Be A Follower, Not A Leader.
Memory Verse:
'praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, '
Ephesians 6:18
Sermon Sentence: We are called to be children of light, not partners with those that walk in darkness.
'praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, '
Ephesians 6:18
Sermon Sentence: We are called to be children of light, not partners with those that walk in darkness.
Day 1
Read Ephesians 5:1-14
Reading verses over and over again is important. I know you know this, but I think saying this over and over again is important. Do you get what I am driving at? We are a naturally stubborn type of people. You may argue with me about that and plant your feet in the idea that you are not stubborn, but that is pretty stubborn for you to believe! Just saying. Here is why repetition is important in the Bible’s approach: about the 20th time I read this passage last week, I was hit over the head with a realization: sexual immorality is not love. Hold on, don’t give me your “Duh!” attitude, do the work with me. The first two verses of this chapter, which are the conclusions of the ideas from chapter 4, make this comparison. It is talking about the love of God and what we are supposed to have. Then, as a comparative point in contrast to that, it says that we are a people that are not supposed to even have a version of sexual immorality named among us. In other words, sexual immorality, which is ANY version of the distorted idea of sexual morality as defined by God’s picture of what happens ONLY in a marriage, is a counterfeit form of love. It is desire driven. It is selfish. It is not worthy of the title “love.” We can’t even say that it is love if it is among two people that love each other, because this passage says otherwise. Ironically, we put it close to the category of love as the “next step” or the most “intimate” part. This passage is saying that is a distortion of the idea of love, which is original to God…He owns the “copyright.” There are a lot of other things in this passage, why am I talking about this? Because Paul thinks that this illustration is a great way to unpack the reality of what it means to imitate God. You can’t imitate God with distorted definitions of who God is. That is deceitful and you are buying a lie and living in the dark. Now, do the work of fitting this logic into all of the ideas we count as “sin.”
What is something else that you can use this same formula Paul lays out here to arrive at why something is wrong?
Why does Paul include covetousness in this passage? Can you make an argument of why it is beside sexual immorality?
What do you personally take away from this passage that needs to be in your life?
How does this become part of your prayer today?
Reading verses over and over again is important. I know you know this, but I think saying this over and over again is important. Do you get what I am driving at? We are a naturally stubborn type of people. You may argue with me about that and plant your feet in the idea that you are not stubborn, but that is pretty stubborn for you to believe! Just saying. Here is why repetition is important in the Bible’s approach: about the 20th time I read this passage last week, I was hit over the head with a realization: sexual immorality is not love. Hold on, don’t give me your “Duh!” attitude, do the work with me. The first two verses of this chapter, which are the conclusions of the ideas from chapter 4, make this comparison. It is talking about the love of God and what we are supposed to have. Then, as a comparative point in contrast to that, it says that we are a people that are not supposed to even have a version of sexual immorality named among us. In other words, sexual immorality, which is ANY version of the distorted idea of sexual morality as defined by God’s picture of what happens ONLY in a marriage, is a counterfeit form of love. It is desire driven. It is selfish. It is not worthy of the title “love.” We can’t even say that it is love if it is among two people that love each other, because this passage says otherwise. Ironically, we put it close to the category of love as the “next step” or the most “intimate” part. This passage is saying that is a distortion of the idea of love, which is original to God…He owns the “copyright.” There are a lot of other things in this passage, why am I talking about this? Because Paul thinks that this illustration is a great way to unpack the reality of what it means to imitate God. You can’t imitate God with distorted definitions of who God is. That is deceitful and you are buying a lie and living in the dark. Now, do the work of fitting this logic into all of the ideas we count as “sin.”
What is something else that you can use this same formula Paul lays out here to arrive at why something is wrong?
Why does Paul include covetousness in this passage? Can you make an argument of why it is beside sexual immorality?
What do you personally take away from this passage that needs to be in your life?
How does this become part of your prayer today?
Day 2
Read Philippians 3
This week’s sermon was about following God. Paul has always made me uncomfortable in his writings by calling for people to follow him. It just feels dangerous to see so many leaders failing and then hear a leader declare that you can follow them. So the reality is that there is nothing wrong with Paul declaring that people should follow him (as long as he is following God), the problem is in the weight that I notice in the responsibility that it requires us to take. Remember Cain’s famous question to God? “Am I my brother’s keeper?” Well….yes, in fact you are. That’s the whole point. Your conduct is good for you, but it is also good for everyone around you. If good doesn’t spill over into others life like that, it is a weak goal to obtain to. But it does. It is good for you and it is good for others. It is good to you and it is good to others. That is the power of good. That is why in Ephesians 5, our key text in the sermon this week, Paul talked about it like it was a light that exposed things. There is no other nature of good than to highlight bad and be repulsed by it.
