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DEVOTIONS FOR February 1-6, 2010

Topic:  “God is calling. How will we respond?”

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. 

Devotions Archive

Spend time with the devotions this week.  Read the Scriptures and then think how you can apply them to your life.
    

 MONDAY February 1

   Look up and read Mark 3:31-35

The True Family of Christ. In this passage, Jesus teaches us about our eternal family ties.  In verse 35 He says “_______________ does the will of God is my ____________ and _____________ and mother.”  WOW!  Jesus doesn’t say “only people in My direct blood line,” or “only people who share My ethnicity,” or “only My closest friends,” but He says WHOEVER does the will of God is part of My family!  Being part of the same family is a matter of sharing the Holy Spirit and living in God’s will. 

(Take a look at 1 Thessalonians 5:14-18 to see more about living in God’s will.)  Think about how we treat our family members.  We may not always get along or see eye to eye, but at the end of the day our relatives are the ones we can count on to be by our side no matter what.  As members of Christ’s family, we need to treat each other the same way.  Spend some time praying for God to help you see your brothers and sisters in Christ and reflect on how you can treat EVERY member of our spiritual family with unconditional love. We don’t have to share the same interests or opinions, just like we don’t always share these things in common with our own families, but we do need to support one another in love.  Next week we will be joined by our brothers and sisters from CCH.  They too are part of the same family in Christ!

TUESDAY February 2

Look up and read Ecclesiastes 4:9-12

We are Stronger TOGETHER. In this passage we read that ________ are better than one. (vs. 9)  If one falls, the other can lift him up.  That’s pretty practical isn’t it?  Think about an athlete who gets knocked down during a game.  Sure, he’s probably capable of getting up on his own, but isn’t it much easier when a teammate offers him a hand and picks him up?  Verse 12 goes on to reference our enemies and temptations that we may face.  When something or someone is fighting against us, it is always easier to resist those forces with the help of a friend.  There will be hardships in life, but they are much more bearable with friends around us.  We have an exciting opportunity to surround ourselves with new friends from CCH in the coming weeks. Spend some time reflecting on the idea that we can be a stronger church TOGETHER with our brothers and sisters.  What will that look like?  How can we be sure to build relationships that will last and help us enjoy life better together?

WEDNESDAY February 3

Look up and read Luke 9:10-17

Teamwork helps Miracles Happen. This is probably a story you’ve heard before.  Jesus has just finished teaching, but the crowd is still with Him and there’s no food to feed them.  The disciples at first are overwhelmed at the idea that they’re going to have to find a way to feed EVERYONE.  But what does Jesus do?  He tells them to gather the people in groups and have them eat. Jesus trusts that God will provide.  The little food that was offered to be used was multiplied that day to meet the needs of everyone.  Perhaps the people realized that they had something to share. Somehow, everyone was fed and no one went hungry that day.  Jesus did not let the magnitude of the situation overwhelm Him. Instead, He trusted that God would provide.  What are some things that may seem overwhelming to you about change?  Our church has chosen to make some changes and we will be joining congregations with our friends from CCH.  Change like this might seem overwhelming at first, but we need to remember to trust that God will provide, and that if we offer ourselves and make an effort to build relationships- God will multiply it for His good. Spend some time thinking about how God will be working in mysterious ways through these two churches coming together. Pray for an open heart to embrace every opportunity to participate in God’s plan.

THURSDAY February 4

Look up and read  Genesis 12:1-9

We Need to have Faith. God told Abram to go out from his _______, his relatives, and his ___________’s house to the land He would show him. (vs. 1)  With each one of these commands, God is getting closer and closer to the heart of what means the most to Abram. As if it isn’t enough to ask him to leave his country, God says to also leave your family too.  And if that isn’t enough, He tells Abram to leave his father’s house.  God was asking Abram to leave everything that was familiar to him in order to receive the blessing and promise that God had in store for his future.  Verse 4 tells us of Abram’s remarkable faith- he agrees to trust God and go- no questions asked. Wow!  That is admirable, that he trusts God enough to leave the life he’s always known to go follow God to an unknown destination!  How can this passage compare to our church’s journey with CCH?  We are being called out of our familiar territory, and so are our friends at CCH.  But if we will trust God and have faith to go where He is leading us, then He will be faithful and bless our journey together.  Do you have faith like Abram?  Are you willing to say yes to God’s call? What is He calling you to leave behind in order to follow Him?  Do you trust that He will provide?  The same God that was with Abram is with you today!

FRIDAY February 5

Look up and read Isaiah 6:8

What is Our Response? Isaiah heard the voice of the Lord asking “who should I send? Who will go for us?”  God was calling the prophet Isaiah to be a voice in the world for God.  What was Isaiah’s response?  “Here __ am.  Send ____.”  Pretty impressive, that he would step up to the plate and answer God’s call.  Just like we read about Abram’s faith, Isaiah provides us with an example of how we should respond to God when He asks us to go.  As Christians, God calls each of us to continue to spread His good news to everyone around us. Our work here will not be finished until every knee is bowed and every tongue confesses that Jesus is Lord. (Romans 14:11, Isaiah 45:23, Phil. 2:10-11)  We can’t just assume that someone else is going to do the work God has called us to, but we must make OURSELVES available to be used by Him.  What is God calling you to do today?  How are you going to respond?  How is our church responding, and what role can you play?

SATURDAY February 6

Look up and read Luke 1:36-37  and  1 Corinthians 12:9

God Can and He Will. Luke is writing about when Gabriel tells Mary about Jesus’ birth.  To help her believe that God is powerful enough to pull off such a miracle, the angel reminds Mary that God has already performed a miracle in her relative Elizabeth –who is pregnant with John the Baptist.  Verse 37 says “ _____________ is impossible with God!”  It doesn’t say “most things aren’t impossible,” or “some things are possible”- it says NOTHING is impossible with God.  That is pretty reassuring, huh!?  Let’s think about this in light of our merge with CCH.  Even though there are going to be language barriers at first, and the transition will be something new for us all- our God can accomplish ANYTHING and no challenge is too great for Him to overcome! 

See you at Sunday School, Worship and Youth Fellowship this Sunday!

Bible references provided by www.biblegateway.com