Go & Tell

Luke 8:26-39

One of my favorite things to hear are the testimonies of fellow believers. I love to hear how the faithfulness of God always provides a way when there is no way. I love to hear when the grace of God reaches down into the darkness and brings a heart to life. I love to hear when the once unloved now realize what true love really means. Our God is a God of amazing and wonderful things. Amen!?

When reading through the Gospels, we see that during the start of Jesus’ ministry He would work miracles, but then tell the people not to say anything about this. When we read in Luke 8 however, we see that Jesus tells this man to go and tell. What’s the difference with this dude? After reading, you can see that this guy literally lived in death. I mean think about it, the reality of physical death surrounded him. Not only that, but he was possessed by demons. I love this story so much because at the sound of Jesus ALL darkness flees. At the sound of the name of Jesus!

Now I want you to imagine yourself as that man. He was in bondage, but now set free. He lived in death, and now had been given life. The things that held him down held him no more. My friends, GOD IS AWESOME! And all Jesus tells this man to do is “DECLARE how much God has done for you.” I know that I do not stand alone, but God has done the miraculous in my life. I pray that we be a church that proclaims the faithfulness of God. He is worthy. He is faithful. Will you go and tell!?

Prime-Time Discussion:

Grab a sheet of paper. Take some time today to write out your testimony. Write about what God has done in your life.

This week tell someone you know, believer or non-believer, your testimony in 3-5 minutes.

Take some time today and recount and rethink on the blessings and the faithfulness of God.

Night-Time Prayer:

Jesus, you are faithful. Thank you for the ways you have worked in my life! Help me to share what you have done in me with one who needs to hear about who You are.

devotion by Channing Gillespie

Teach Me to Pray

Luke 11:1-4

“Lord teach us to pray.” This phrase has both baffled me and amazed me. These men walked with Jesus. They walked with Creator God in human flesh. The one who spoke and it was… And they ask “teach us to pray.” As much as that baffles me, it amazes me all the more.

What great joy we have to know that the God of the universe hears our prayers! All throughout scripture we see the centrality that prayer had in Jesus’ life. Jesus, who is fully God and fully man, saw the importance and the necessity of communicating with His heavenly Father. So here is a question:

Is your prayer life revolved around the relationship or the request?

The Lord spoke to my heart when I read that simple phrase that the disciples asked Jesus. “Lord teach us to pray.” I really believe a lot of us need to ask the Lord that. “Lord teach me how to pray like You!”

Sooner or later life almost overwhelms you with pressures and problems—physical problems (give us daily bread), relational and mental problems (forgive us our debts), moral problems (lead us not into temptation).  And what I want you to see is this…

You have a Father. He is a thousand times better as a Father than the best human father. His fatherhood means he cares about every one of those problems, and he beckons you to talk to him about them in prayer, and to come to him for help.

Prime-Time Discussion: 

Is your prayer life more revolved around the relationship or the request?

On a scale of 1 to 5, 1 being the least and 5 being the greatest, how would you rate your prayer life?

How do you plan to make your prayer life a greater priority?

Night-Time Prayer:

Jesus, teach me how to pray! May you create in me a new heart for prayer. Help me see the power and the purpose of speaking with You through prayer.

devotion by Channing Gillespie

Meek Don’t Mean Weak!

Read or Listen: Matt. 11:25-30

A farmer and his young son went into the wheat fields at harvest time. As they looked across the waving fields of golden grain, the boy exclaimed, “Father, look at those heads of wheat that hold themselves up so proudly. I suppose that those with their heads hanging low are of poor quality and probably worthless.”” Not at all, son!” the farmer said. Then taking some of the wheat heads in his hands, he showed the boy that the heads that stood up so proudly had only a few, poor, shriveled grains within or were complete empty, while those that bowed their heads humbly were filled with large, full kernels of wheat.

I love this story & its portrayal of how our world views what it means to gentle. We do indeed live in a world that is controlled by the concept that the weak get left behind. On a daily basis, our culture tells us that “meek means weak.”

In Matthew 11:25-30, we read, in my opinion, one of the sweetest passages in scripture. Jesus tells us to take His yoke and learn from Him. Jesus said, “I am gentle and lowly in heart.” I am thankful today that the God I serve loves me enough to send His only Son! And on top of that, He came to show us the greatest act of humility. I love what John says in John 3:17 that “God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through Him.” Y’all it doesn’t get much better than that!

You see it requires great strength to be gentle. Gentleness is the opposite of abrasiveness, and it flows from that kind of confident strength that is the opposite of arrogance. The man who is secure in his love for God does not need to intimidate but can be kind and humble in every situation of life. A person who is meek before God will find it a lot easier to be gentle before men. I challenge you today to follow in Jesus’ footsteps! Show someone what it means to be “gentle and lowly in heart.”

Prime-Time Discussion:

Why do you think the world visualizes meek to mean weak? In what ways did Jesus exemplify what it means to be meek or gentle? How would you rate yourself when it comes to being meek?

