40 Days in the Word
Posted February 22, 2012 by Grace Church in 40 Days in the Word
Psalm 1
“Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked
Or stand in the way of sinners
Or sit in the seat of mockers…”
It is a challenge in today’s culture to avoid these things, because subtle, sinful messages and temptations are all around us. The majority of popular sitcoms get laughs through mockery, and much of advertising promotes idol worship and hedonism. How do we avoid error?
“But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night…”
By consuming a little of God’s Word daily and keeping it in the forefront of our thoughts, we are equipped to do right. In fact, we are “transformed by the renewing of our minds.”
“He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers.”
-Pat Davison
Posted February 21, 2012 by Grace Church in 40 Days in the Word
This is one of the first sections of scripture I recall trying to memorize as a teen. The progression of walking, standing, sitting was sort of a memory aid for me to get it down. Now, trying to picture this progression, and why the admonition and promise is presented this way, it becomes clearer that God is calling us to walk, run even, in a direction that is opposite from the world’s wicked values, thoughts, reasoning, motivations. Before becoming followers of Jesus, we were walking along with the world, wickedly pursuing our own selfish way. Not content to just flow the same way, we stopped and stood among them to better observe their way, collaborating on how to get our portion more effectively. Then we finally got comfortable enough to take a seat and hang out with the world’s ways indefinitely, mocking, doubting, accusing, cursing along with the best of ‘em. We can’t deny it, we all followed that course. We eventually quit trying to resist the world’s flow, and plopped ourselves down smack dab in the middle of it.
Thankfully, Jesus rescued us from that sorry, cynical resting place and gave us a new purpose. To know and delight in Him and all his ways. To prosper and not be blown around in the winds of adversity. To walk with Him in a holy calling and be counted as righteous.
-Rocky Armstrong
Posted February 20, 2012 by Grace Church in 40 Days in the Word
What a great way to start out the Psalms. Psalm 1:1-3 is wonderful picture of the benefits of seeking advice in God’s word rather than from the world.
Avoid the teachings of the wicked, the sinful and the prideful as these don’t lead you to blessing. Instead spend your time meditating and really learning God’s word. Spending this time has a natural consequence of establishing you for the long term. You will be on the path of steady, healthy growth. You’ll be able to be used by God at just the right times and the fruit you bear will be healthy and strong. Just like a tree doesn’t grow up and bear fruit in the first several years, (in fact its unhealthy for it do so!), the real benefit of spending time meditating on God’s word happens gradually by slowly renewing our minds and transforming us into God’s image. That really is something to delight in!
-Matt Brozowski
Posted February 19, 2012 by Grace Church in 40 Days in the Word
Day 35: Philippians 4:13 – I can do all things through Christ who
strengthens me.
Personalize it!: Peter, you can do all things through me, Christ,
giving you strength!
Pray it!: Thank you, Jesus, that you have given me strength to do all things!
I am a busy man at this time in my life, with 5 young kids and work,
etc. Many a morning this verse comes to mind when I hear the trumpet
call (alarm!) and face getting the kids up for school, and the rest of
life’s demands kick off. When we are weak, we are strong, and God’s
grace is suffiicient for us! (II Co 12). Life is going to be very
challenging, and rather than shirking the challenge, we need to make
sure that this challenge is pregnant with meaning each and every day.
How? By aligning ourselves with God’s will, walking with Christ,
positioned in the courts of God (Ps 27). In this place we know that
pressing on, though hard, will yield a glorious arrival in the gates
of heaven. Christ will strengthen us for this journey every step of
the way!
-Peter Walker
Posted February 18, 2012 by Grace Church in 40 Days in the Word
I must believe in the magnitude of His strength available to me. He can do all things. He has all power to offer. Anything that He has called me to do He makes possible. Don’t let my eyes focus on my weakness but on His strength.
“Lord, I can’t quite imagine how powerful You are, but I’m so grateful that You eagerly give me Your strength to walk in my calling. The things to do come from You as well as the ability to do them. I’m grateful for your caring for me.”
-Nana Vinar
Posted February 17, 2012 by Grace Church in 40 Days in the Word
Do not be anxious, never worry about anything! Those words can be easy to read or say but fear is real and all too often takes first place in our lives. We can say “I am not afraid” or “I’m not worried about ….” but then you and I often find that our mind just comes back to “what if?”
The word worry literally means “to be pulled in different directions” or “to strangle.” When we worry and live in fear it strangles our peace and can weaken our faith. Worry is a control issue and we find ourselves trying to fix things in our lives without God’s help. That is why we need to bring our fears to God every day and ask him to protect our hearts and bring us peace. When we choose to trust God and give him our fears and concerns, then we are choosing to reject worry. Focusing on Christ, praising Him and knowing that He is fully capable of producing good no matter how difficult the situation, will all keep us from being pulled in different directions.
I am so thankful that our Father never gets tired of hearing us ask about the same things over and over again. He is lovingly ready, and willing to calm our minds and hearts, and give us peace while we wait and depend on him.
