Daily Devotion for August 31, 2024

 

Devotion:

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Read Matthew 5:46-48.

In the new sermon series we start tomorrow, we are following up on the one we just finished. We’re looking at some ways that Jesus began putting his teaching into practice as soon as he came off of that mountain. The scenes of tomorrow relate to these verses of his teaching from the mountain. And being on a mountain is very appropriate to these verses. Earlier, in verses 43-44, he said, “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you….” He follows that up to say that if we are only loving those who love us, we’re doing nothing more than anybody else does. Everybody is able to be kind to those who are kind to them. The really hard part is being kind to, even loving, those who are not kind, who are hard to love. Jesus calls his followers to a much higher standard: “Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” We are called/invited/challenged to grow each and every day in the love of God, so that we more and more share that love. And remember, this is a God who loved us and everybody else before we ever thought of loving God.

Tomorrow we will look at those scenes when Jesus came off of the mountain. I hope you are planning to be with us in worship. And if you can’t be there in person, be sure to watch online at some point. Invite someone else to join you. Maybe they could be part of your carload!

Personal Worship Option:

Offer this prayer or one in your own words: Oh Lord, help to grow in your love today and every day, so that I more and more live your love toward others. In the name of the One who embodied our love, Amen.

Daily Devotion for August 30, 2024

 

Devotion:

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Read 1 Samuel 24:1-19.

David had the opportunity to kill the man who was trying to kill him. But he spared Saul’s life. God was teaching him to reject the ways of this world. We also have regular opportunities to show people a different way to live. David was pursued, unrelentingly, by King Saul. By all standards, except for God’s, he would have been justified in giving in to his men’s encouragement to kill the king. David maintained his priorities - God first. This afforded him the courage to withstand the trials and temptations that he faced.

David models how to give grace to the person who gives nothing but grief. Sometimes the world tells us to do certain actions, to focus on ourselves, to justify whatever we choose to do. God says to keep priorities right and follow him always. Who are you listening to?

Personal Worship Option:

Do you have a “Saul” in your life? Pray for them. Look for ways to extend grace to that person.

Daily Devotion for August 29, 2024

 

Devotion:

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Read 1 Kings 3:5-14.

Solomon became a great king through God’s incredible blessings to him. We read that Solomon showed his love for God by walking according to the instructions of his father David. One night, God came to him in a dream and said, “Ask for whatever you want.” Solomon answered well by asking for wisdom to govern God’s people.

God was pleased by this request, so he gave Solomon remarkable wisdom. God also promised Solomon great wealth and honor, saying that he would be the greatest king. It wasn’t long after that night that God fulfilled those promises.

What gift do you especially ask from God? Many people today ask for money, power, and recognition. Maybe the request of Solomon would have a greater impact on us. God does not demand that we be perfect as we walk with him. But he wants us to try to walk faithfully, depending on his Spirit to guide us. Pray daily for God’s wisdom in your life. Whatever gift God gives you, use it to serve others.

Personal Worship Option:

God, I know I am not perfect, but I do want to walk with you faithfully. Fill me with your Spirit and help me to use my gifts in your service. Amen.

Daily Devotion for August 28, 2024

 

Devotion:

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Read 1 Samuel 16:1, 6-7.

In today’s scripture, the prophet Samuel is called by God to go to Jesse’s family in Bethlehem to choose a new king that will replace Saul as the king over Israel. You see, Saul has disappointed God and God decides that a change must occur. Samuel tells God that he is frightened to go against Saul, but God convinces Samuel to confront his fear and go anyway. So, Samuel does as God commands. He goes to Jesse and invites him and his household to the sacrifice that he was offering to God. As the sons approach the site of the sacrifice, Samuel spots the oldest son, Eliab, who is tall, strong, and good looking. Samuel thinks that “yes, this must be the one.” But God told Samuel, “no, he is not the one. You look upon the appearance, but I look at the heart.” Samuel proceeds through all of Jesse’s sons who are present at the sacrifice and God rejects them all. So, Samuel asks Jesse if all of his sons are present. When Jesse tells him that David, his youngest son, is tending the sheep, Samuel tells Jesse to send for him. He may be the youngest and the one that tradition considers the least worthy of honor, but God tells Samuel that David is the one who is chosen to follow Saul as King. 

