are not called to do so to the number of people he did, we are all called to share that news with as many as we can. There are people all around you who do not realize God’s desire to be in relationship with them. They do not know of God’s love or forgiveness for them. God has placed you in their life as one who knows that good news and is called to explore and discover the best way to share it with them. That begins with prayer, because it is the Holy Spirit who will guide you all along the way. The Spirit is working in their life as well and will show you how best to share this good news with them.

The key question is this: are you willing to go share it? My prayer for you is that you will not only be willing to do so, but that you will develop a passion to do so.

Personal Worship Option:

Offer this prayer or one like it in your own words: O Lord who came to give us the good news, help me develop a passion to share your good news with as many people as I can. Amen.

Daily Devotion, October 21, 2023

 

Devotion:

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Read 1 Peter 3:15-16.

I see two great points of emphasis in these verses: always be prepared to tell others about the hope you have in Christ and do so with gentleness and respect. First, we are to constantly be looking for opportunities to tell the good news of Jesus, which includes a kind of hope that always assures us that God can help us overcome anything that happens in life, as well as an assurance of life with God after we finish our time here on earth. Sometimes those opportunities come as we are telling others about ourselves. Sometimes they come when we are living our life in such a way that someone asks us to explain how we are able to deal with certain situations of difficulty and struggle.

I believe the second “point of emphasis” is just as important as the first: HOW we go about sharing this message with others. We may have a great message to share, but if we do it in such a way that we turn others off, we have not fulfilled our purpose. Message and method go together. “Gentleness and respect” are two very good descriptive words for the method we are to use. The Common English Bible uses “respectful humility.”

Just as you give prayerful thought about WHAT it is you seek to share the good news of Jesus - the best words or images or stories to offer with a particular person or group, also give prayerful thought to HOW you will go about sharing it - the best time and attitude with which to share it. Again, message and method go together.

Personal Worship Option:

Offer this prayer or one like it in your own words: Gracious God, guide me in both my message and method as I seek to share your good news with others. Through Christ, Amen.

Daily Devotion, October 20, 2023

 

Devotion:

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Read Matthew 19:13-15.

As the Church, our mission is to share the good news of Jesus Christ with all ages, including the children. Praise be to God for all those who are especially gifted at connecting with children and helping them know they are loved by God. Jesus told his disciples to make more disciples as they preached, baptized and taught. Jesus still commands us to tell others the Good News and make them disciples for the Kingdom.

We are told to go - whether it is next door or across the globe - and make disciples. It’s not an option but a command to all who call Jesus “LORD”. We have all received gifts that we can use to reach others. As we explore what that looks like for ourselves, remember that children, youth and adults are all precious in God’s heart.

Personal Worship Option:

Look for ways to encourage or support a child. A smile, kind word, or a high five can make a difference.

Daily Devotion, October 19, 2023

 

Devotion:

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Read Acts 16:16-34.

The jailer had fallen asleep while a couple of prisoners, Paul and Silas, were singing hymns. When he woke up, the prison doors were wide open, and the prisoners were not in the cell. He had failed miserably. He worried that his superiors might torture him and then kill him. He began to think suicide was the only way out. Then he saw that he could be overreacting. The situation was not as bad as he had thought. He had assumed the prisoners had escaped through the open doors, but they were still there!

The jailer realized that those two singing prisoners had something he didn't have. How could he be saved? Paul and Silas gave a simple answer - “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.” To reach the non-believers, we need to simply come down to a very personable, vulnerable encounter with others. We best communicate Christ’s life and his passion for us by forming relationships and sharing our story. We are to share God’s love. When people take Jesus into their lives, they are filled with joy which they then pass on to others.

Personal Worship Option:

Lord, help us to exhibit our joy in you to others. Let us not forget that you are always with us to guide us through the easy and tough times. Give us the desire to share your story with others. Amen.

Daily Devotion, October 18, 2023

 

Devotion:

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Read Acts 11:19-26.

