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DEVOTIONS
FOR January 25-30, 2010
Topic:
Looking beyond skin deep
to see that we are ALL
part
of the Body of Christ
Don’t forget to start your devotion time with a prayer!
Ask God to speak to you through His word and that His Spirit would give you
understanding as you APPLY His truth to your life.
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Spend time with the devotions this week. Read the Scriptures and then
think how you can apply them to your life.
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MONDAY
January 25
Look
up and read
Ephesians 2:11-22
and
1
Corinthians 12:12-30
United in Christ- One
Body.
Eph.2:19 says that as disciples of Jesus, we are no longer foreigners and
aliens but __________ ___________ with God’s people and members of God’s
household. There are many barriers that can divide us from other Christians
such as age, race, appearance, economic status and denomination. But Jesus
has broken these barriers and has made all believers part of His
family. The Holy Spirit helps us look beyond the barriers so that we can
enjoy life TOGETHER. Have you ever let differences get in the way of
building relationships with certain people at school and in your community?
1 Cor. tells us that there are many parts to the body, but they all form how
many bodies? ONE! Think about how we need each part of our bodies
to function, but how different they are from one another. Our eyes are just
as important as our ears, but they don’t look alike or serve the same
purpose. In the same way, we as God’s family may look different from one
another and we may have different gifts, abilities and responsibilities- but
we all help make up the body that is the church. Verse 27 says that we are
the _________ of Christ and ________ one of you is a part of it! How
boring would it be if we were all the same? Pray today that God would help
you recognize the unique gifts in people who are different from you. Praise
Him for the way He uses us all together! |
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TUESDAY
January 26
Look
up and read
Acts
10:34-38
The Good News is
for Everyone.
God accepts men from
_________ nation who fear Him and do what is right. (vs. 34) Just like we
read in Galatians 3:26-29, God does not look at whether we are Jew or
Gentile, American or European, Methodist or Presbyterian- but as Christians
we are all ONE in Him and His message applies to us all. God’s message was
sent to tell us of the good news of Jesus Christ who is Lord of ALL.
Verse 43 continues to say that EVERYONE who believes in Him receives
forgiveness of sins through His name. How does this change how we should
look at people who may appear different from us if we realize that Jesus
came for all of us? What are you doing to spread His good news?
Take some time to think about how you can help express Christ’s love to
those around you today and look for ways to bring joy to people around you.
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WEDNESDAY
January 27
Look
up and read
Colossians 3:12-17
Live as God’s
Chosen People.
We are loved by God
and because we have been chosen by Him, we are called to clothe ourselves
with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and ____________.(vs. 12)
We are to forgive each other just as we have been forgiven and we are to
love. As members of one body we are called to peace. (vs.
15) When we make judgments about others because they are different, is
there peace between us? These verses give us a pretty good idea of how we
should be living as Christ’s disciples. Verse 16 tells us that we should let
the word of Christ _______ in us. What does that mean, to let the word of
Christ “dwell” in us? Think of how easily we can memorize the words to our
favorite songs because we hear them over and over again. Do you think if we
spent time daily listening to what God has to say to us through the Bible
that we would be better equipped to live the life He calls us to lead?
Spend some time looking over this passage again and reflect on each
characteristic mentioned in the opening verses. Does this sound like a
description of you and how you are living? What changes can you make so
that these qualities can be true for you?
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THURSDAY
January 28
Look
up and read
Romans
15:5-7
We Are Accepted
and Called to Accept.
Paul encourages us to
have a spirit of ________ (vs. 5) among ourselves as we follow Jesus
Christ. What does it mean to have a spirit of unity? He says that we
should ACCEPT one another just as Christ ___________ us, so that we can
bring praise to God. Jesus provides the perfect example for the life He
calls us to live. Spend some time reflecting on His life and the many
different types of people He spent time with and cared for while He was here
on earth. He had tax collectors as His closest friends, he touched the sick
and dying, He spoke to women and Samaritans- groups that everyone else
thought He should avoid. The ones whom everyone else considered to be
different, Jesus recognized as beloved children in God’s eyes. What people
does our society today tell us that we should avoid because they are
different? What would Jesus do if He were here today? Think of some ways
that you can live ”united” with one another- even those “others” who may be
different from you. |
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FRIDAY
January 29
Look
up and read
1 Peter
1:17-2:3
Christ
Makes us Pure- So Be NEW!
The first part of
these verses tell us that it is Jesus who saves us, not anyone or anything
from this world. Through Jesus we believe and our hope is in ______. (vs.
21) Now as believers, we are challenged to DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT! Think
about the winners of American Idol. They go into the show as ordinary
people, but through the experience and with the help of voters, they become
famous across the country- sometimes even worldwide. Think about the
changes that take place for them after their success. They have fans to
deal with, concerts to perform, they have a new career- things are obviously
different for them. That’s how we should be too- in a sense, we are
“winners” when we choose to accept Christ- He offers us a whole new
lifestyle- a lifestyle of loving others. Just as it would be impossible for
an American Idol to act like nothing ever happened to them, we too should
have significant changes in our lives. Chapter 2 tells us to rid ourselves
of ______ and deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind. Instead
we are to crave more of what God has to offer. Take a look inside
yourself. Do you crave more of what Jesus wants for you and is your heart
increasingly filled with love for others?
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SATURDAY
January 30
Look
up and read
1 Peter
4:8-11
Love is the Answer
Above all
God says that we should _______ each other deeply, because love covers a
multitude of sins. None of us will ever be able to live a perfect life, we
are all going to stumble at some point- probably frequently, but when we
choose to love others, God uses that to do so much good! (vs. 9) says to
offer __________ to one another. How can this apply to welcoming our new
friends from Centro Cristiano Hosanna UMC (CCH)? How would Jesus have us
show the CCH members that they are welcome here at Matthews UMC? Spend some
time today praying for our new friends and ask that God would show you what
a neat opportunity we have here as we join together. Close the week by
reflecting on Psalm 86:8-13. There is no one like our awesome God! Let
that thought stay with you today and see how your actions can glorify Him in
everything you do. |
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See you at Sunday
School, Worship and Youth Fellowship this Sunday!
Bible references provided by
www.biblegateway.com
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