All too often we let the outward appearance of a person cloud our judgment of their fitness for a task. We have seen this recently at the Paris Olympics in the story of Stephen Nedoroscik, the Rubik’s Cube solving, Clark Kent style glasses wearing, self-described nerd whose specialty was the Pommel Horse. In fact, that was his only element and his placement on the men’s US Olympic Gymnastics team was controversial. But Stephen, like David, proved that outward appearance does not define a person as he gained a bronze medal in the individuals (only the fourth for the US since WWII) and anchored the team bronze medal in gymnastics for the first time since 2008.

The bottom line is that God sees us for who we truly are, not how the world might see us. And what God sees in us may well exceed what the “conventional wisdom” sees in our possibilities.

Personal Worship Option:

Pray: O God, help us to see the possibilities of the people around us. Help us to see beyond the faults that are evident on the outside and see the truth that lies within. For you, O God, have looked beyond my faults and saw my need and my potential. Amen.

Daily Devotion for August 27, 2024

 

Devotion:

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Read Isaiah 55:7-9.

God is big; we are small. God is perfect; we are not. God is all-powerful; we are weak. God is never ending; we have but a few years on the earth he created.

God is beyond us, like the end of the universe is beyond the earth. Trillions of light years separate the boundary of limitless space and bright burning stars, yet it all falls under God’s hand. We should be careful to remember this when we speak of Him.

When we talk of God, we should make certain we understand that we can never fully understand Him. Yes, He has revealed Himself to us, but only in part.

When we think of God, we should remember that His “thoughts are not [our] thoughts”, and “neither are [our] ways [His] ways.”

There should be a humility in us when we think or speak of God, a deep reverence that knows He is beyond us in every way. This respect, if held rightly, won’t lead us further from God, but closer.

It will do so because we will ask with the Psalmist, “What is man that You are mindful of him, and the son of man that You care for him?” (Psalm 8:4)

There is nothing God gets from us that He can’t get better from Himself, yet He still loves and pursues us. God is definitely love, and this makes us want to know and be amazed by Him.

Personal Worship Option:

Be humbled by the grandeur and selfless love of our God who is beyond our full comprehension.

Daily Devotion for August 26, 2024

 

Devotion:

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Read Ruth 1:8-18.

We often hear the words, “Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God” at weddings. These words are very fitting for a young bride and groom to use in committing to being with the other for the rest of their lives. We are surprised sometimes to do as we have done today, that is, read these verses in their original setting and realize they were uttered by a daughter-in-law to her mother-in-law!

Naomi’s husband and her sons had died, and their widows now had no means of support. Their custom would have been to return to their parents’ homes, and Orpah did so. But Ruth loved her mother-in- law so deeply that she could not fathom leaving Naomi to return alone to Israel. It is a great testament to Naomi that she had lived before Ruth in such a way that Ruth was determined to worship and live for the God whom Naomi worshiped. Upon their return to Bethlehem, Ruth married a good man and would have a great-grandson whose name was David, the great king. Not following the world’s customs enabled Ruth to find happiness for herself and for Naomi, as well as to give Israel its greatest king.

Personal Worship Option:

Are there practices in our culture today that you feel stand in the way of following God’s will? It is not easy to be a nonconformist, but sometimes God calls us to do just that. Pray for guidance to do what God would have you do instead of blindly following the world’s ways.

Daily Devotion for August 25, 2024

 

Devotion:

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Read Matthew 7:28-29.

These are the concluding verses of “The Sermon On The Mount.” (By the way, it is not a sermon as such but was so labeled by St. Augustine in the fifth century. Rather than a sermon, it is a composed collection of Jesus’ teaching by Matthew.) We find out that the crowds have been listening in as Jesus taught his disciples. It is a reminder that the world is watching and listening to what we say and teach and whether we are living that teaching in our everyday life and relationships.

In The New Interpreters’ Bible Commentary, Eugene Boring shares this reflection: “In addressing the difficult ethical issues of our own time, a church that takes Matthew’s model seriously will neither attempt to legislate public morality for people of all religions and none, nor will it withdraw into a sectarian community concerned only about the ethical life of its own members. The text encourages the church to work out its own ethic based on the presuppositions of its own faith, but to do so with an eye on the crowds that share its ethical concerns, even if they do not share its faith or consider it irrelevant. Such ethical concern and action is a mode of evangelism….”

It will always be a challenge to find the balance between the one extreme of forcing our way on the world and on the other extreme, withdrawing from the world. May we never cease in seeking the Spirit to guide us in finding that balance.

Personal Worship Option:

Reflect on what it means to you that the people experienced a different “authority” in Jesus’ teaching than what their “teachers of the law” had taught them.