-Michelle Watson
Posted February 16, 2012 by Grace Church in 40 Days in the Word
Philippians 3:12b (NLT) – … I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.
In context, Paul is saying that he has not yet been made perfect, but in spite of that he is pursuing what God has planned for him. As Kendrick preached on Sunday, Paul is continuing to fill in the gap between what he does and what he believes. He is not condemning himself for his failures but getting back up on his feet after every fall and seeking to know God better. This should be an example for our lives so that we do not become discouraged by our past sins and failures. God loves us and has hold of us, so we need to fill our minds with God’s truth and value our relationship with Christ above all earthly things.
-Hollins Williams
Posted February 15, 2012 by Grace Church in 40 Days in the Word
I’m not afraid to call myself a Christian, or a follower of Christ, or a believer. But later in this letter, Paul refers to the believers as saints. The greek word means holy ones. I am a believer, so it is right to call me a saint. I’m holy. I’m pretty uncomfortable saying that.
I’ll gladly call myself a sinner. If anything, I’ve started feeling more sinful since becoming a believer. The light came in, and lit up the dark, dirty room of my heart. And now that I hate sin, the struggle is more violent than it ever was before. But this struggle–Jesus already said how it ends. It is finished. I’m free. God doesn’t call me a sinner– he calls me a saint. I have everything I need to be Jesus’ bodily presence here on earth right now. Ooofh.
God is holy. He doesn’t just live on the clouds in the sky, or in the far recesses of outer space–he’s outside of space itself. Absolutely inaccessible–not even on the same continuum as us.
But he came here. The holy one crossed that gap from Nowhere to our universe, and came close–into our streets–into our presence–into our hearts! Heaven himself wears us like dirty clothes.
But the holy one doesn’t wear dirty clothes. He bled to death until we were clean.
(Gross, and intense.) With him in me now, I feel less clean, though–not more. Side by side, the contrast between us is stark. He came into my heart because he already cleaned me up for himself, and that very thing shows me the sin still remaining. I’m saved already, but I’m also still in the process of being saved. It is an uneasy tension.
God sees my sin, but he calls me holy. And he doesn’t lie. The first order of things is passing away. And it is a fearsome & wondrous thing to behold.
Jared Wilk
Posted February 14, 2012 by Grace Church in 40 Days in the Word
“Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ.”
I really like this verse. It’s a rich, beautiful reminder that, just as Jesus was “God with us”, the God the Spirit is God in us!
That’s an amazing thought: God in us. Jesus told his disciples, “I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you.” (John 16:7) How strange for Jesus to say it’s better for us not to have Him with us! But the reason it’s better for us is astounding: when He left, he sent us the Helper—God’s Holy Spirit—who can do so much more than teach us heal our bodies; the Holy Spirit lives within us and becomes our Spirit! He heals our hearts and grows our minds and empowers us to “conduct ourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ!”
Formerly, when we were deceived and we lived in the darkness of unbelief, it was impossible for us to please God. But by the preaching of the word, each of us who believes understood that Jesus came to the Earth from God, died for our sin, and restored us to right relation with God. When we believed that and it became good news—the gospel—to us, we began to understand that we are bought men and women. We were enslaved to sin, condemned to death. But we were bought and set free! But at what cost? At the cost of His life– the Great Man, the True Man whom we love, beaten and bloodied, nailed to a tree, just so that we could become like Him: a giver, a peacemaker, a preacher, and a sword. How, then, shall we live? Our very lives were purchased at the cost of His, so “whatever happens,” we should “conduct ourselves in a manner worthy of the Gospel of Christ!” We should be givers, and peacemakers, preachers and swords. We should forgive those who abuse us and repay evil with good. We should live together in peace, as He lived with us in peace. We should be like Him with everything we have in us and with every ounce of strength we can muster. We should give thanks when we honor Him by being like him, and repent (oh, so deeply) when we don’t.
So, this is my prayer from this verse. If it’s any help or benefit to you, please take it as well:
“Spirit, fill me with your presence and make me clean. My heart is deceitful and wicked and I’m unbearably proud. But you, God—you make all things new! You make me new! Create in me a clean heart, oh God! Help me to love you as much as I wish I could. Help me, Dad, because without you I can’t do anything. Help me to conduct myself in a manner worthy of the Gospel of your Son. Make me like you because I love you, I love you. Amen.”
Sir Robert Burbridge
Posted February 13, 2012 by DeWayne Watson in 40 Days in the Word
Being confident that God is constantly working in and improving me can be a difficult
stance to achieve. Paul however is offering us the reality that it’s not something to
be worked at but rather just accepted. The sky is blue, water is wet, and God never
stops working out His perfect will in my life, and in yours.
He is never going to stop until Jesus returns at which time that ongoing work will become
unnecessary as we will all be perfected and no longer in need of any direction, correction
or repair. That’s a little something special to look forward to right?
Wherever I am, whatever I’m doing, be it seemingly successful or not, God is working out
something incredible in me for His glory and my good. Amen.
-DeWayne Watson
