2/12/2021 0 Comments Daily ReadingWe have been redeemed by Christ and His plan for our life has been revealed. The Bible is God’s roadmap for that plan. I was challenged some time back to make time for God first daily. I took the challenge and it has really brought the Bible alive. Reading each day and seeing how scripture is so intertwined is amazing. It is also amazing to see how God has used the scripture I have read to help me through the day, or the right words to help someone else through the day. The scripture equips us to do God’s work.
Questions for further thought: 1. Do you read your Bible daily? 2. What steps can you take to make reading the Bible a daily priority? Challenge: Don’t hit the snooze button, get up, read the scripture and spend time in prayer.
0 Comments
2/11/2021 0 Comments The Big RedemptionThe biggest story of redemption in the Bible is God freeing the Israelites from Egypt. He sets free His chosen people. This is the same redemption He gives us today. Yet as we see in verses 10-14, the Israelites begin to doubt as soon as things look tough and they question Moses. Do we do that in our own lives? We claim redemption, and then when things get tough, we tend to doubt. We question God, saying why are you letting this happen? Why do bad things happen to good people? What is happening to our country? We must stand strong as Moses said, “fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the Lord.”
Questions for further thought: 1. What causes you to doubt the redemption you have in Christ? 2. What steps can you take to erase the doubt in your life? Challenge: Walk in faith today and trust God’s plan for your life. Don’t let the “Pharaohs” of your life cause you to doubt. 2/10/2021 0 Comments Mystery / WisdomToday is the third part of God’s redemption and that is His plan for us to “unite all things in Him.” Mystery revealed. In this chaotic world we live in, it’s wonderful to know that God has a plan for us, that we will live in eternity with Him (wisdom). We do not have to live in fear of what is going on around us, we can live in the peace knowing that God loves us and wants to give us a “future and hope.” As Christians, do we live our lives in fear of death or in peace, knowing that one day we’ll be in eternity with Christ?
Questions for further thought: 1. What does being united with God for all eternity mean to you? 2. Do you live a fearless life, proclaiming Christ’s redemption of your life? Challenge: Do not live in fear of the latest news, or what is coming next. Remember in the book of Daniel, God did not protect Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego from the fire, He protected them in the midst of the fire. The same is true for us today. God has redeemed us and is with us. 2/9/2021 0 Comments ForgivenessYesterday we read about how God redeems us. Today we are looking at the second part of His redemption and that is that we have been forgiven. We have been set free. The burdens of this world no longer hold us down. We no longer have to live in fear of sin, but can walk in peace with Christ. We all fall short of the glory of God, but through his forgiveness we are made whole. I heard an old saying the other day, “Yesterday was the past, today is the present, and tomorrow is the future, what are you going to do with today the present?” Today we have the present of forgiveness, what are we doing with it?
Questions for further thought: 1. We have been forgiven by God. How do you show this forgiveness to others around you? 2. We are only guaranteed today. How does this urgency make it more important to share the message of redemption with others today? Challenge: Quiet your heart and listen to where God is leading you to share your message of redemption today. 2/8/2021 0 Comments RedemptionWe are redeemed by the blood of Christ. Wow. By His grace we are forgiven. Amen! He has a plan for us, to reunite us with Him. Hallelujah! All we have to do is accept Him and ask Him to forgive us of our sins. He loves us so much that He sent His son to die for us, so that we can be set free from our sin and guilt. We are blessed to be set free. How do our lives show the redemption we have received in Christ? Do we live in fear and guilt of sin? Or do we show joy and peace to those around us as we have been set free?
Questions for further thought: 1. What can you do to show that you live a life that has been redeemed by Christ? 2. If someone was to come up to you today and ask you what it means to be redeemed, how would you explain it to them? Challenge: Take time this week to write down your story of how you have been redeemed. Keep it close, meditate on it, and share it with others. 2/5/2021 0 Comments Planting SeedsChildren are not afraid to be wrong, but they also are so excited when they get it right! We need to have the same enthusiasm when it comes to telling others about Jesus, especially children. Even when kids seem like they aren’t listening, they often still remember the story. There’s also a benefit for teachers; as the saying goes, “If you want to learn something, read about it. If you want to understand something, write about it. If you want to master something, teach it.”