Daily Devotion for August 24, 2024

 

Devotion:

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Read Matthew 7:24-27.

There is a key phrase in verse 24: “...and puts them into practice…” Jesus makes it clear that it is not enough just to listen to him and even agree with him. It is not enough just to believe (and affirm) in your mind what Jesus says. It’s just as important to put his teaching into practice in your everyday life and in your relationships with people. It is a follow-up emphasis to what he had just said in verse 21: “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father….” It is not enough to say that Jesus Christ is your Lord if you are not living your life according to his way.

Jesus follows this up with a great illustration of two people building a house, one on a solid foundation and another on a weak foundation. When the storms came (and they inevitably come to every person), only the house/life built on a solid foundation was able to keep standing through the storm. 

Be reminded and encouraged today to build your life on the solid foundation of the teaching and way of Jesus Christ. Keep learning and growing every day in living by what he taught in both words and actions. Later in this same Gospel (22:34-40) he will sum up his teaching and way this way: Love God and love people. That’s a solid foundation on which to build.

Personal Worship Option:

Edward Mote wrote the words to the hymn “My Hope Is Built.” The refrain is the perfect line for this passage. I invite you to repeat it throughout this day: “On Christ the solid rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand.”

Daily Devotion for August 23, 2024

 

Devotion:

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Read Matthew 7:21-23.

It is not enough to just say that Jesus Christ is our Lord and that we believe in him. We must also live by what he teaches us. You want to make a difference in your world? Live a holy life. Be faithful. Don’t cheat. Love your neighbor. Do your work without complaining. Do your part and enjoy life. Don’t speak one message and live another.

People are watching the way we act more than they are listening to what we say. When a person’s ways and words are the same, the result is priceless. But when a person says one thing and lives another, the result is destructive. People will know we are Christians, not because we say so, but because we live the life of Christ.

Personal Worship Option:

What would others say about your life? Think of three specific steps you can take to live the life that Jesus has called you to live.

Daily Devotion for August 22, 2024

 

Devotion:

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Read Matthew 7:15-20.

Jesus warns his followers about being duped by false teachers. He uses the phrase that a wolf can be dressed in sheep’s clothing. Sadly, there are pastors, teachers, and other leaders who try to manipulate the flock of Jesus Christ. They proclaim things that benefit them and are foreign to the gospel. If we believe what we hear from false leaders, they can be harmful to our faith. Often the message sounds appealing. We are told that if we just believe, God will reward us with wealth or material blessings. Often, we are made to feel as if it is our job to try harder and do more to earn God’s favor.

But those are not the teachings of Christ or of faithful Christian leaders. Authentic teachers, preachers, and pastors can be identified by their lives, actions, and proclamations. They demonstrate a vibrant relationship with Jesus Christ in their lives, and they cultivate the same DNA in the people they lead. Genuine Christian leaders will always point you to Jesus Christ. When you seek leadership from Christian authors, teachers, or pastors, can you discern genuineness?

Personal Worship Option:

Dear God, help us to be authentic in our faith and our actions. May we be an example to others of living the way of Jesus. Amen.

Daily Devotion for August 21, 2024

 

Devotion:

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Read Matthew 7:13-14.

A few weeks back, Pastor David preached a sermon entitled, “It’s not supposed to be easy!” In today’s Scripture, Jesus is reminding us of that. He is telling the people who are hearing this Sermon on the Mount that the “road that leads to life” is narrow and difficult. And it is true that there are people who will tell you that becoming a Christian will cause your life to become a bed of roses. But as the old Lynn Anderson song says, “I beg your pardon, I never promised you a rose garden!”

The good news is that although the way of Jesus may be difficult, we don’t travel that road alone. The Holy Spirit is there to walk with us and to help us bear the load that we carry in life. We are not alone. If we seek God through Jesus Christ and keep our focus on Jesus, then we will find that it still won’t be without struggle and heartache. However, we will be able to get through the heartache with the help of Jesus through the Holy Spirit’s presence with us.

Personal Worship Option:

Gracious God, thank you for sharing your Holy Spirit with us to help us when the path toward you is rough. Help us to stay focused on your will for us even when we are discouraged. Thank you for walking the path with us. Amen.

Daily Devotion for August 20, 2024

 

Devotion:

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Read Matthew 7:7-12.

THEREFORE, WHATEVER YOU WANT MEN TO DO FOR YOU, DO ALSO TO THEM, FOR THIS IS THE LAW AND THE PROPHETS. - MATTHEW 7:12 (NKJV)

This verse is known as the “golden rule.”

