Weekend 4, Saturday – Sunday, January 30-31 (Days 27-28)
As of this weekend, you have completed 4 weeks of participating in this devotional, and practicing spiritual disciplines. We have really just scratched the surface of the impact that spiritual disciplines can have on our walk with God.
Over the next few days, our devotions will be focused on reminding us of the intent of practicing spiritual disciplines: Growing Nearer to God. By the end of this week, you will be challenged to write down how you intend to practice spiritual disciplines in the coming year. After Day 31, I will post descriptions of a few disciplines that I have practiced. My intent is not to convey the idea that I have mastered spiritual disciplines, but to share some possible suggestions for you to consider as you strive to grow in your walk with God.
For the next week, please think about your walk with God, and try to evaluate where you can work on growing in Christ. Do you desire to mature in your prayer life, or in the ability to listen for God’s leading? Do you wish to grow in your knowledge of scripture? Would you like to be more gracious in your attitude and willingness to serve others? Furthermore, pray that God will reveal the gifts that He has given you. He may want you to work at refining those gifts.
In the upcoming days, think creatively about the habits you can develop that will help you mature in your walk with God. You might not practice one single discipline for the entire year. Perhaps you will want to grow in your Biblical knowledge for a few months, so you will set aside daily time to read through the books of 1 and 2 Kings. This summer, you may want to grow through service, so you will volunteer to mow the lawn for an elderly neighbor for the entire summer. There are nearly unlimited possibilities for the ways you can develop habits to help you grow in your awareness of God’s presence.
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Friday, January 29, 2010
Day 26: Secret Service
Week 4, Friday, January 29
Text: Matthew 6:3-4
"But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.”
Thought for the day:
There are times when we will want others to know our accomplishments. If you have ever interviewed for a new job, you interviewer probably asked about previous employment and successful accomplishments. When a church is hosting an outreach event, they will probably want to advertise it to the community so that people will attend. Jesus tells us in Matthew 5:17 that His followers should let their good deeds shine before others, so that God will be praised.
However, there are other times, when our deeds should be done in secret. Jesus says this is true, especially when we are responding to the needs of others. We do not need to have every good deed known by others, because God knows our deeds, and we are promised that when we serve Him in secrecy, He gives us rewards. I am confident that His rewards are better than the congratulations that we might receive from other people who know us.
Journal/Exercise:
This weekend, perform an act of kindness for someone, and never tell them that you were the one who did it. I would prefer you to respond to a need of someone in your community. If you have a neighbor who has difficulty shoveling snow, clear their driveway at night. If you have a neighbor who is struggling with an illness, deliver a meal to their home. Be creative in how you can serve someone. If you cannot avoid revealing your identity, then be discreet, and avoid telling others of your service. See how this secret act of kindness is received by God.
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Day 25: The Evidence of Faith
Week 4, Thursday, January 28
Text: Matthew 25:40
“I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.”
Thought for the day:
True faith will be evident in our actions. We are saved if we have faith in Christ, not because of our works or deeds. However, when Jesus speaks of the final judgment day, he talks about works such as visiting the sick, giving a drink to someone who is thirsty or giving clothes to a stranger. Do His words mean that faith really doesn’t matter?
Christ’s words are not intended to teach us that faith is insignificant, but rather that true faith will always change the way we live.
Whenever we study spiritual disciplines, we run the risk of believing that faithfully walking with God means that we live quiet lives of sitting, thinking, prayer, reading, and fasting. Although we benefit from quiet times in God’s presence, the process of walking with Him is not a sedentary lifestyle. God calls His people to action, and the way that we act is the best evidence to others that we are walking with God.
Journal/Exercise:
You have been asked this week to serve others. Today, I would like you to write down in your journal what has happened as a result of your service. How have others responded to you? How have you felt about the experience? Do you see God working in you as you offer this service to Him?
Text: Matthew 25:40
“I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.”
