Devotions
| Verse of The Week For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. (John 3:16, NASB) Prayer Focus Continue praying for families in our church and community that were impacted by the Family Dynamics message. Monday The best story ever is a story of purpose. It is the story of God who created us because He loves us. He desires for us to experience real peace, joy and life. His purpose is for everyone to be in right relationship and fellowship with Him, which will result in life that is abundant and eternal. What family members, friends, and co-workers of yours need to hear this story? Throughout His earthly ministry, Jesus shared the story of God with people both personally and publicly. He said, I have come in order that you might have lifelife in all its fullness. (John 10:10, GNT) Start praying now for folks you want to help introduce to Jesus by sharing the best story ever. Ask God to help you know and understand His story so that you can become very effective in sharing it with others. Pray for courage to follow Christs example and tell others about Gods love. Read: Romans 5:1; Ephesians 2:8-9; Tuesday The best story ever is a story of our deliverance from the penalty of sin. The Bible says that all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. Sin happens when people dishonor the Creator by rejecting His commands and guidelines for living. For instance, they dont love their neighbors as themselves, or they may lie, steal, kill, covet or commit adultery. The result of continual sin is self-destruction and separation from God. Its your sins that have cut you off from God. Because of your sins, he has turned away and will not listen anymore (Isaiah 59:2, NLT). In fact, Gods Word warns that the ultimate result of sin is death. Thankfully, the good news is that God offers us His forgiveness and His gift of eternal life through His Son Jesus Christ. The Apostle John wrote, But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness (1 John 1:9, NLT). Be a part of the best story ever by confessing your sins and finding Gods forgiveness today. Read: Romans 3:23, 6:23; Wednesday The best story ever is a story of love and provision. One of the names of God is Jehovah-Jireh, which means the Lord is our Provider. In His love, God has provided salvation from our sins through His Son, Jesus Christ. Romans 5:8 (NASB) says, But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Jesus died to pay the penalty for our sins and rose again to offer us eternal life. The Apostle Paul said, For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures (1 Corinthians 15:3-4, NASB). After we are reconciled to God through Christs death and resurrection, God gives each of us the ministry of reconciliation in which we are to help bring others into harmony with Him by sharing His story. Meditate on Christs wonderful story and pray for courage to pass it on. Read: Romans 3:23-26 (NLT); 2 Corinthians 5:18-20 (CEV); Thursday The best story ever includes repentance and faith. Its as easy to share as ABC. A Admit your sins and ask for Gods forgiveness. Now repent of your sins and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped away (Acts 3:19, NLT). B Believe that Jesus died on the cross for you and rose again from the dead. For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood (Romans 3:25, NLT). C - Commit your life to Christs control and confess Him as your Lord. 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 it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved (Romans 10:9-10, NLT). Use this simple ABC method to encourage others to be a part of Gods story. Read: Acts 16:31; 1 John 5:12-13; Friday The best story ever is best shared with everybody. God does not want us to keep His good news to ourselves. Jesus said to his followers, Go everywhere in the world, and tell the Good News to everyone (Mark 16:15, NCV). After Jesus ascended back to heaven, the book of Acts is a record of how the first century church continually communicated the best story ever to as many people as possible. As a result, the church grew phenomenally! We are seeking to follow this biblical pattern in our mission statement at the Cove: Introduce our friends to Jesus, Learn to follow Him and Celebrate His presence in our lives. Do you know people in your world that would benefit from hearing about the best story ever? Look back over this weeks devotions and pick out important parts of Gods story or appropriate verses to share with them. Begin praying now and look for creative ways to communicate the best story ever with your family, friends, and co-workers! Read: Acts 2:41-42, 8:35; Devotions by Larry Paulk |
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