June 15 - Lesson 3
Printed Text: 1 John 2:1-11
Central Truth: The Christian can live confidently in a sin-saturated world.
June 8 - Lesson 2
Printed Text: 1 John 1:1-10
Central Truth: The Christian enjoys the fellowship of God’s family.
Read Exodus 25:10-22
“And there I will meet with thee, and I will commune with thee from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubims which are upon the ark of the testimony, of all things which I will give thee in commandment unto the children of Israel” (v. 22).
There are many reasons why people choose us to be their friends. Some choose us because of a good deed we have done for them. Some choose those that have a great deal of this world’s goods and they think that by choosing them they may benefit by having the wealthy to be their friend.
I am so grateful for those who have chosen to let me be their friend and to have fellowship with them. They have not made that choice because I am wealthy so they can benefit financially. Neither have they chosen my friendship because of good deeds I might do for them, for I am limited in what I can do. They chose my friendship and fellowship because they love God and He has commanded us to love one another.
God told Moses that He would meet with him and commune with him from above the mercy seat. We should be grateful that we are not limited to meeting and communing with God in a certain church or in a particular place within the church, but He will meet and commune with us in the place of obedience. As God told Saul through Samuel, He expects obedience and not sacrifice in order to have fellowship with Him. (Larry DeOrnellis)
Jesus said He would never leave or forsake us, and He is available for fellowship with us wherever we come to Him.
This week’s featured devotional is the Thursday, June 5, 2014 entry of Opening the Word. Order your copy!
Photo credit: "<3" by James Kim used under CC BY-SA 2.0 / Resized and cropped.
Read Psalm 19:7-11
“The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes” (v. 8).
What an amazing book!
The Bible begins with God, “In the beginning God” and ends with man, “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.” The Bible is a message from God to man, to bring man to God. The first recorded words of man are, “I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid . . . and I hid myself,” and some of the last words are, “Even so, come, Lord Jesus.”
The Bible answers three important questions: Where did we come from? Why are we here? Where are we going?
Paul, in 2 Timothy 3:16, tells us that the Bible is inspired by God, and “is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in
righteousness.” God’s specific purpose for the scriptures is that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished for all good works.
Doctrines are actually principles to live by. Solomon considered these principles to be so important that he gave four ways we can respond to them in Proverbs 4:20, 21: (1) “Attend to my words.” (2) “Incline thine ear unto my sayings.” (3) “Let them not depart from thine eyes.” (4) “Keep them in the midst of thine heart.” (Calvin Bennett)
Let God breathe inspiration into your life through His Word.
This week’s featured devotional is the Monday, May 26, 2014 entry of Opening the Word. Order your copy!
Photo credit: "IMG_6255" by Jeremy Nicholson used under CC BY 2.0 / Resized and cropped.
June 1 - Lesson 1
Printed Text: John 20:24-31
Central Truth: God’s Word inspires faith in Christ.
Lesson Outline:
May 25, 2014 - Lesson 13
Printed Text: Acts 28:17-24, 30, 31
Central Truth: The man who is moving in the will of God has inner victory despite all outward circumstances.
Lesson Outline:
Read Acts 28:1-10
“And it came to pass, that the father of Publius lay sick of a fever and of a bloody flux: to whom Paul entered in, and prayed, and laid his hands on him, and healed him” (v. 8).
Being in a sanctuary and enjoying radiant beauty as the light streams through stained glass windows is calming. Soothing. Even healing. This is an excellent environment in which to open ourselves up to what God wants to say to us through His messenger. We are spiritually reinvigorated. But for what purpose?
While it is true that we personally need these times of worship and renewal, it is not only for our personal benefit, but it is also necessary to fit us for the work outside the walls of the church. We are called to go out allowing God to touch others through our lives. That is the essence of effective gospel outreach.
How is it with you? Is your pattern to drag into church on Sunday with the hope that your gospel “fix” will get you through another week of trials and tests? What you are really looking for is like getting another coat of “spiritual Teflon®” that will protect from the onslaughts of the world.
Here is a better way to look at this. Yes, come to church for the personal help you need, both from God and through the communion of believers, but go out into the world with the intention of staying focused on your real mission in life — to spread the good news. To comfort those hurting and oppressed. To help others encounter God. (Ken Farmer)
This week’s featured devotional is the Monday, May 19, 2014 entry of Opening the Word. Order your copy!
Photo credit: "IMG_4677" by Urban Girl used under CC BY 2.0 / Resized and cropped.
May 18, 2014 - Lesson 12
Printed Text: Acts 27:15-25, 33-36
Central Truth: Faith in God will bring us safely through the storms of life.
Lesson Outline:
Read Psalm 107:23-30
“For he commandeth, and raiseth the stormy wind, which lifteth up the waves thereof” (v. 25).
Ever wonder how marine creatures ended up as fossils atop the highest mountains? I recently heard a creationist geologist explain his model of what happened during Noah’s flood. While his explanation is too complex for this devotional, evidence indicates that God used several cataclysmic processes to cover the continents with repeated surges of sea water that deposited the multi-layered graveyards of untold numbers of creatures.
Not even the most powerful tropical storms of today begin to duplicate the results of the flood, but they do display God’s mighty power. For example, consider Hurricane Sandy. With a wind field 1100 miles in diameter, Sandy’s storm surges and flooding rains inflicted an estimated $65 billion in damages in the United States alone. In the face of such power, how puny a human being seems!
How small we feel when the storms of life rage about us! That is when we need to remember that the God who controls the wind and waves of the sea, controls our lives. In answer to prayer, He will bring calm to our spirits — even in the midst of the tempest. (JLC)
If a storm is battering your little vessel, do not jump ship! The Master is on board and still speaks peace.
This week’s featured devotional is the Monday, May 12, 2014 entry of Opening the Word. Order your copy!
Photo credit: "I almost crossed this one" by Marsel Minga used under CC0 / Cropped.
Read Daniel 5:17-31
“This is the interpretation of the thing: MENE; God hath numbered thy kingdom, and finished it” (v. 26).
Effective witness is based on God’s Word. When the strange message appeared on King Belshazzar’s wall, no one could understand its meaning. Not even the wisest astrologers and soothsayers of his kingdom were able to decipher the words that had materialized. What could the king do?
The queen recalled a man named Daniel, in whom was “the spirit of the holy gods,” a man of excellent spirit, knowledge, and understanding, who had interpreted dreams and dissolved doubts (vs. 10-12). The king called Daniel and presented him with the problem — and God gave His prophet the meaning of the words and conveyed through him the divine message.
Philip also used God’s Word as the foundation of witness when he spoke with the eunuch on the Gaza road. The eunuch was traveling in his chariot, reading a scroll, and puzzling over the words of Isaiah 53. Like Belshazzar, the eunuch read words he did not comprehend. “Does this man speak of himself or of someone else?” he asked (Acts 8:34). Evangelist Philip, using Isaiah’s words as his text, “opened his mouth . . . and preached unto him Jesus” (v. 35).
Salvation comes by way of God’s Word. We are saved through faith in Him and His promises, not by human platitudes or pronouncements. Using appropriate Scripture is a key means of giving effective witness. (SEH)
God delights in the sharing of His Word.
This week’s featured devotional is the Tuesday, May 16, 2014 entry of Opening the Word. Order your copy!