Thought for the day:
True faith will be evident in our actions. We are saved if we have faith in Christ, not because of our works or deeds. However, when Jesus speaks of the final judgment day, he talks about works such as visiting the sick, giving a drink to someone who is thirsty or giving clothes to a stranger. Do His words mean that faith really doesn’t matter?
Christ’s words are not intended to teach us that faith is insignificant, but rather that true faith will always change the way we live.
Whenever we study spiritual disciplines, we run the risk of believing that faithfully walking with God means that we live quiet lives of sitting, thinking, prayer, reading, and fasting. Although we benefit from quiet times in God’s presence, the process of walking with Him is not a sedentary lifestyle. God calls His people to action, and the way that we act is the best evidence to others that we are walking with God.
Journal/Exercise:
You have been asked this week to serve others. Today, I would like you to write down in your journal what has happened as a result of your service. How have others responded to you? How have you felt about the experience? Do you see God working in you as you offer this service to Him?
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Day 24: Love in Action
Week 4, Wednesday, January 27
Text: 1 Corinthians 13:4-7
“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.”
Thought for the day:
Where do you learn the meaning of love? If you watch a popular television show or movie, you will get the impression that love is a strong emotion that can be very intense for a period of time, but it capable of fading.
This picture of love is all wrong, because love is more than a feeling. Love starts with recognition of value, and it is evident in our action. I might have fond feelings towards a person, but if I do not treat that person well, I have not loved. The text today says a lot about love, but it says very little about our feelings. The Bible tells us that love is not easy, but it requires a willingness to serve. Even if we have been wronged, love requires that we keep no record.
Have you ever held the idea that love must be easy? Check again. You will find that the people we love the most are the people who cause the most work in our lives.
Journal/Exercise:
Go back to yesterday’s challenge. Did you offer someone a service on three different occasions? Write down what you did, and think about the response that you received from each service offered.
Think of someone in your life who loved you. How was that person’s love evident? Did he/she ever have to practice patience with you? Did he/she ever have to forgive you? Did you know you were loved by the way he/she acted toward you? As you think about the ways that person showed love to you, try to show the same kind of love to someone today.
Text: 1 Corinthians 13:4-7
“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.”
Thought for the day:
Where do you learn the meaning of love? If you watch a popular television show or movie, you will get the impression that love is a strong emotion that can be very intense for a period of time, but it capable of fading.
This picture of love is all wrong, because love is more than a feeling. Love starts with recognition of value, and it is evident in our action. I might have fond feelings towards a person, but if I do not treat that person well, I have not loved. The text today says a lot about love, but it says very little about our feelings. The Bible tells us that love is not easy, but it requires a willingness to serve. Even if we have been wronged, love requires that we keep no record.
Have you ever held the idea that love must be easy? Check again. You will find that the people we love the most are the people who cause the most work in our lives.
Journal/Exercise:
Go back to yesterday’s challenge. Did you offer someone a service on three different occasions? Write down what you did, and think about the response that you received from each service offered.
Think of someone in your life who loved you. How was that person’s love evident? Did he/she ever have to practice patience with you? Did he/she ever have to forgive you? Did you know you were loved by the way he/she acted toward you? As you think about the ways that person showed love to you, try to show the same kind of love to someone today.
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Day 23: The Selflessness of Service
Week 4, Tuesday, January 26
Text: John 13:14
“Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet.”
Thought for the day:
Washing feet was not a pleasant experience. Jesus gave an example to His disciples of what it meant to practice humility. Jesus did not have to wash anyone’s feet. He could have ordered one of His disciples to do it, or even asked the owner of the home to provide a servant. However, He willingly picked up the towel and the bowl of water, and proceeded to scrub the filthy feet of His followers.
God does not promise us that service will always be invigorating. There will be occasions when we do not enjoy the work God calls us to do. When God does call us to serve in humbling circumstances, we can remember that He was willing to humble Himself first. In fact, He was willing to humble Himself to the point of dying a criminal’s death for our sake.
