5/17/2023 0 Comments No One is Good, but…Do you think you are too bad for God? Let me put it another way: do you think you are not good enough for God? If you have thought one or both of those things then I have good news for you. You are 100% correct! This is a way in which God reinforces our serious predicament. Now before you toss this away as something you don’t want to think about, hear me out. Yes, it is true that we are both too bad and not good enough. However, this is Good News in the sense that Jesus Christ was and is GOOD enough and “In Him” we are made new as all our sin (badness) is placed on Him and all His righteousness (goodness) is credited to those who are in Christ! WOW! What a great and underserved gift given to those who would receive and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ!
Questions for further thought: 1. In what ways have you put your trust in your own goodness? 2. How can thinking you’re too bad for God also masquerade as mistrust of Him? Challenge: Read and meditate on Ephesians 1 and all the gracious gifts available to us “in Him.”
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5/16/2023 0 Comments The Narrow GateBoth the narrow gate and wide gate are assumed to provide the entrance to God’s Kingdom. Two ways are offered to people. The narrow gate is by faith, only through Christ, constricted and precise. It represents true salvation in God’s way that leads to life eternal. The wide gate includes all religions of works and self-righteousness, with no single way, but it leads to destruction. Christ continually emphasized the difficulty of following Him. Salvation is by grace alone, but it is not easy. It calls for knowledge of the truth, repentance, submission to Christ as Lord, and a willingness to obey His will and Word. Choose the narrow gate!
Questions for further thought: 1. How can I be sure I have chosen the narrow gate? 2. With whom can I discuss this very important question? Challenge: Read and meditate on Matthew 7:13-23. Wait expectantly as God speaks! 5/15/2023 0 Comments The Only WayIn response to Thomas’s question, Jesus declared that He is the way to God because He is the truth of God and the life of God. This is one of the most basic and important passages in Scripture. It gives a clear indication that Jesus is both God and man, and by uniting our lives with His, we are united with God. Jesus says He is the ONLY way to God the Father. Some people may argue that this way is too narrow. Instead of arguing about there not being many ways to God, maybe we should just be thankful for the ONE way He did provide. Amen! The way to God the Father is inclusive in the sense that it is available to all, but it is very exclusive in that it is only achieved through faith in Jesus Christ. Down with many ways; up with Christ!
Questions for further thought: 1. How can we know the way to God? 2. In what ways am I trusting Christ alone as the only provision to be made right with God the Father? Challenge: Trust Jesus to take you to the Father, and all the benefits of being God’s child will be yours. 5/12/2023 0 Comments Attributes of a Good Church LeaderPaul is very straightforward in this passage about the type of person a church should choose to lead the body of Christ. Those in leadership are held to a high standard since they are involved in the management of God’s household. They inevitably become an example for other Christians to look up to, but we must remember that these leaders are human and will make mistakes too. Let’s keep our eyes on Jesus and give our leaders respect, grace, and gratitude as they serve Him in their roles.
Questions for further thought: 1. What other attributes have you seen in good leaders? 2. How can you develop these attributes in your own life? Challenge: Take a moment to express your appreciation to one of our church leaders this weekend. Send an email, write a note, or thank them in person on Sunday. Please also pray for God’s guidance and provision in their lives. 5/11/2023 0 Comments Spiritual “Meat & Potatoes”After becoming a Christian, it’s essential to start growing in spiritual maturity. Each faith journey is different and there is no exact timeline to follow. If the goal is to continually know God better and become more like Jesus, we’re on the right track. We must have a firm foundation of belief in the salvation Christ has provided, yet moldable hearts that are ready and willing to be changed by the Holy Spirit. And we must realize that since all Christians are in different zones of spiritual development, we can’t use their behavior as a way to judge God.