I recommend going on to Youtube and looking up a great song by Shane and Shane called “In The Light” for further reflection here.
What do you notice in Paul’s declaration here that sticks out to you?
Do you fear or get anxious in the thought of calling other people to follow you (while you are following God)? Why or why not?
How does today’s devotion inform your prayers?
This week’s sermon was about following God. Paul has always made me uncomfortable in his writings by calling for people to follow him. It just feels dangerous to see so many leaders failing and then hear a leader declare that you can follow them. So the reality is that there is nothing wrong with Paul declaring that people should follow him (as long as he is following God), the problem is in the weight that I notice in the responsibility that it requires us to take. Remember Cain’s famous question to God? “Am I my brother’s keeper?” Well….yes, in fact you are. That’s the whole point. Your conduct is good for you, but it is also good for everyone around you. If good doesn’t spill over into others life like that, it is a weak goal to obtain to. But it does. It is good for you and it is good for others. It is good to you and it is good to others. That is the power of good. That is why in Ephesians 5, our key text in the sermon this week, Paul talked about it like it was a light that exposed things. There is no other nature of good than to highlight bad and be repulsed by it.
I recommend going on to Youtube and looking up a great song by Shane and Shane called “In The Light” for further reflection here.
What do you notice in Paul’s declaration here that sticks out to you?
Do you fear or get anxious in the thought of calling other people to follow you (while you are following God)? Why or why not?
How does today’s devotion inform your prayers?
Day 3
Read Matthew 5:13-17
In Ephesians 5, Paul used the analogy that must have been used a lot in the circles with those who follow Jesus. The reason that I say that is because here we see Jesus teaching the concept as well. We just finished a sermon series where we explored the theme of light a little bit as well. Everyone gets it. It is an analogy that everyone can follow. Light is hard to be selfish with and keep it to yourself. It’s very nature is to shine out and reveal everything. We are told we are to be like that. We are a people that is to take the light of Jesus and share it with the world. I first of all like how the analogy is given of a candle that is lit in a house and expected to give light to the whole house. That reminds me of the fact that I am not just a light that is expected to dress up and be different for everyone else, but also a light that is shined in my house to the few that live there. They should see me as a light as well. Then, Jesus takes it a bit further by telling us to be a light for all the world as well. Maybe the order is important? First, we are lights at home. After that, we are also lights for all the world as well.
How do we make our light visible to others this week?
How can you better be a light in your home this week?
How does this become part of your prayer today?
In Ephesians 5, Paul used the analogy that must have been used a lot in the circles with those who follow Jesus. The reason that I say that is because here we see Jesus teaching the concept as well. We just finished a sermon series where we explored the theme of light a little bit as well. Everyone gets it. It is an analogy that everyone can follow. Light is hard to be selfish with and keep it to yourself. It’s very nature is to shine out and reveal everything. We are told we are to be like that. We are a people that is to take the light of Jesus and share it with the world. I first of all like how the analogy is given of a candle that is lit in a house and expected to give light to the whole house. That reminds me of the fact that I am not just a light that is expected to dress up and be different for everyone else, but also a light that is shined in my house to the few that live there. They should see me as a light as well. Then, Jesus takes it a bit further by telling us to be a light for all the world as well. Maybe the order is important? First, we are lights at home. After that, we are also lights for all the world as well.
How do we make our light visible to others this week?
How can you better be a light in your home this week?
How does this become part of your prayer today?
Day 4
Read Psalm 119:49-56
The light is used as an analogy for good in the Bible. Adversely, the night is used as an analogy for the bad. That is the setting of this part of Psalm 119. In the dark times, the Psalmist is writing about those that are speaking verbally hurtful words against them in secret. That is amplified because of the dark, difficult times the writer is going through. That is when chatter against you seems to sting the most. When you just don’t have the bandwidth to deal with their mouths. Now we add the last layer to the setting of this section by noticing that the writer feels like they don't belong anywhere (sojourner in verse 54). Put it all together and we ask ourselves if we have ever felt like we are going through a dark situation in life that has people talking about us behind our backs and making us feel isolated from everyone around us? Wow…this Bible stuff is pretty good at pegging real life feelings!