Journal/Exercise:
Yesterday, you were asked to encourage one specific person. Today, you will be challenged to offer an act of service to three different people. I don’t want you to plan ahead, but I want you to be aware of the people around you today, and offer each of them a unique service. You could hold the door for someone who has their hands full, or offer your seat to someone who walks in late. If someone forgets their lunch, you could offer to share yours. Pray that God will open your eyes to the opportunity you have to serve today, and strive to offer an act of kindness to three different people.
Text: John 13:14
“Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet.”
Thought for the day:
Washing feet was not a pleasant experience. Jesus gave an example to His disciples of what it meant to practice humility. Jesus did not have to wash anyone’s feet. He could have ordered one of His disciples to do it, or even asked the owner of the home to provide a servant. However, He willingly picked up the towel and the bowl of water, and proceeded to scrub the filthy feet of His followers.
God does not promise us that service will always be invigorating. There will be occasions when we do not enjoy the work God calls us to do. When God does call us to serve in humbling circumstances, we can remember that He was willing to humble Himself first. In fact, He was willing to humble Himself to the point of dying a criminal’s death for our sake.
Journal/Exercise:
Yesterday, you were asked to encourage one specific person. Today, you will be challenged to offer an act of service to three different people. I don’t want you to plan ahead, but I want you to be aware of the people around you today, and offer each of them a unique service. You could hold the door for someone who has their hands full, or offer your seat to someone who walks in late. If someone forgets their lunch, you could offer to share yours. Pray that God will open your eyes to the opportunity you have to serve today, and strive to offer an act of kindness to three different people.
Monday, January 25, 2010
Day 22: The Simplicity of Service
Week 4, Monday, January 25
Text: Romans 12:6
“We have different gifts, according to the grace given us.”
Thought for the day:
When I think about all the good things that a person can do, I get a little overwhelmed. We have so many possible ways to volunteer our time and resources. We have opportunities to serve lunch at school, deliver food baskets in the evening, read to children, rake leaves for senior citizens, teach Sunday School, serve on a church committee, write letters to prisoners, give money to 100 different organizations, invite our neighbor to church, build a home….. The list could go on indefinitely.
When God calls us to serve, He doesn’t tell us that we have to do every good thing that we can possibly do. He tells us to use our gifts. God has a lot of people who are working to service Him. This means that each person can use his or her individual gift to serve God, without feeling guilty about other opportunities. In Romans 12, the Bible describes the church as a group of people who should focus on using their gifts.
As we begin to think about service this week, don’t allow yourself to be overwhelmed by all of the possible service opportunities. Rather, pray that God will reveal your gifts, and give you wisdom to discern where you can best offer those gifts in service.
Journal/Exercise:
Spend some time in prayer. Pray for someone you know who is experiencing a difficult time in his or her life. Write down the name of that person in your journal. After you write down that person’s name, write down one way that you can encourage that person today. It could be a very simple gesture such as writing a note or sending an email letting her know you prayed for her today. Make an effort to reach out to that person as a sacrifice of service for Christ’s sake.
Text: Romans 12:6
“We have different gifts, according to the grace given us.”
Thought for the day:
When I think about all the good things that a person can do, I get a little overwhelmed. We have so many possible ways to volunteer our time and resources. We have opportunities to serve lunch at school, deliver food baskets in the evening, read to children, rake leaves for senior citizens, teach Sunday School, serve on a church committee, write letters to prisoners, give money to 100 different organizations, invite our neighbor to church, build a home….. The list could go on indefinitely.
When God calls us to serve, He doesn’t tell us that we have to do every good thing that we can possibly do. He tells us to use our gifts. God has a lot of people who are working to service Him. This means that each person can use his or her individual gift to serve God, without feeling guilty about other opportunities. In Romans 12, the Bible describes the church as a group of people who should focus on using their gifts.
As we begin to think about service this week, don’t allow yourself to be overwhelmed by all of the possible service opportunities. Rather, pray that God will reveal your gifts, and give you wisdom to discern where you can best offer those gifts in service.