A phrase that has been used often around the world and throughout history by philosophers, preachers and theologians.

As Christians, we are meant to be the salt and light of the earth. We are meant to be holy and set apart from the rest. We are to be representatives of Jesus Christ and His kingdom everywhere we go.

We all want others to treat us with respect, kindness and dignity, so we should do our best to treat others the same.

Whenever you go out to a restaurant, be kind to the server.

Whenever the cashier at your grocery store is a bit slow because it’s their first day, show them grace and patience.

No doubt we’ve all wished we had a kind person who loved the Lord around to show us grace when we’ve messed up!

When you choose to treat others the way you’d like to be treated– with kindness, respect, patience and grace, you demonstrate the love of God and glorify Him!

To take it a step further, choose to treat people well even when they don’t treat you the way you’d like.

It’s easy to love people who love you in return, but when you have the maturity to show love to people who aren’t loving, you glorify God’s kingdom and become an even brighter light of His glory and goodness!

“For if you love those loving you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?” Matthew 5:46 (NKJV)

Today, choose to treat others the way you’d like to be treated, even IF they don’t return the favor. You are the salt and light of the world! A vessel of treasure with the Living One inside you!

Personal Worship Option:

Heavenly Father, thank you for helping me to be a lighthouse of your glory. Use me as a vessel of your love and shine your light into the world! I choose to be loving even to those who aren’t. Amen.

Daily Devotion for August 19, 2024

 

Devotion:

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Read Matthew 7:1-6.

Many of us will forever have a particular image in our minds when we read this passage. At FunDay Sunday this past spring, Pastor Nathan preached from this passage. At a point in the sermon, he reached down and put a hardhat on his head. Protruding from the front and rear of the hardhat was a huge two by four. It was an effective prop to illustrate the passage, and the children’s director immediately asked to borrow the hardhat for Power Up. She wanted to share that powerful image with our kids. Jesus was being humorous when he compared the speck of sawdust in the other person’s eye that we are prone to point out, even when we have a plank protruding from our own eye.

The key point here is that we are not to judge others. I cannot remember how many times I have said, “Not to be judgmental here, but…” and then I proceed to judge someone. We never know enough about the other person, their background, or the details of their situation to be their judge. And as Jesus powerfully reminds us in this passage, we likely have much more to be judged for than does the other person.

Personal Worship Option:

Think for a few moments about opinions you have formed recently about other people. Were some of those opinions negative? Did this amount to judging? Jesus would have us reflect on where we need to be better instead of judging others.

Daily Devotion for August 18, 2024

 

Devotion:

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Read Matthew 6:25-34.

As he often did, Jesus uses images from everyday life to illustrate his teaching. In this case, he points to birds and flowers to paint a picture of what he is talking about. Last month, I shared with some of you about seeing a sloth hanging beside the walkway at the hotel where our Costa Rica mission team stayed. A crowd of 15-20 people had gathered around, taking pictures and being fascinated by this creature of nature. I can imagine Jesus using this little guy to illustrate the same teaching he is offering in this passage. That sloth seemed to have no worries and was certainly in no hurry to go anywhere!

It is all too common for any of us to scurry about with busy lives, filling up our daily schedules and worried about what might happen next (or what else we need to add to the schedule). Jesus was rather clear about an alternative lifestyle that focuses instead on a way of life he taught with both his words and his actions. Make his kingdom your priority. Learn and live his way.

Jesus acknowledges that there are troubles in life (v. 34). He challenges us to stay focused on dealing with the ones we have today. That is enough for now. Trust God to provide for now.

Personal Worship Option:

Join us in worship this morning as we continue exploring this portion of Jesus’ teaching from “The Sermon On The Mount.” I hope to see you at Christ Church! (If you cannot make it in person, be sure to watch online, either live or later.)

Daily Devotion for August 17, 2024

 

Devotion:

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Read Matthew 6:22-23.

Jesus invites us to think about what we are looking for in our everyday living. What is it that gets most of your attention from day to day? For some their focus is on money and how they can make as much of it as possible, seeking more and more of the things of this world. Some people seem to focus on the bad news, others on the good news. Some look to build people up; others focus on tearing them down. Some look for a ray of hope; others only see despair. Some see the possibilities; others see only the problems. What is it that gets most of your attention from day to day?

It is noteworthy that Matthew places these two verses in between two passages that focus on treasures and money. So, for him, that is his focus for this passage, whether we are focused on money and treasures of this world or whether our attention is on God and storing up “treasures in heaven.” So, which is it for you? What gets most of your attention from day to day?

