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Read 1 Peter 2:11 Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. Reflect What tempts you to sin? What steps are you taking or could you take to limit or eliminate this temptation from your life? In today’s passage, the apostle Peter gave us a vivid picture of the “passions of the flesh”. He said that they “wage war against your soul”. The notes of my MacArthur Study Bible read: “In order to have an imp

Read Psalm 56:3-4 When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can flesh do to me? Reflect What worries or fears are you wrestling with right now? How are you managing those emotions? Maybe you can relate: While wrestling with a situation, in you head, you know that God is worthy of your complete trust. But your feelings are all over the place. One moment you’re at peace with whatever happens because God is

Read Genesis 2:15 The LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it. Reflect What is your attitude concerning work? Do you view it as a blessing or a necessary evil? Did you ever look at the need to work and decide that it’s a consequence of Adam and Eve’s disobedience? That, if they hadn’t sinned, we wouldn’t need to work today. It’s a common enough thought that even kids ask about it in Sunday school. This is probably rooted in thoughts of G

Read Psalm 16:1-2, 5-6, 9-11 Preserve me, O God, for in you I take refuge. I say to the LORD, “You are my Lord; I have no good apart from you.” The LORD is my chosen portion and my cup; you hold my lot. The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance…Therefore my heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices; my flesh also dwells secure. For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol, or let your holy one see corruption. You make known to me th

Read 1 Peter 2:2 Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation—if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good. Reflect Prayerfully consider how much you’ve grown spiritually in the past year. What did you consume that contributed to your spiritual growth the most? What do you think hindered your spiritual growth the most? There has been a lot of research about the benefits of a mother’s milk. According to studies a mother’s

Read James 1:5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. Reflect How confident are you when it comes to talking about your faith? What do you think you could do to increase your confidence? When I talk with other people about evangelism and outreach, I often hear the same thing. People say things like, “I just don’t know what to say!” People express feeling unprepared and ill-equipped. Maybe you can r

Read Acts 17:1-4 Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews. And Paul went in, as was his custom, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from Scriptures, explaining and proving that it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead, and saying, “This Jesus, whom I proclaim to you, is the Christ. And some of them were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a great

Read John 4:35-38 “Do you not say, ‘There are yet four months, then comes the harvest’? Look, I tell you, lift up your eyes, and see that the fields are white for harvest. Already the one who reaps is receiving wages and gathering fruit for eternal life, so that sower and reaper may rejoice together. For here the saying holds true, ‘One sows and another reaps.’ I sent you to reap that for which you did not labor. Others have labored, and you have entered into their labor.” Re

Read 2 Corinthians 5:20 Therefore, we are ambassadors of Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. Reflect When you think of someone who is an ambassador, what do you think of? What is their role and responsibilities? According to Merriam-Webster, an ambassador is “an official envoy or representative of a government or sovereign, especially in a foreign country.” The primary role of an ambassador or a diplomat is to c

Read Romans 10:14-15 How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” Reflect Why should believers have a sense of urgency when it comes to sharing the Gospel? The Gotquestions.org podcast (episode 203) once welcomed

Read Matthew 28:18-20 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Reflect According to today’s passage, what mission did Jesus give believers? Is that something you are actively participati

Read Colossians 1:9-12 And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy; giving thanks to the Father, who ha

Read 1 Kings 8:61 Let your heart therefore be wholly true to the LORD our God, walking in his statutes and keeping his commandments, as at this day. Reflect What does being loyal to the Lord look like in everyday life? Why is He the only One truly worthy of our loyalty? Most of us know the greatest commandment—love the LORD your God with all of your heart, soul, mind, and strength (Mark 12:30). We know that we are supposed to love God with an undivided heart but that often me

Read Ephesians 6:18 …praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints. Reflect What is on your heart and mind lately? Are you persevering in prayer about it? Jesus once told a parable about a persistent widow and an unjust judge. In this parable, the widow kept coming to this crooked judge, pleading with him for justice against her adversary. But he refused to rule fairl

Read 2 Timothy 2:15 Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth. Reflect Why is it important to live in obedience to God’s Word? Does right doctrine really matter? Barna Group published research in 2017 called “Competing Worldviews Influence Today’s Christians.” As part of that study, they polled practicing Christians who regularly attend church and consider their faith to be an important

Read Colossians 3:15-17 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. Reflect What are the benefits of p

Read 1 Corinthians 15:58 Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.” Reflect Prayerfully consider how you are “abounding in the work of the Lord.” When I think about people who have led faithful Christian lives, I tend to think first of people who served the Lord well in their lifetimes. People like evangelists, missionaries, pastors, teachers, etc. People whose steadfa

Read James 2:20-24 Do you want to be shown, you foolish person that faith apart from works is useless? Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar? You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works; and the Scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”-and he was called a friend of God. You see that a person is justified by works and n

Read 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24 Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it. Reflect What does it mean to be justified and sanctified? Theologians use big words all the time. You may have heard them use the terms justification and sanctification. For example, one of our recent messages quoted, “For with the heart o

Read Romans 10:9-10 …because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. Reflect What does it mean to believe in Jesus? What specific beliefs about Jesus result in our salvation? When we go back to the Bible, we read over and over again that you must believe in Jesus to have eternal life. But I

Read John 20:30-31 Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. Reflect Why isn’t it enough to simply acknowledge that there is a God? Why must a person place their faith in Jesus in order to be saved? You have to make a decision about Jesus. Who exactly was He? Historically, there

Read Romans 3:23-25a …for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. Reflect How well do you tend to recognize sin in your own life? When you become aware of your sin, how does it make you feel? Do you want to be immediately unpopular? Say that all humans are sinners from birth. Trust me, I’ve learned

Read Acts 16:30-31 Then he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.” Reflect Growing up, what were you taught about salvation? Did that teaching match up with Scripture? Many people want to know what we have to do to be saved. Most religions have certain steps that you have to follow and different rules that you must adhere to in order to go to heaven. To make it su

Read 2 Corinthians 5:6-9 So we are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, for we walk by faith, not by sight. Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord. So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him. Reflect Have you ever wanted to know the future? Why or why not? Have you ever prayed a prayer like this: “God, I know you have my whole future m