This week’s devotionals are focusing on our sharing the good news of Jesus Christ with others. This book of Acts begins with Jesus telling his followers to go be his witnesses near and far. “To the ends of the earth,” Jesus says in Acts 1:8.

In the verses prior to today’s verses, Peter is telling the story of the vision he had three times of the large sheet coming down from heaven. On this sheet, he saw four-footed animals of the earth, wild beasts, reptiles and birds. And he heard a voice telling him, ‘Get up, Peter. Kill and eat.’ Peter replied that nothing impure or unclean had ever entered his mouth. Then the voice spoke from heaven a second time, ‘Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.’

Peter and the others listening to his story realized that the message of the good news of Jesus Christ was to be shared with the Gentile people. The ones sent to Antioch were there for a whole year meeting with the church and teaching the people. This is the first place the believers were called Christians. For the ones sent to Antioch, they were led by the Holy Spirit to move beyond their comfort zone. This is one scene where Jesus’ mission was being fulfilled.

Personal Worship Option:

How might the Holy Spirit be leading you “beyond your comfort zone” to share the good news of Jesus Christ through words, actions or both?

Daily Devotion, October 17, 2023

 

Devotion:

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Read Acts 10:34-45.

[When Cornelius told Peter about his vision instructing him to send for Peter,] Peter replied, "I see very clearly that God shows no favoritism. In every nation he accepts those who fear him and do what is right."

— Acts 10:34-35 NLT

In his Great Commission, Jesus sent us to reach the world with the message of his grace (Matthew 28:18-20). Luke structured his story of the early church around the theme of bearing witness to "to the ends of the earth" (Acts 1:8). Peter's fresh understanding of this call to "go and make disciples of all the nations" now pours forth a statement that speaks of a turning point of eternal significance for all humankind. The marker among people isn't race, gender, political affiliation, or socio-economic rank; it is whether or not a person knows and believes in Jesus and does his will. All other differences pale in comparison and become prejudicial ways of separating people into self-serving groups. Peter said, "I see very clearly that God shows no favoritism." This is our Father's world-changing truth! Surely, it must also be our way of life (Matthew 5:48, 12:50).

Personal Worship Option:

Precious Father, may your children live the yearning of your heart for all people to know your grace offered to them in Jesus, in whose name, I pray. Amen.

Daily Devotion, October 16, 2023

 

Devotion:

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Read Acts 1:1-8.

All of the recorded words of Jesus are important to his followers. They provide his teachings to us almost as if Jesus were talking directly to us, so we read and study them carefully. But the most important of Jesus’ recorded words are the ones he speaks toward the end of his time on earth. Here he called his apostles to him and gave them his final instructions. I believe these instructions are meant for all followers of Christ, not just for those original apostles.

The key instruction in this passage comes in verse 8, where Jesus instructs us to be his witnesses at home, in surrounding areas, in difficult places, and all over the earth. He emphatically says, “...you will be my witnesses…” A witness must have seen, heard, or experienced something noteworthy; but the work of the witness is not complete until that something is articulated in a way that others can understand and believe it. I like to say that the absolute best, most effective, witness happens when someone sees us doing something good and asks why we did it. That opens the door for us to witness, telling them how our faith in Jesus Christ shapes how we live. They will likely want to know more.

Personal Worship Option:

Think about people you know well who have not yet accepted Jesus Christ. What would be the most effective way to share with them how much Christ means to you? Pray for the opportunity and courage to share that with them…the greatest gift you could give them.

Daily Devotion, October 15, 2023

 

Devotion:

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Read Romans 8:12-16.

“For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God.” (vs. 14) “The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.” (vs. 16) In verse 12 (in the NIV) Paul refers to the people to whom he is writing as “brothers and sisters.” He sees them as part of his family.

Through Jesus Christ, God seeks to adopt us all into the family. We are invited to know that God loves us, forgives us and receives us as daughters and sons. This understanding seems to come into my mind most often when I am participating in Communion. As all of the people receive the bread and cup, I see them as part of my family, as my brothers and sisters in Christ.

