MONTHLY ARCHIVES: November 2019

Follow Me

Posted by Karah

PAUSE

Mentally list the names of people you know who don’t know Jesus. As you read today, ask God to give you a passion to boldly share the gospel with them.

“When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, ‘Look! The Lamb of God!’ The two disciples heard him say this and followed Jesus.” —John 1:36-37

“A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like his teacher.” —Luke 6:40

Read John 1:35-42 in your Bible and think through these questions.
• Highlight the phrase “Lamb of God” (v. 36). Describe what this means in your own words.
• According to verse 37, what happened after the two disciples heard John’s claim?
• Jesus called the disciples to come and they went with Him, but they went beyond following Jesus. List Andrew’s actions after he stayed with Jesus. When Christ changes your life, He changes your identity. Believers are adopted into God’s family, trading in their own agenda for His—and He commands us to go and tell others about Him.
• After only a few hours in Jesus’ presence, how did Andrew demonstrate an understanding of Jesus’ message? How can believers follow Andrew’s example today?
• Read Luke 6:40 and explain the main idea of this verse in your own words.

RESPOND

We are not exempt from God’s missionary mandate. He was sent, and now He sends us. Sound intimidating? Through the saving power of the gospel and the filling of our hearts with God’s Holy Spirit, we are empowered to join God’s rescue mission—one person at a time.
• In your journal, name the people you thought of earlier who don’t know Jesus. Pray over them each day, asking God to help them see their need for a Savior and to give you the opportunity to share the gospel with them.
• For further study on truly following Jesus, read Not A Fan by Kyle Idleman (Zondervan, 2011).

BEHIND THE STORY

In verse 42, Jesus gave Peter a new name: Cephas. In Aramaic, Cephas means rock. God often changed people’s names in the Old Testament to reflect the specific calling He placed on their lives. In Matthew 16:18-19, Jesus said, “I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church” (v. 18). Though Jesus caused the church to grow, He used the disciples to spread His message as the foundation of the church. He uses believers in the same way today.(1)

THE POINT

Jesus, the Lamb of God, calls people to follow Him. Christians must have a passion for and commitment to God’s mission.

(1)Holman Christian Standard Study Bible (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2010). Accessed via mywsb.com.


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A Holy Challenge

Posted by Karah

PAUSE

Find a comfy chair and sit quietly for a few minutes before you begin today’s devotion. Thank God for sending Jesus to die for your sins.

Think about your favorite sports team, the armed services, police, and nurses. These people all have one thing in common—they wear uniforms and their uniforms represent the people they serve. In the same way, when you trust Jesus as Savior, you bear His name; you represent Him. The way you live should call others to “taste and see that the Lord is good” (Ps. 34:8).

Read 1 Peter 1:22-23 in your Bible.

“By obedience to the truth, having purified yourselves for sincere love of the brothers, love one another earnestly from a pure heart. —1 Peter 1:22

Answer the following questions:
• Underline the word “obedience” (v. 22). How did Peter call believers to obey God?
• What does it mean that believers are “purified” (v. 22)? Explain.
• What does the word “earnestly” indicate about the way we should love each other?
• According to Peter, how are believers empowered to love one another?

RESPOND

Our relationships with others point to our relationship with Christ. Do we truly love others from a pure heart? Do we love them as He loves us? This may sound difficult, or even impossible, but this is the life God calls us to live.

• In your journal, create three columns with the headings God’s Love, My Love, and Love Better. Under the appropriate heading, record ways God demonstrated His love to you, how you show love to others, and the names of people you need to love better.
• Glance at the names you listed in the third column of your journal page. Ask God to help you have the courage to seek or extend forgiveness in those relationships. Pray for those people to see God’s love as well.
• For further study on loving others, read 1 John 3:16-24.

BEHIND THE STORY

Peter used two different words for love in today’s passage: phileo and agape. His call for believers to love one another indicates a love that is genuine and strong. The word deeply reiterates this and connects with the idea that Christians “love because He first loved us” (1 John 4:19).

THE POINT

Living on mission for God requires us to love others out of a pure heart, just as God graciously chose to love us.


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