Night-Time Prayer:

Jesus, help me to be like You in all that I do! May I walk today in meekness and gentleness. Let me exemplify You in every situation.

devotion by Channing Gillespie

Gentle Defined

Read or Listen: Gal. 5:22-23

I have enjoyed these devotionals on the fruit of the Spirit.  The main reason is that it helps us see Jesus so clearly.  We have no greater teacher or example of these fruits than Jesus.  Every Fruit of the Spirit family devotion could be a study about how Jesus was that fruit.  Of course, we are to be like Him, so our lives will bear these fruits.

Let us take today’s topic of Gentleness and once again use a synonym.  Tenderness or Tender has the same meaning as Gentleness.  Tender is being easily crushed or bruised as Jesus was for our sins.  Isaiah 53:5 “But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities;”  Tender means vulnerability.  Jesus made himself vulnerable at the cross because he knew he must face death.  Tender also means painful such as a tender spot on your skin.  Jesus endured severe pain because of his great love for us.  Hebrews 12:2 “…For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

It gets better… Tender as a noun means payment for something.  Jesus paid the worlds biggest debt: Sin.  Matthew 26:26 “What is your verdict?” “Guilty!” they shouted. “He deserves to die!”  His death was legal tender for the penalty we all owed because of sin.  Another meaning is to tender or offer something formally.  What does Jesus offer?  Just read John 3:16

Which brings me to my last point about the word tender.  A tender is One who tends.  We are his people, his children…his sheep and sheep need a shepherd. Jesus is our Shepherd.  Do you see how beautiful and rich words are when we look at their meanings.  I can truly say that my second favorite book is the dictionary.  Merely reading definitions opens the word of God to another level.  Jesus, our Savior, is tender in more ways than one.  How awesome is that?

Prime-Time Discussion:

Take a moment and discuss all the past fruits of the Spirit and their definitions. Compare the list of the fruits from different Bible translations and see if that deepens your understanding of Christ-likeness.

devotion by Eric Tyree

Peace! Be Still!

Read or Listen: Mark 4:35-41

“It’s raining cats and dogs!” Being caught in a storm can be a scary thing. Usually when a storm comes, you take cover as soon as possible. Nobody wants cats and dogs raining down on their head! But, what if you can’t take cover? What if you can’t escape the storm? This is what happened in our Scripture reading for today. They are stuck in a “great windstorm” with waves “breaking into the boat.” It was so bad that the boat was starting to fill up. And everyone knows what happens when a boat fills up…it sinks. This was one bad storm. There seemed to be no hope in sight. Everyone was panicking, thinking they were about to perish. Their greatest nightmare was becoming a reality. Amidst all of this…mass panic…rain pouring down…lives about to be sunk…Jesus was sleeping.

How could Jesus sleep amidst the storm? He could sleep amidst the storm because although the storm seemed out of control, it was not out of His control. The first word out of the mouth of Jesus is the same word that Jesus offers each one of His children amidst every storm they face…“Peace!”

Jesus rebuked the wind and the waves, telling them to “Be still!” The wind and the waves listened. They obeyed their Creator. They were under His control. What followed that perfect storm is what follows every storm of His children’s lives when they realize that Jesus is in control of the wind and waves that are crashing around them…even when it seems that all hope is lost…and when they heed His words of “Peace! Be still!” amidst their storm…what follows is this…“there was a great calm.”

Whatever you’re going through…it’s not out of your Creator and Savior’s control. Peace! Be Still!

Prime-Time Discussion:

Why is it hard to trust God during hard times?

Why should you trust God during hard times?

Why does a great calm follow when you make the decision to have peace amidst your hard times?

Night-Time Prayer:

Jesus, I trust you. I know you are in control.

devotion by Jacob Haywood

Inexpressible Joy

Read or Listen: 1 Peter 1:3-8

Nobody wants to be sad. Nobody wants to stay angry. Nobody wants to be depressed. Nobody wants to be down. But a lot of people stay down and depressed and angry and sad. Many people have gotten used to the valley floor and have forgotten what lies above and beyond the mountains that surround them. Our text for today tells us what lies above and beyond the mountains. It tells us what lies in Christ, even when we are in the midst of the valley. And it tells us what happens to us when we submit to Jesus and realize all He has for us…inexpressible joy.

Here is what the passage says. In Christ we have: great mercy, salvation (born again), hope (living hope…hope that is vibrant…hope that isn’t dead), an imperishable, undefiled, and unfading inheritance waiting for us in heaven, and rejoicing amidst trials.

There’s one more thing it mentions that we have. We have Jesus. Even when we are in the valley and it seems like He is the farthest thing away…We have Jesus. Though we can’t see Him, we love Him…and we love Him because He loves us. Accepting Christ’s love and loving Him back with it…even when you can’t see Him…even when you are in the valley…even when He seems far away…it leads to something great. It leads to joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory (vs. 8).

So, how can you have joy that is inexpressible? In Christ…because of your salvation (vs. 9)…trusting in His nearness and love and mercy…in the hope that only He gives…even amidst your valley.

Though you are a sinner, rejoice! If you are in Christ, He has saved your soul! In Him, you get what you don’t deserve! Because of this…you can have inexpressible joy.

Prime-Time Discussion:

When was a time that you were really sad, and what caused you to get out of it?

What do you think it means to have joy that is inexpressible? Why should your salvation affect the level of your joy?

Looking at your life right now…should you have more joy? How can you?

devotion by Jacob Haywood