Questions for further thought: 1. What is the most recent faith concept you’ve learned and put into practice? 2. Are you able to start leading others to grow in their faith too? Challenge: If you aren’t happy with your answers to the questions above, you may want to take a more active approach to your spiritual growth. Get into a new bible study, commit to a new service opportunity, read a challenging book, or even ask someone to mentor you. 5/10/2023 0 Comments God's CharacterIt is essential for us to recognize who the object of our faith is. As Christians, we worship the Creator God who is three in one: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. One way He reveals Himself to us is through the inspired writings of the Bible – the Psalms especially are chock full of descriptions of God’s character. When we truly understand the nature of our God and get to know Him personally, our faith will not be shaken by a fellow Christian who lets us down.
Questions for further thought: 1. What characteristic of God creates a sense of worship and awe within you? 2. How can you reflect the essence of Christ to the people around you? Challenge: Make a list of the characteristics of God that you value the most. Post this in a place you will see every day and praise the Lord for at least one item each day. Poor Peter! Like Thomas who has forever been labeled “the Doubter,” Peter will never live down his denial of Jesus. An outspoken leader of the disciples, Peter still royally failed when his faith was tested. What’s important to note, though, is God’s incredible use of Peter later. The first few chapters in the book of Acts describe how he preached boldly about Christ, led thousands to become believers, and was involved in many other miraculous events. Christians’ failures do not define them; God’s mercy and forgiveness do.
Questions for further thought: 1. When have you judged a fellow believer too harshly when they fail to be Christ-like? 2. How has God used your failures in the past to equip you to be effective for Him in the future? Challenge: Don’t let your past stop you from stepping up to be used by the Lord. Pray for courage, wisdom, and humility, then let the Holy Spirit lead you to join Him in doing great things for the Kingdom of God! 5/8/2023 0 Comments Hypocrisy (gasp!)Jesus has a “zero tolerance policy” for blatant hypocrisy from those who should know better. People who are knowledgeable about scripture and claim to love God should live in a way that honors Him and the others He created. Unfortunately, the sins of those in the church globally, especially hypocrisy within leadership, have caused many to turn away from faith. Notice, though, how Jesus directs us to look only to the Father and Messiah for our ultimate authority. We cannot allow the imperfection of other Christians to skew our view of our perfect God.
Questions for further thought: 1. How has your life affected others’ view of the church and faith in God? 2. When have you put church leadership on a pedestal only to be disillusioned later when they inevitably mess up or fail? Challenge: Read the rest of Matthew 23 and consider if Jesus is speaking to you. Are there areas in your life that need more humility? Do you need to have a more compassionate attitude toward those who struggle with sin since you aren’t perfect either? 5/5/2023 0 Comments Church Body: Part 2The other body metaphor for the church is that Christ is our head. This is a powerful image: if all the parts of the body are correctly being directed by the head, the body functions as a perfect unit. But if, say, each foot wants to go its own direction or just one hand wants to clap, chaos will follow. We need to build up our connection to Jesus to get anything right as a church.
Questions for further thought: 1. How often do you find yourself consulting your own understanding first before asking Jesus to guide your path? 2. What are the ways as a church that we can build our connection to Jesus? Challenge: Even if you already have a good prayer and Bible reading routine, add something extra this week to deepen your connection to Jesus. 5/4/2023 0 Comments Church Body: Part 1One metaphor for the body of the church in relation to Christ is as his bride. A bride prepares herself to be lovely and appealing for the man she is promising a lifelong union with. As Christians, of course we know that it is only through Jesus’ blood that we are made beautiful enough for our eventual union at his return. However, as a body of believers, we should always be seeking to allow Christ to transform us, step by step, into something closer to his vision of loveliness.
Questions for further thought: 1. Do you ever think of loveliness as a virtue you are working toward? 2. What does it mean for the church to be lovely as the bride of Christ? Challenge: If you have a hard time thinking of your soul as something that God finds to be lovely and worth loving, pray for two things: Strength to change what you think is ugly in your life and perspective to see what about you is excellent or praiseworthy. |
AuthorThis devotional is written every week by Hillcrest members. Archives
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