Personal Worship Options:

Take some time to write down where you spent your time and your money over the past month. Offer a prayer to God, asking for wisdom on how you could spend both better.

Daily Devotion for August 16, 2024

 

Devotion:

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Read Matthew 6:19-21, 24.

These verses focus on not letting money and the “things of this world” take on too much importance in our life, making sure that God and God’s ways are our priority. Are you investing in the currency of heaven? The currency of this world will be worth nothing when you die or when Christ returns, both of which could happen at any moment. If you and I stockpile earthly treasure and not heavenly treasure, what does that say about where we put our trust? Whom do you trust? God or the god of more? More will break your heart. But the King of kings will catch you every single time.

Do you find yourself worrying about your everyday needs? Think of times God fulfilled your needs. Share that story with someone today.

Personal Worship Option:

Place your worries and needs before God today. Thank him for taking care of you. Be specific. Face the day with confidence because God is with you!

Daily Devotion for August 15, 2024

 

Devotion:

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Read Matthew 6:16-18.

In this passage Jesus is critical of people who try to get attention for the good things they do, which in this case is fasting. In Jesus' day the Jews put ashes on their heads when they were fasting, as a sign to others of their devotion to God. Jesus was concerned that people were fasting only for the sake of showing it to the people around them. He warned that if people performed religious acts to impress others, they were not impressing God. The discipline of fasting, like prayer, is meant to draw us nearer to God. The disciplines are meant to make us pure in heart before God.

Our spiritual practices are meant for God, for our relationship with Him alone. We should be careful in talking about our fasting or other spiritual practices with other people or posting about them on social media. While there may be a genuine need to share experiences with others, we must think about the temptation to turn others’ attention toward us. Jesus starts verse 16 off by saying “when you fast” assuming that all were fasting. It is clear that fasting and prayer are often cited together in scripture. Have you tried it?

Personal Worship Option:

Dear God, help us to focus on the goal of strengthening our relationships with you in all that we do. Whether it is through fasting, prayer, or study, make us be guided by you. Amen.

Daily Devotion for August 14, 2024

 

Devotion:

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Read Matthew 6:9-15.

Our Scripture for today should be very familiar to us. We know it as the Lord’s Prayer. We recite it at least every Sunday during our time of worship to conclude the pastoral prayer. An alternate version of this prayer appears in Luke 11:2-4. We “know” the prayer, but do we really take time to understand what we are asking when we pray it?

Verse 12 says, “And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.” Jesus explains what he means in verses 14-15, “For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.” Have you ever thought about that phrase? Jesus tells us that God will forgive us in the same measure that we forgive others. That is powerful… and concerning. Because it is too easy to hold a grudge or to be judgmental in our relationships. Yes, forgiveness can be hard work. But Jesus also reminds us that we are not alone. The Holy Spirit is there to help us, to guide us, and to give us the strength to do what we need to do.

Personal Worship Option:

Gracious God, I’ll admit that I don’t always get it right. Help me to forgive others as you have forgiven me and let that spirit of forgiveness become an integral part of my life. Amen.

Daily Devotion for August 13, 2024

 

Devotion:

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Read Matthew 6:5-8.

When you meet with your beloved in the secret place, leave all pretense at the door. Cast aside the cookie cutter prayers and cancel all rehearsal scripts, because to the Lord, you are already completely transparent to Him. God can see right through any wall we put up and through all the fancy prayers we may try to impress with.

Back in the days when Jesus walked the earth, the religious leaders would often put on a public display of eloquent sounding prayers in order to draw attention to themselves.

Sadly, their prayers were rooted in pride, not in love for God.

Jesus makes it clear that lengthy and flowery worded prayers aren’t necessary.

We don’t have to be in a specific place or be before specific people other than the Lord Himself within the privacy of our relationship with Him.

The moment you choose to be open and honest with God is when your relationship with Him deepens. The moment you allow genuine prayers to be birthed from the depths of your heart is when breakthroughs start to take place.

God doesn’t want us to look at prayer time with Him as a task or homework assignment to be checked off. Neither is it a time to perform, not in front of people or Him.

Understand that God already knows your deepest need. When you choose to lean on, trust in, and be confident in Him, He is able to mold you according to His will.

Personal Worship Option:

Today, meet with Him in the secret place. There, you will find more than you ever could across the entire world. Offer your heart-filled prayers to Him and be permeated with His presence. There, He will make you whole again.