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DEVOTIONS
FOR May 3-8, 2010
Topic:
“Matching Our
Desires with God's”
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
May 3
Look
up and read
1 John
2:15-17
Fleshly Desires Will
Fade “Do
not love the _____ or anything in the ______. If anyone ____ the world, the
____ of the Father is not in him. For everything in the word, the _____ of
a sinful man, the ____ of his eyes and the _____ of what he has and does –
comes not from the _____ but from the ____.” (vs. 15-16) What does society
tell us to pursue? (Success, Sex, Beauty, Being Happy) When we’re
focused on pleasing our own desires, we’re not living in God’s love. What
values are most important to you? Do you make choices based on your own
desires, or what you think God wants you to do? Verse 17 gives us
encouragement: “The world and its desires ___ ____, but the man who does the
____ of God lives ______.” Sometimes we want to do things our way. It might
feel better now to give into pressure and make choices that make us happy
for the moment, but God tells us that temporary pleasures won’t last
forever. However, the person who trusts and obeys God will live forever!
Would you rather be happy for just a little while, or have life
everlasting? With this in mind, is it really worth it to compromise your
values when it comes to relationships? What do you have to lose that’s more
valuable than life? Think about your behavior: who’s desires are you
pleasing; God’s or your own? What is one area where you can stop being
selfish and ask God to help you follow His will instead?
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TUESDAY
May 4
Look
up and read
Romans 8:5
Where’s Your Focus?
“Those who live according to the ______ nature have their minds set on what
that nature desires; but those who ____ in accordance with the _____ have
their minds set on what the _____ desires.” When we choose to sin, we are
not giving God our entire devotion. Sexual sin is a deliberate choice to do
what we know is against God’s will. Sometimes we try and please two gods-
God and our own physical desires. Is there something distracting you from
giving your complete devotion to God? Where is your mind set? What thoughts
go through your head each day? What does the Spirit desire? Look at the
fruits of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22-23) Does your life reflect those
qualities? Do you have self-control? Take some time to evaluate yourself.
Does your life reflect a nature of the Spirit, or of your own selfish
desires? Ask for help today to get your mind set on the things God wants
for you. Be intentional about staying Spirit-focused today.
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WEDNESDAY
May 5
Look
up and read
Psalm
77:13-15
Our God is Greater!
Sometimes
we need to just stop and remember who God is- and how GREAT of a God we
serve- worthy of all our praise! The Psalmist says “Your ways, O God, are
____. What god is so ______ as ___ God? You are the God who performs
_______; you display your ______ among the peoples. With your mighty arm
you _____ your people, the descendants of Jacob and Joseph.” God is holy,
great and powerful! He performs miracles and has saved His people over and
over again throughout history. Who is greater than our God? No one!
Wow! This is the greatest God in the whole universe, and He chooses to love
us! He wants what’s best for us. Wouldn’t we be wise to listen? Spend
some time today thinking about the ways you have seen God’s power in your
life, or the life of someone you know. Praise Him today for who He is. Ask
for a heart that always trusts in His power. Is there an area where God
wants you to trust Him that you need to let go of and follow Him? What do
you have to lose that could be greater than what God has to offer?
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THURSDAY
May 6
Look
up and read
Romans
5:20-6:1-4
Don’t Take
Advantage of Grace
“But where sin
increased, _____ increased all the more…” Jesus offers us a way to overcome
the barrier between our sin and God. Even though we mess up, God forgives
us. If you have already made choices in relationships that are not pleasing
to God- know that He still loves you! But keep reading: “What shall we say
then? Shall we go on _____ so that grace may _____? We died to sin, how can
we ____ in it any longer?” Have you ever asked “if God is going to forgive
me anyway, can’t I just do what I want?” Paul clearly says the answer is
No! Jesus paid the price of His life so that we could be forgiven. Is
that something you think we should take advantage of? Are there behaviors
that you need to change so that you are no longer living against God’s
will? Spend some time today thinking about your understanding of grace.
Thank God for the gift, and think about how you can live in a way that shows
you are truly grateful. |
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FRIDAY
May 7
Look
up and read
Galatians
5:1
and
John 8:31-32
God’s Truth =
Freedom “It
is for ____ that Christ has set us free. Stand ___, then and do not let
yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of _____.” (Gal. 5:1) Why did Christ
set us free? He wants us to be free- free from sin and free from the law
that we can never live up to. Sin is called a burden because it weighs down
on us. Have you ever made a decision that you knew was against God’s will?
How did you feel? Did you feel guilty? That is the kind of “burden that
Christ wants to free us from. How can we have that freedom? John 8 says:
“If you hold to my _____, you are really my disciples. Then you will know
the ____ and the ____ will set you free.” Jesus knows what is best for us,
and when we choose to follow Him, are free to experience life with the joy
God has to offer. Is there anything weighing you down? Spend some time
reflecting on what Jesus wants for you. What part of His truth do you need
to put into practice?
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SATURDAY
May
8
Look
up and read
2 Peter
1:3-4
God Equips Us
Do you ever feel
overwhelmed because you want to do the right thing, but sometimes it’s just
hard to obey God? Especially in relationships, it is natural for us to want
to follow our own desires. So how can we overcome temptation? “His divine
_____ has given us ______ we need for life and godliness through our
________ of Him who called us by His won glory and goodness.” (vs. 3) Where
does our power come from? What can you do to grow more knowledgeable about
God? Are you spending time each day to learn more about Him and the plans
He has for you? What can you do this week to make more time for God? He
wants to equip us with everything we need- but we have to be available and
let Him. Don’t miss out on the opportunity to receive God’s power! Trust
that He will help you deal with any struggle you may face.
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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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