 

God also invites us to join in this mission to invite others into the family, to be out searching for people who will become our siblings. What if we all began to see every person we encounter every day as a potential brother and sister? Would that not change our efforts to do anything we can to help them, serve them and guide them into a relationship with God? God wants them in the family. May that be our desire as well.

Personal Worship Option:

We’re having our weekly “family reunion” again today! Come join us for worship at either 9:30 or 11:15. Your brothers and sisters hope to see you there!

Daily Devotion, October 14, 2023

 

Devotion:

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Read Genesis 12:1-3.

Yes, we looked at this passage last week. We visit it again to be reminded of God’s desire from the beginning to include every person. From the earliest Biblical stories, we find read of this God seeking to reach out and bridge the divide that the humans have created. From a heart and mind of grace, God expelled Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden but maintained a relationship with them. Even when it looked like the whole “human experiment” was going to need to be destroyed, God reached out through Noah to start all over again.

Here in our passage for today, God tries again through Abram. And from the beginning of this relationship, God makes clear a desire to bless all of the people of the earth.

It is that foundational desire and purpose of God that is to motivate and guide God’s people in our mission. God seeks for every person to be a part of the family of God. That makes us all potential brothers and sisters. We are to be constantly seeking and inviting those around us to become our siblings. Why? Our “Heavenly Father” said to.

Personal Worship Option:

Brian Wren wrote a beautiful song for Communion titled “I Come With Joy.” Here are two verses that fit our focus this week:

I come with Christians far and near to find, as all are fed, the new community of love in Christ’s communion bread….

As Christ breaks bread and bids us share, each proud division end. That love that made us makes us one, and strangers now are friends, and strangers now are friends.

We might even say they’re family.

Daily Devotion, October 13, 2023

 

Devotion:

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Read Acts 17:19-34.

Paul seeks to share God’s good news with people in Athens. Paul found common ground to share the gospel with the Greeks, both with their belief in an unknown god and Greek poetry. The beginning of verse 29 is our focus this week: “Therefore since we are God’s offspring…” we are compelled to share who God is and make clear what he did for everyone through his Son, Jesus. We cannot assume that even religious people around us truly know Jesus or understand the importance of faith in him.

When we share our faith with others, we can follow Paul’s approach: use examples, establish common ground, and then move people toward a decision about Jesus. Don’t hesitate to share your faith because you fear that it will not be received. Don’t expect a positive response every time. We are to be faithful to share and allow God’s Spirit to work in other’s hearts.

Personal Worship Option:

Reflect on when you were introduced to the faith, what kind of testimony intrigued you? How can you share with others the life you have found in Christ? Look for someone to share with today.

Daily Devotion, October 12, 2023

 

Devotion:

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Read Mark 9:38-41.

When someone is serving effectively in the name of Jesus, but we don’t know them or know much about their church, does that mean we are not on the same team? Of course, it doesn’t. After all, Jesus is the one in charge and he can use who he wants. The disciples had come across a man doing ministry in Jesus' name, but he wasn't one of them. So, they put a stop to this unauthorized ministry to protect Jesus' reputation. They told Jesus about it, thinking that they would be praised, but Jesus told them not to stop him. That is when Jesus said whoever is not against us is for us.

If we're honest, sometimes we Christians can be overly protective of our own turf.  We see others ministering or worshiping Jesus in a different way, and it makes us uncomfortable. Jesus tells us to be careful in how we speak about one another. The disciples had begun to make distinctions about who was allowed to bring help and hope to persons. They wanted to corner the market. Jesus had to explain how he wanted to expand the reach of his good news in this world.

Today we need to realize that as Christians there is more that binds us together than what separates us. When Christians pray and work together, it honors God and creates a powerful witness.

Personal Worship Option:

Father, forgive me for the times I have been disrespectful of Christians of other traditions. Bless your church around the world, that the world may see your love in us. Amen.