These verses are not about empathy for the sake of empathy. They are about a reminder that is needed for those that are in this situation, or just will need these ideas one day soon. For the Psalmist, the answer to this is remembering, recalling, and trusting in God’s words. There is hope in His word. That is the light for the night time situation that feels hopeless. Sometimes, when there are no answers for right now, we need to be reminded of the answers we were told back then. That is the cry of the writer in this section. Maybe it is the cry of your heart sitting with this devotion right now?
What does meditating or thinking on God’s word look like in a time that you just aren’t feeling it? What do you do?
Look at verse 56 and describe what that verse means to you.
How does this become part of your prayer today?
The light is used as an analogy for good in the Bible. Adversely, the night is used as an analogy for the bad. That is the setting of this part of Psalm 119. In the dark times, the Psalmist is writing about those that are speaking verbally hurtful words against them in secret. That is amplified because of the dark, difficult times the writer is going through. That is when chatter against you seems to sting the most. When you just don’t have the bandwidth to deal with their mouths. Now we add the last layer to the setting of this section by noticing that the writer feels like they don't belong anywhere (sojourner in verse 54). Put it all together and we ask ourselves if we have ever felt like we are going through a dark situation in life that has people talking about us behind our backs and making us feel isolated from everyone around us? Wow…this Bible stuff is pretty good at pegging real life feelings!
These verses are not about empathy for the sake of empathy. They are about a reminder that is needed for those that are in this situation, or just will need these ideas one day soon. For the Psalmist, the answer to this is remembering, recalling, and trusting in God’s words. There is hope in His word. That is the light for the night time situation that feels hopeless. Sometimes, when there are no answers for right now, we need to be reminded of the answers we were told back then. That is the cry of the writer in this section. Maybe it is the cry of your heart sitting with this devotion right now?
What does meditating or thinking on God’s word look like in a time that you just aren’t feeling it? What do you do?
Look at verse 56 and describe what that verse means to you.
How does this become part of your prayer today?
Day 5
Read Psalm 119:57-64
“When I think on my ways…” That’s where I got hung up. I don’t have time to sit and think about my ways too much, I am too busy getting ready for the next thing and moving on to the next decision. After that, I shut down. I have reached points lately where I am just tired of being responsible. Not that I want to be irresponsible, I just get tired of carrying the load of responsibility around. So to sit and think about how I have been carrying myself…it just seems easier to distract myself with some mindless stuff. I will just shut my mind off for a while. This is why we are such a distracted people. I am all for thinking about the ways of everyone else in social media and all of those other things, but sitting and thinking about my own ways: how I have been walking through the little things and what my attitude has been, how have I been handling the mentally challenging things that I face; those seem trivial for my circumstances.
I don’t spend enough time reflecting. That is what I am seeing right now. I don’t spend enough time processing my life and thinking about what I need to. My mind is way too busy and distracted. “The Lord is my portion…” That was the start of this section. That was what I needed to remind myself of. This devotion was good for me…hopefully you are feeding off of it too.
What is your actual process, or should be your actual process be, of “thinking on your ways”?
Do you feel this is an important practice? Why or why not?
When the Psalmist thinks on his ways, then he turns his feet toward God’s testimonies. What do you notice about his ways that he sees in the thinking time and how do you think he turns towards God’s testimonies, and how do you do that today?
How does this become part of your prayer today?
“When I think on my ways…” That’s where I got hung up. I don’t have time to sit and think about my ways too much, I am too busy getting ready for the next thing and moving on to the next decision. After that, I shut down. I have reached points lately where I am just tired of being responsible. Not that I want to be irresponsible, I just get tired of carrying the load of responsibility around. So to sit and think about how I have been carrying myself…it just seems easier to distract myself with some mindless stuff. I will just shut my mind off for a while. This is why we are such a distracted people. I am all for thinking about the ways of everyone else in social media and all of those other things, but sitting and thinking about my own ways: how I have been walking through the little things and what my attitude has been, how have I been handling the mentally challenging things that I face; those seem trivial for my circumstances.
I don’t spend enough time reflecting. That is what I am seeing right now. I don’t spend enough time processing my life and thinking about what I need to. My mind is way too busy and distracted. “The Lord is my portion…” That was the start of this section. That was what I needed to remind myself of. This devotion was good for me…hopefully you are feeding off of it too.
What is your actual process, or should be your actual process be, of “thinking on your ways”?
Do you feel this is an important practice? Why or why not?
When the Psalmist thinks on his ways, then he turns his feet toward God’s testimonies. What do you notice about his ways that he sees in the thinking time and how do you think he turns towards God’s testimonies, and how do you do that today?
How does this become part of your prayer today?
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