Questions for further thought: 1. Do you remember a particular Sunday school teacher who influenced you? 2. Have you spent time teaching your kids or others’ kids about Jesus? Challenge: Consider taking part in children’s ministries at Hillcrest. Even if you only help out once a month, you never know when or how a seed you planted will be watered and bloom later on. 2/4/2021 0 Comments The Same Old, Same OldWhen it comes to Sunday school (and maybe also big church), teaching can feel a little repetitious: Obey your parents. Love your friends and siblings. Read the Bible. Pray. Jesus loves you and saves you. But these are the foundations that keep us unshakable as adults. This is how we grow from a child who accepts God and Jesus as the answer without wavering, to a grownup who continues to pursue God with heart and mind and soul, to (if we are lucky) the grandma who seemingly prays with every breath in and out.
Questions for further thought: 1. When was the last time you memorized a Bible verse? 2. What is the best habit that you have when it comes to sustaining your faith? Challenge: Try Pastor Doug’s trick to memorize Proverbs 3:1–4. Read the verses to memorize, write them down from memory, then go back and correct what you got wrong. Also write out what each verse means in simple language, as if you were explaining it to a child. Try this every day for a week; then set a reminder on your phone to try it again in one week and see if you still remember. 2/3/2021 0 Comments I Don't KnowIsaiah 55:8 Little kids aren’t as afraid to be wrong as adults are. They’ll make up their own answers if they’re not certain. For example, a recent interpretation of a picture of John baptizing was “He’s saving that man from drowning!” Adults need to recognize that it’s OK not to know what God wants or what a particular Bible section means. His ways are not our ways. We don’t need to be right; we need to be listening, learning, and seeking.
Questions for further thought: 1. Does it bother you when you don’t feel like you know enough about a particular Bible passage or spiritual topic? 2. Are you afraid to speak up in a small group or conversation because you don’t 100 percent know the answer? Challenge: Ask God to help overcome both your fear of speaking up and your pride at always knowing the answer. 2/2/2021 0 Comments The Sunday School AnswerThere are two favorite responses in Sunday school: “God” and “Jesus” – even when the question is something like “Who built the ark?” But on some level, the kids are right: Jesus is the answer. If all we do as a church is instill the habit of turning to Jesus first, no matter what is happening, we have done a good job. And that goes for adults, too, even if we are simply thanking God for our morning coffee.
Questions for further thought: 1. What is your first instinct when there’s trouble: solving it yourself, or seeking God’s guidance and help? 2. How can you remind yourself to seek God first? Challenge: Each night and each morning this week, ask God to nudge you to seek him in all circumstances. Maybe even set a reminder on your cellphone or add a sticky note to your computer screen: “Seek God first.” 2/1/2021 0 Comments Kissing BabiesIt’s possible that the parents who brought their babies for Jesus to bless were just attracted by his fame and looking for a “photo op.” After all, kissing babies is something we associate (sometimes jokingly) with politicians today. But Jesus could communicate at a more direct level with even the smallest baby if he chose to. More than that, he knew the parents’ intentions because he could see into their hearts. Parents who turned to him for a blessing were making a promise to raise their children up in the right way, much like we do when we hold baby dedications.
Questions for further thought: 1. What is your earliest memory of knowing Jesus? 2. Do you think it’s important for children to begin to know Jesus at a young age, even before they can possibly have a memory of it? Challenge: Follow Jesus’ example and take extra time to notice the kids who run around in church. Be tolerant of noisy, squirmy toddlers and crying babies. |
AuthorThis devotional is written every week by Hillcrest members. Archives
April 2024
Receive this devotional in your inbox every Monday - Friday.
|