Journal/Exercise:
Spend some time in prayer. Pray for someone you know who is experiencing a difficult time in his or her life. Write down the name of that person in your journal. After you write down that person’s name, write down one way that you can encourage that person today. It could be a very simple gesture such as writing a note or sending an email letting her know you prayed for her today. Make an effort to reach out to that person as a sacrifice of service for Christ’s sake.
Sunday, January 24, 2010
A Busy Council Meeting
If you have read the January 24 News and Notes, you know that there are a few lines written about the Council Meeting on Wednesday, January 20. Short notes can be helpful to give you a little information about Council’s discussions, but in this blog entry, I would like to give you a more in-depth picture of what is being discussed at our Council meetings.
Now that our congregation has voted to change our name to New Life CRC, members of council have been busy making arrangements to unveil the new name for our church. A new web address has been secured to reflect our new name (www.newlifecrc.com), and we will begin work to develop that website in the next weeks. Our denomination, classis, and many businesses have been notified of the name change, and we have begun the process to have the new name legally recognized. A committee has been appointed to make suggestions for new signs on Ridge Road and 5th Street to reflect our new name.
Council also approved the appointment of a committee to begin the search process for a Director of Community Outreach for our church. The person who fills this position will be the primary liaison for our church with Love INC, will coordinate events and activities to welcome people to join our church family, and will suggest ways to enfold visitors and new members into the life of our church. Council approved appointing a committee of five members to conduct this search process. At the time of this blog posting, Tom Sawyer has agreed to serve as the chairman, and the other members have been contacted to see if they are willing to serve in this capacity.
For the past few months, our council has been discussing how we will proceed with our High School and Junior High Youth Ministries after Ken Scholma leaves the position of Youth Pastor at First CRC. For a number of years, our church has combined our High School and Junior High youth groups with First CRC. Ken Scholma is graduating from a teaching program this spring, and does not expect to return as a youth pastor next year. We have been discussing the options of separating our youth groups, or continuing with one Youth Pastor for our two churches. At our council meeting, it was decided, upon the recommendation of a joint committee from the two churches, that we would continue the practice of hiring one Youth Pastor for the two churches. Council voted to appoint three members of our church (a Council Member, a Parent, and a current volunteer Youth Leader) to join members from First CRC on a joint search committee that will re-evaluate the Youth Pastor’s job description, search for a new Youth Pastor, and suggest ways that this position will be jointly overseen by the two churches.
Now that our congregation has voted to change our name to New Life CRC, members of council have been busy making arrangements to unveil the new name for our church. A new web address has been secured to reflect our new name (www.newlifecrc.com), and we will begin work to develop that website in the next weeks. Our denomination, classis, and many businesses have been notified of the name change, and we have begun the process to have the new name legally recognized. A committee has been appointed to make suggestions for new signs on Ridge Road and 5th Street to reflect our new name.
Council also approved the appointment of a committee to begin the search process for a Director of Community Outreach for our church. The person who fills this position will be the primary liaison for our church with Love INC, will coordinate events and activities to welcome people to join our church family, and will suggest ways to enfold visitors and new members into the life of our church. Council approved appointing a committee of five members to conduct this search process. At the time of this blog posting, Tom Sawyer has agreed to serve as the chairman, and the other members have been contacted to see if they are willing to serve in this capacity.
For the past few months, our council has been discussing how we will proceed with our High School and Junior High Youth Ministries after Ken Scholma leaves the position of Youth Pastor at First CRC. For a number of years, our church has combined our High School and Junior High youth groups with First CRC. Ken Scholma is graduating from a teaching program this spring, and does not expect to return as a youth pastor next year. We have been discussing the options of separating our youth groups, or continuing with one Youth Pastor for our two churches. At our council meeting, it was decided, upon the recommendation of a joint committee from the two churches, that we would continue the practice of hiring one Youth Pastor for the two churches. Council voted to appoint three members of our church (a Council Member, a Parent, and a current volunteer Youth Leader) to join members from First CRC on a joint search committee that will re-evaluate the Youth Pastor’s job description, search for a new Youth Pastor, and suggest ways that this position will be jointly overseen by the two churches.
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